Yann Danis - Early Life

Early Life

Danis was born to Yves Danis and Ginette Boucher in Lafontaine, Quebec, but he grew up in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec. He is the couple's only child. Danis graduated from École Secondaire St-Joseph in Saint-Hyacinthe, a Francophone high school, in 1999. He did not start playing hockey until age seven because he was afraid of getting bodychecked. After being reassured by his parents that he would not get hit in minor hockey, however, Danis began playing as a forward at the age of seven. When he was eight, he told his parents that he wanted to switch to goaltender because, he said, "I liked the big goalie pads, and I thought having a catching glove was cool." His parents subsequently bought him the goaltending equipment for Christmas.

After playing for Cap Jeunesse in 1995-96 and Polyvalente of St. Jérôme from 1996–1998, Danis was named to the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League's seventeen-year old all-star team in 1998–99. He then played with the Cornwall Colts of the Central Junior A Hockey League (CJHL) in 1999-2000. He led the league in goals against average during the regular season, and he was named to the Academic All-Star Team and the Rookie All-Star Team. The Colts finished first in the regular season standings, and they won the Bogart Cup (presented to the CJHL champion) as Danis posted the lowest goals against average of any CJHL goalie in the playoffs. He then helped the team to win the Fred Page Cup (presented to the Eastern Canadian Junior "A" Champions) before the Colts finally finished in fourth place overall in Canada Junior "A" Hockey.