Arizona Coyotes: Domi And Duclair’s Chemistry Important On And Off Ice
The Arizona Coyotes duo of Max Domi and Anthony Duclair captured the hearts of fans in the desert last season. Can the pair’s chemistry last and continue to build as a bedrock for the franchise’s future?
The bond between Arizona Coyotes players Max Domi and Anthony Duclair is one deserving of it’s own hashtag.
Fans agreed, and unleashed #duclomi all over the internet.
Whether it was someone referring to their on ice production or they were posting a selfie outside the White House, you are sure to find their hashtag to follow.
This off ice chemistry of Domi and Duclair should, in theory, lead to more production together on-ice when they lace up the skates for their second season.
The real question becomes does being great friends off the ice translate to better results?
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There is no statistic that correlates to friendship, but we can infer a little from other famous sports duos had great chemistry outside the arena of competition and see how they fared.
One such pairing was located in the City of Brotherly Love and the gridiron. It’s the now infamous sports relationship between Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens.
When these two teamed up they appeared inseparable off the field, and the results on the field reflected that. The Eagles eventually went on to face the New England Patriots in the Superbowl.
That was as good as it got and things quickly turned into the worst case scenario.
After the Superbowl loss Owens claimed some players on the team quit during the game, costing Philadelphia the victory. Owens eventually departed the team and McNabb’s reputation never recovered.
Comparing the two groups, however, there’s not much similarity. Neither Domi nor Duclair appear to have an ego nearing the size of TO’s, so a blowup like the ones Owens is known for is unlikely.
The next duo comes from South Beach and the NBA.
LeBron James and Dwayne Wade teamed up to go to the NBA Finals four years in a row, winning two NBA Championships.
They were the most dominant team in the Eastern Conference for their entire stretch together. Once again, off the court friendship has led to on the court success.
We can hope that eventually Domi and Duclair will show similar success on the ice.
On the contrary, the two friends could easily fall into the trap of the honeymoon phase in sports where great relationships often turn sour.
Just ask Brandon Marshall, he’s an expert on having a great first year and then blowing it up.
What separates these Arizona Coyotes youngsters from other great duos?
One factor that might be key to both players staying productive on the ice is Shane Doan.
Max Domi may be the future but this is still Shane Doan’s team until he says otherwise.
There is no better player to help these young guys continue to build their skills and their chemistry.
Duke and Domi had their moments last year, but that was it.
Just moments. Brief flashes of what the future of Arizona Coyotes hockey could look like.
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Let’s see what the 2016-17 holds for our two rising stars.
They might make #duclomi a household hashtag across the valley this October.