Daren is a former NHL goaltender with over 15 years of experience.

Daren grew up in a Northern Ontario town in Canada called Kirkland Lake. His hockey career took him to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York. He studied Industrial Engineering. Daren stayed at RPI for only two years, winning the NCAA Division 1 Championship in 1985. That year, the Buffalo Sabres drafted Daren Puppa and gave him a professional contract.

Over the first few years of his professional career, Daren lived in Buffalo and Rochester. In 1986, he won the Calder Cup for the Rochester Americans.

On March 4, 2016 Daren became a member of Rochester Americans Hall of Fame.

After 7 and 1/2 years in Buffalo, he was traded to Toronto Maple Leafs. Though very brief, Daren thoroughly enjoyed living downtown Toronto.

In 1993, the new hockey team Tampa Bay Lightning made a trade for Daren. While playing for the Lightning he was MVP of the hockey team 3 times. He also led the team to their first ever playoff in 1996.