Last night was a big one for the Arizona Coyotes. Not only did they get a much needed victory against Calgary, but captain Shane Doan broke the franchise’s all-time points scored record with a two goal, one assist effort.
The Arizona Coyotes lack the star power or draw of other more popular NHL teams. Or at least that’s what the greater hockey media would lead you to believe.
With a captain of the caliber of Shane Doan, however, it’s hard to buy into that narrative. He’s not only amazing in the community, he’s still breaking records on the ice at age 39.
On Friday night at Gila River Arena, Doan broke the biggest record of all. With an assist early in the second period, Shane Doan took over first place in franchise history for points scored by surpassing Dale Hawerchuk‘s 929 points.
Not content with ending the night with a mere 930 points, Doan emphatically slammed home a late power play goal to move to 931. It was 21st goal of the season.
Did I mention he’s 39 years old?
He’s been a huge part of the Arizona Coyotes’ growth on the ice this season. While Max Domi and Anthony Duclair have stolen the majority of the highlights and accolades, it’s hard for me to believe they’d be where they are without some guidance from the captain behind the scenes.
While his 18.3% shooting percentage is certainly an outlier (his previous career high was 13.8% in 2013-14), Doan’s production this season has been nearly unprecedented. Everyone talks about the chops of Jaromir Jagr at age 43, but Doan is not far behind.
There’s also a not unflattering comparison to Wayne Gretzky.
In his final season with the NY Rangers, 38-year-old Wayne Gretzky had 9 goals. 39-year-old Shane Doan now has 20 goals on the season.
— Rich Nairn (@RichNairn9) February 13, 2016
I’m sure Doan will take any statistic that puts him above the great one. If he won’t, Arizona Coyotes’ fans certainly will. Jagr and Gretzky are pretty solid company.
Post game, Shane Doan was given the ultimate gift for his contribution to the 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. The gratitude of his teammates.
Goaltender Louis Domingue gave Shane Doan the Arizona Coyotes player of the game belt to cap off a memorable night in Glendale.
The next step for Doan?
One more year, captain. Give us one more year. At least.
Next: Coyotes 10 Best Goals From The First Half Of The 2015-16 Season