#44 Danny Shea 1990 - 1991
Playing Participant in the Legends of Peterborough event March 16th 2008

When popular flying forward Marc Damphousse was forced to return home early in the 1990/91 season, Pirates coach Rocky Saganiuk wasted no time in calling his former Ayr Bruins linemate Danny Shea. Danny, a former Pittsburgh Penguins draft, had just returned from a trial with the NHL’s Hartford Whalers but was keen to return to the UK and was in Peterborough within days.

Danny made his debut on 6th October 1990 in a 12-2 home win over the Fife Flyers and his all action, hard skating style made him an immediate hit with the fans. After an indifferent start to the season, Danny inspired a real push for the play-offs and by the time April arrived, third placed Pirates were the team everybody feared.

The play-offs went down to the wire and left Pirates needing a road win at Ayr in the final group game if they were to make the prestigious Wembley finals. When the home side scored to go 7-6 ahead with just over two minutes left on the game, the home fans were on their feet celebrating their trip to Wembley ….. but Danny had other ideas.

Inside those last two minutes, Danny scored twice to stun the home crowd and send Pirates to Wembley where they appeared live on BBC1, beating Cardiff Devils in the semi-final and losing out to top side Durham Wasps in the final.

Danny Shea was a player that had you shuffling to the edge of your seat every time he jumped onto the puck. He was the ultimate go-to player who repeatedly grabbed games by the scruff of the neck and turned them Pirates way. The legend that is Danny Shea is all the more remarkable because he played less than one full season for Peterborough hockey and yet, two decades down the line, his is still one of the first names out of the hat when Peterborough hockey fans talk about the true greats of the last 25 years.