Veteran presence
IceCaps’ new goalie back working for Canadiens organization that signed him to his first pro deal 13 years ago.
It remains to be seen if Yann Danis becomes the St. John’s IceCaps’ No. 1 netminder. But one thing is for sure, he already leads the team in professional hockey seniority.
Yann Danis laughed when asked if there was much that was familiar for him in the Montreal Canadiens’ organization today compared to when he turned pro with the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Canadiens’ AHL farm team, in 2003-04.
“The colours… but I think that’s about it,” said Danis, who signed with the St. John’s IceCaps, Montreal’s present-day AHL affiliate, earlier this week.
“Oh, and one other thing … I’ve been here just a little while, but it’s easy to see this is still one of the top organizations in hockey.
“It’s one of the main reasons I’m happy to be back with them.”
That and the fact that it means the husband of two — soon to be three — is working.
The 35-year-old Danis had been in the Anahein Ducks’ training camp on a tryout and made it all the way to the second week of October before being released.
But his hanging on that long with Anaheim was problematic, too, since there was little in the way of vacancies elsewhere by the time he was let go.
Danis had explored the European option before — he played in the KHL in 2010-11 — but with two young boys, aged 4 and 6, and his wife Kyla expecting another child, it wasn’t a move he wanted to make again.
“And anyway, it was late to get a job in Europe. And in this position (goaltender) and at my age, it can be hard to find a place (to play) anywhere at this time of the year,” said Danis.
“So we were pretty excited when Montreal called.”
Danis said the offer from the Canadiens was unexpected — he hadn’t been in contact with Montreal before then — but it is a sensible move for a team whose pro-level netminding depth took a big hit when Michael Condon was claimed on waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In fact, with rookie Charlie Lindgren and sophomore Zach Fucale, the Canadiens were left as the only organization with fewer than three netminders signed to NHL or AHL deals below the big-league level.
Danis, who was signed to a one-year AHL deal, has National Hockey League experience, having appeared in a total of 55 games with Montreal (with whom he recorded a shutout in his first NHL game), New Jersey, the New York Islanders and Edmonton, including 31 games with the Isles in 2008-09. And he was the 2011-12 AHL netminder of the year with the Oilers’ farm team in Oklahoma City
But since 2013, when his contract with Edmonton ran out, it’s been an annual test to find work, even with his solid resume and standout reputation.
Danis didn’t hook on with the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals until November of 2014, and that was on a PTO. He finished off that season with the Hartford Wolf Pack, posting a solid 2.35 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.
That got him a contract with New Jersey for 2015-16 and he gave the Devils’ farm team in Albany what the IceCaps can only hope he can give them, workhorse production (47 games) and a 2.22 GAA.
He represented Albany at the 2016 AHL all-star game and even got into a couple of NHL games with the Devils during a season that helped convince him he had more contributions to make.
Mind you, at 35, Danis is more than seven years older than the forwards Chris Terry and Bobby Farnham, whose 1989 birthdates had given them previous seniority on the team. He knows that will be a talking point, but sees it as nothing more.
“I’ve always looked after myself, so physically, I feel very good. I actually think I have two or three years left,” he said.
“I know I can still play. Even more, I believe I can help a team win.”