Few players in any sport finished their career on a higher note than Daneyko, whose final seconds as an NHL player came in Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final, when the Edmonton native and his New Jersey Devils teammates celebrated their third championship in a span of nine seasons.

Winning the Cup for the third time capped 20 seasons in the League, all with the Devils, for Daneyko. He never scored more than six goals or finished with more than 21 points in a season but grew into a solid stay-at-home defenseman on one of the NHL's best defensive teams.

New Jersey selected Daneyko with the No. 18 pick in the 1982 NHL Draft, shortly after the franchise relocated following five seasons as the Colorado Rockies. He made his NHL debut against the New York Rangers on Oct. 5, 1983, and was credited with his first point, an assist, in a 6-2 loss.

Daneyko didn't make the NHL to stay until 1986-87, when he finished with 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) and 183 penalty minutes in 79 games. He settled in as a gritty player who was more than willing to sacrifice his body for his team. His NHL career highs in goals (six) and points (21) came in 1989-90, but he never scored more than two goals in any of his final 12 seasons and set an NHL record by going 255 games without scoring.

However, Daneyko provided a physical presence in front of the net, making life miserable for opposing forwards trying to set up in front of the net and enabling his teammates to thrive offensively.

From the time the Devils first qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 1988 to Game 4 of the first round in 2003, Daneyko played in every postseason game for New Jersey. He was also scratched for the first six games of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, but coach Pat Burns dressed him for Game 7, and he was on the ice for the final shift of New Jersey's 3-0 victory.

Daneyko retired with 178 points (36 goals, 142 assists) and 2,516 penalty minutes in 1,283 NHL games and 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 175 playoff games. In 2000, he was voted winner of the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey.

The Devils retired his No. 3 on March 24, 2006.