Aussie hockey a dream for Daigneault

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In Canada, hockey is more than just a sport - it’s a way of life. For many kids growing up in the Great White North, this rite of passage begins at a very early age. And 2015 Perth Thunder import Luc Daigneault is no different.
 
Daigneault grew up on the ice and was skating at age three. Hailing from Varennes, Quebec, a small off-island suburb of Montreal, Daigneault was playing hockey any chance he could get.
 
“I played in the backyard, in the street, with my friends,” Daigneault said. “In Canada, it’s just all about hockey.”
 
The Australian Ice Hockey League attracts international imports every year during the North American, Canadian and European off-seasons. The promise of good weather, lifestyle and hard hitting hockey action is one which appeals to many. It was thanks to the combined efforts of Thunder general manager Stan Scott and former import goalie Mathieu Dugas that Daigneault found his way to Australia, eventually landing in Perth.
 
Daigneault said he was not sure whether he would be winging his way to Sydney or Perth but the 2014 Thunder goalkeeper convinced him of Perth.
 
“Dugas told me how nice the weather was and how serious the Thunder organisation in Perth had proven to be,” Daigneault said.
 
Originally, Scott approached Daigneault in order to inject some international blood into Thunder-Ice Blacks Tri-Series, which would act as a tryout for the skilful forward.
 
After two goals and two assists in the first game of the series, it was clear that his best was certainly good enough and Daigneault was well suited to the Thunder’s physical brand of hockey. He was then invited to stay for the remainder of the season, an invitation he happily accepted.
 
“This sounds like a cliché, but this is like a dream for me,” Daigneault said. “I’m 31 and this is one of the last big chances I’ll get. I’m very happy with my choice to join the Perth Thunder.”
 
He described his experience of the Perth lifestyle so far as “perfect”, listing the picturesque Swan Valley as one of the highlights of his new hockey home.
 
As a physical player, Daigneault is not afraid to throw his body around and always attempts to get in “a few good body checks” into each game he plays.
 
“I feel that I can bring a lot of energy and emotion to this team,” he said.
 
The energy and emotion is something Daigneault has brought this so far in the four games the Thunder have played, with two goals and two assists for the only unbeaten team left in the competition in 2015, including a starring performance last Sunday against the Brave. Daigneault said he certainly enjoyed being a part of such a solid import line which consists of himself, ECHL import Luke Judson and Finnish speedster Toni Kluuskeri.
 
As for the vocal home crowd at Perth’s Thunderdome?
 
“It’s great,” said Daigneault. “I definitely enjoy playing here in Perth more because the crowd is louder. It definitely motivates you when someone throws a good check or scores a goal when the crowd is loud.”
 
Daigneault has proven during the opening four games of this AIHL season that he is a versatile player with solid awareness in both offensive and defensive play. His experience in Perth has been, in his words, “awesome so far”. Judging by what he’s shown so far, Perth fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about Daigneault’s presence for the 2015 season.