Hockey in the desert is still very much a work in progress. The Arizona Coyotes have gone through multiple owners and have dealt with attendance troubles for a large portion of their existence. The one constant through it all has been their current captain, Shane Doan. Originally with the Winnipeg Jets before they moved to the southwest and became the Coyotes, Doan has become a symbol for the region.
Is his one-year signing more about his past accomplishments or does Doan still bring anything to the table?
The league has doubled down on sunbelt hockey with the expansion of a Las Vegas franchise. They want to expand into places unknown and one of the few reasons why Arizona was able to succeed was because of players like Doan. You never see his type of loyalty in the game today. Why should there be any loyalty? Teams move and owners have locked out the players numerous times over the years. Doan could have left for a wide range of teams and likely a larger paychecj and yet he stays for a team that hasn’t given him that much.
He is a legend in an area of the country that doesn’t go crazy for hockey. It may not be much for some people, yet again most people aren’t Shane Doan. He scored 28 goals last year, the most since 2008-09, and only seems to be getting stronger. The Coyotes aren’t going to be competing for a Stanley Cup this year or the year after, but at some point it doesn’t matter. A place becomes home and you don’t care about the outside noise. Even players that are tied to one franchise suchas Jarome Iginla and Ray Bourque left to go chase the ultimate prize.
Maybe we shouldn’t discount that feeling of familiarity. Everyone can find comfort in it and it doesn’t change very often. Doan has no historic comparable and will undoubtedly be underrated well after his retirement. His perseverance shouldn’t be overlooked. He is the epitome of fan loyalty encapsulated into one player. When will we ever see that again?
