The Alliston Junior C Hornets held a rare ceremony during Sunday’s game against the Penetang Kings when they honoured former player, Darryl Shannon, by retiring his number 8 from the Hornets roster.

Shannon is well known locally as a player who started his junior hockey career with the Hornets before moving on to higher level junior leagues and eventually having a successful career in the National Hockey League.

Shannon, who now resides in Buffalo New York with his wife and three daughters, still routinely visits Alliston and often takes part in charity events around the region.

Born in Barrie, but raised in Alliston, he still has close family ties to the area and his parents still reside here.

His brother Darrin, also a former NHL player, is now the head coach of the Alliston Hornets.

“Because I came through here in my career, I’ve always paid attention to the Hornets,” he said of his interest in his former team. “Now that my brother is coaching, I’m watching all the time.”

Shannon’s junior career started with the Hornets as a 15 year-old during the 1983 / 84 season. He was awarded the Rookie of the Year during his single season with the Alliston team.

He moved on to Junior B the next year playing with the Barrie Colts.

After playing three years with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL, and one year with the Newmarket Saints, he was drafted in the second round to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1988.

He signed on with the Winnipeg Jets in 1993 and played there for three seasons.

In 1995, a move to Buffalo provided a four season stint with the Sabres and the stage of his career for which he is probably most well known.

As a defenceman, he played 284 games with the Sabres including 29 of those games during the play-offs.

Shannon retired from professional hockey in 2004 after playing his final three years in Europe.

“It truly is an honour that your peers and people involved in the sport are honouring you for something you loved doing.” He said prior to Friday’s ceremony.

A crowd of several hundred attended Sunday’s game including current hockey players from both the Junior level and minor hockey associations who aspire to follow Shannon’s path to the big leagues.