FPHL 
2025 Ring of Honor Inductee: Sylvain "Sly" Daigle
DANBURY — The Danbury Hat Tricks are excited to announce Sylvain "Sly" Daigle as the fifth inductee in this year's Danbury Ring of Honor class.
The Danbury Trashers goalie in the 2005-06 season, Daigle played one season in Danbury as his final in both the United Hockey League and as a goalie in professional hockey and registered a 32-13-6 record and two shutouts. The 5-foot-8 Quebec native was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the sixth round of the 1995 NHL Draft before playing 10 professional seasons, six in the UHL.
Daigle, who also won three titles with the Muskegon Fury (UHL), will join five other new members in this year's Ring of Honor class. All inductees will be honored on Alumni Night on Saturday, March 29 in a pregame reception inside the Axe Tricks Lounge before the Hat Tricks battle the Binghamton Black Bears at 7 p.m. Alumni in attendance will be introduced on the ice at the first intermission.
"This is a phenomenal honor and it's great that hockey is still in Danbury," Daigle said. "In Danbury's first year, Muskegon played against them in the playoffs and took them out and that was the first time I actually met their general manager AJ Galante. I didn't even know who he was, but he came onto the bus, shook our hands, and congratulated us. All of a sudden, he came to me and said, 'Congratulations on your job. If you need anything next year, let me know.'
"I didn't know who he was. And as a joke, I said, 'AJ, I'm going to be in Danbury next year.' And he said, 'Yeah? Well, just let me know.' It just happened that over the summer I ended up playing there. It made great memories that I had there," Daigle continued.
Added former Trashers general manager and Hat Tricks special advisor to the general manager AJ Galante, "I just remember seeing this little guy playing goal for Muskegon and he single-handedly beat us. He wasn't the prototypical goalie, he wasn't a big guy. He was a small, scrappy, little underdog type of guy. And I just remember, after the season, saying 'Let's just go after the guy that single-handedly knocked us out.' I still, to this day, don't know how we were able to get him for our second season."
Besides succeeding in the UHL, Daigle also played two seasons for the Mississippi Seawolves, members of the ECHL in 1996-97 and 1999-00, and four with the AHL's Springfield Falcons from 1996–99 and in 1999-00, before signing with the Trashers.
"We had a great team in the second year being led by head coach Paul Gillis," Daigle said. "It was definitely a different atmosphere than what I was used to, but it was a phenomenal place, and the players were treated very well. When you played there, you really felt like part of a family … It's a business-oriented franchise. I wasn't accustomed to seeing the owner in the dressing room all the time and hearing speeches in between periods. This was a little different but, at the same time, it brought caring from the owners every time you saw them."
Since retiring from professional hockey, Daigle has worked as the Logistics Coordinator at Exo-s, a plastic system designer and manufacturer, in Howe, Indiana, since January 2017.
"He embodies the Trashers mentality; he was an underdog," Galante said. "He was a little guy. He didn't have an imposing figure, which doesn't make sense because the Trashers were imposing figures. But for a goalie, he was an underdog and had to work twice as hard to get things done … To have a banner in the name of the stands with your name on it, it's special. It's something that brings out a lot of emotion and he deserves it."
On Alumni Night, the Hat Tricks will raise a banner including the names of this year's honorees next to the team's banners, the previous Danbury Ring of Honor members, and former Whalers winger Corey Fulton's retired number.
ABOUT DANBURY HAT TRICKS:
The Danbury Hat Tricks are a professional hockey team based in Danbury, CT and compete in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). Since their founding in 2019, the 2023 Commissioner's Cup Champions have brought thrilling, fast-paced, and hard-hitting hockey to the Danbury Ice Arena, earning a reputation for their competitive spirit, electric atmosphere and strong community ties. The team is dedicated to providing an unforgettable game-day experience for fans of all ages while proudly representing the city of Danbury.
Off the ice, the Hat Tricks are committed to fostering connections within the local community through outreach programs with schools, businesses and charities. By developing top-tier hockey talent and growing the sport in the region, the Hat Tricks aim to bring the community together and deliver entertainment that leaves a lasting impact.
Danbury Hat Tricks single-game tickets and full/partial season membership plans are still available for purchase. If you are interested, email herm@danburyhattricks.com or go to Tixr.
To stay up to date on all things Danbury Hat Tricks hockey, go to danburyhattricks.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok (@DanburyHatTricks).