After spending his junior career with the Cornwall Royals of the QMJHL and two seasons with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the AHL, Dan Daoust was called up to the Montreal Canadiens in 1982-83 where he played four games and tallied one assist. Soon thereafter, Daoust was off to join the Toronto Maple Leafs, where the bulk of his NHL career would be played. In 48 games with the Leafs that year, Daoust contributed 18 goals and 33 assists for 51 points. He had high expectations for himself the following year, and he came through as promised. In 78 games, Daoust averaged almost a point per game, scoring 18 times while assisting on 56 others for 74 points.
Daoust played a total of eight years in Toronto, becoming a fan favourite along the way. Despite his lack of size, he was always willing to stick his nose into a scrum. The final numbers for Daoust read 522 games played, 87 goals, 167 assists, 254 points, and 544 minutes in penalties.