The leading scorer in Arizona Coyotes history turns 40 today.
Shane Albert Doan is the most famous person ever to come from Halkirk, a tiny town of just over 100 residents on the wind-swept plains of central Alberta, Canada. His parents, Bernie and Bernice, are devout Christians who instilled a deep religious faith in their son. Bernie Doan, who was picked in the sixth round of the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, played briefly for the Kansas City Blues of the Central Hockey League. At 15, Shane played 56 games for the Killam Selects of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association. He then moved to British Columbia, where he played the next three seasons for the Kamloops Blazers in the junior Western Hockey League. The Blazers won the Memorial Cup as champions of the Canadian Hockey League in 1994 and 1995. Doan was awarded the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the 1995 tournament’s most valuable player.
The Winnipeg Jets made the 6’1”, 223-pound right winger the seventh overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut on October 7 while collecting two assists in a win over Dallas. The following month, he scored his first NHL goal against Ed Belfour in regulation before burying the game-winner in overtime to beat the Chicago Blackhawks. Following Doan’s rookie season, the Jets—who were founded in 1971 as part of the World Hockey Association and were one of four franchises absorbed by the NHL when the league folded in 1979—moved to Phoenix and became the Coyotes.
Doan scored 26 goals in 1999-2000, the first of nine straight seasons with 20 goals or more. Upon the departure of Teppo Numminen in 2003, he was made Coyotes’ team captain. In 2004, he played in his first All-Star Game and finished the season with 27 goals and 36 assists. He played in his second All-Star Game in 2009 and by the start of the 2014 season had appeared in more games than any player in Jets/Coyotes franchise history. On New Year’s Eve 2015, Doan scored two goals to pass Dale Hawerchuk for most goals in franchise history [381]. Six weeks later, he passed Hawerchuk on the club’s all-time career points list.
“Doaner” comes from a family that performs well on ice. His second cousin is Carey Price, All-Star goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens and the only player in NHL history to win the Lindsey, Jennings, Vezina and Hart Trophies—four of the most prestigious awards in hockey—in the same year [2015]. Catriona LeMay Doan, the “fastest woman on ice,” won two Olympic gold and 11 World Championship medals while representing Canada in speed skating. She is married to Bart Doan, Shane’s cousin.
The Captain made his debut in international competition with Team Canada at the 1999 World Championships. He won his first gold medal four years later at the 2003 World Championships and scored the game winning goal against Finland to help Team Canada win the 2004 World Cup. Three years later, he scored a hat-trick in a span of 6:25 to beat Belarus during Canada’s run to the 2007 World Cup title. Mr. Doan was also a member of Canada’s 2006 Olympic hockey team, which did not medal.
Shane Doan has played his entire career with the Coyotes. Following his rookie season, he became the face of hockey in the desert, staying loyal to the Desert Dogs through roster overhauls, ownership changes, and relocation talk. Doan lead Arizona in goals with 28 in 2015-16, doubling his production from the prior year. In the process, he became only the fourth player in league history to lead his team in goals at age 39 or older. The Coyotes have had three captains since arriving in Arizona. Doan, who is currently entering his 21st season in the league, has had the “C” on his Coyotes’ sweater since 2003, making him the longest-tenured captain currently playing in the NHL. The two-time All-Star won the 2010 King Clancy Memorial Trophy as “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.” Two years later, he earned the Mark Messier Leadership Award for superior leadership within the sport and dedication to community activities and charitable causes. Each year’s recipient is personally selected by Mr. Messier [Daily Dose, 7/3/15]. Captain Coyote has played in 1,466 games in the National Hockey League and scored 20 or more goals in all but three of his last 16 seasons. In July 2016, the father of four signed a one-year contract for the 2016-17 campaign.
