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Alexei Yashin. Alexandre Daigle. Neither are exactly names that cause Senators fan to jump with joy. Both have seemingly divergent career paths and histories, and yet both are intrinsically linked. Yashin plays the role of the foreign, moody superstar; Daigle plays the role of the brash and overconfident Canadian. Yet, for better or for worse, these two complex individuals acted as the pre-eminent symbols of the Ottawa Senators in the 1990s.

First, Daigle. A native of Lachine, Quebec, he was an offensive dynamo for the Victoriaville Tigres in the QMJHL, scoring 137 points in 53 games in his draft year. According to all scouting services, he was a can't-miss prospect heading into the 1993 NHL draft.

Unfortunately, Daigle truly believed the hype. He allowed himself to get a swelled head due to the fact that was much more than a consensus pick. After the Ottawa Senators selected him with the first overall pick in the draft, he proved his cockiness with a legendary quote which, to this day, acts as an embodiment of his career:

"I'm glad I got drafted first, because nobody remembers number two."

As it turns out, this was quite possibly the most false and most true quotation in NHL history. False because everybody remembered number two (a little fellow named Chris Pronger), true because everybody remembered Daigle as quite possibly the most colossal bust in NHL history.

It is very difficult to be a true bust in the NHL, or at least a widely recognized one. First, players do not need to enter the league right after being drafted, which tempers some of the hype they garner. Second, the NHL draft isn't exactly a widely publicized affair, and junior hockey isn't exactly mainstream television viewing. Third, most NHL teams make their draftees work their way up the system.

Daigle, however, was special enough to bypass these systems that are commonplace for most teams. With rookie management and an unfamiliar owner, Daigle was foolishly awarded the largest contract for a rookie in NHL history. At the time a five-year, $12.25 million dollar contract was huge. In fact, it's bigger than the largest possible rookie contract today according to the NHL's new rookie pay scale. For an 18-year-old kid, it's more than enough for a lifetime.

This was the main problem for Daigle. With all the money in his pocket, he began to absorb the message that the Senators along with the rest of the NHL were feeding him: his name was more important than his production. His effort dipped drastically, and his motivation to succeed left with it. That's when the Ottawa media did what they do best. They brought the spotlight to Daigle.

Daigle dressed up as a nurse in a full-page ad. Daigle was rumoured to be partying excessively late at night. Daigle was rumoured to be a drug user. The Ottawa media types took this and blew it out of proportion, blew it up so much that Daigle eventually became enveloped by it.

It's not like the Senators are without blame, though. In fact, they are responsible for this whole mess with Daigle starting. They gave Daigle the contract. They pumped up Daigle's Calder trophy candidacy over the clearly deserving candidate, Yashin. And, worst of all, they refused to hold the media at bay and control them, a mark that would come to stick with the Senators organization.

Stay tuned for Yashin... I figured this post was too long.