After the Arizona Coyotes placed Shane Doan in concussion protocol following a nasty hit from Radko Gudas in a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, there was some doubt over when Shane Doan would suit up next.
For the Arizona Coyotes, there are many things that are a bit different than most other NHL teams.
For example, while even the warmer climes experience snow and ice throughout the middle slog of an NHL season, the Coyotes hum along in sunshine and relative warmth.
They’ve dealt with the past issues with the arena and the city of Glendale, which came to a head last offseason and appears to be pointing the Coyotes in the direction of a partnership with ASU this offseason.
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Then there’s the fact that their leading goal-scorer is a thirty nine year old veteran with 20 years of NHL experience under his belt. He’s the heart and soul of the team, and when he’s out they don’t quite function the same.
That’s why he’s the captain.
Shane Doan has scored 26 goals in 2015-16, shaking off a subpar 2014-15 that saw Doan post the worst shooting percentage of his career. This season he’s converting on 16.6% of his attempts. That’s the highest mark of his career.
Beyond his contribution on the score sheet, Doan also acts as the protective older brother to a plethora of young kids just trying to make their way in the NHL. It’s not an ideal situation, but given the league-wide movement to abandon the employment of pure enforcers, it’s a reality the Arizona Coyotes live with.
Though it doesn’t happen often, last Saturday night the lack of a John Scott type became an issue when the Philadelphia Flyers began to bully around the Yotes after falling behind the home team 2-0.
Radko Gudas took some liberties with Doan on a play in the corner and the result was unsettling.
The initial contact by Gudas was fine, but as he shoves Doan towards the boards he continues to follow through behind him and half hip-checks, half elbows Doan’s head into the boards from a very prone position.
Doan had trouble getting to his skates and was clearly dazed, and the Arizona Coyotes and the league’s concussion spotters promptly sent him to the locker room for evaluation.
After going through the NHL’s concussion protocol and missing Monday’s matchup against the Calgary Flames, Doan looks set to retake the ice on Thursday night against the Central Division co-leading Dallas Stars.
With the captain already indicating he plans to return for the 2016-17 season, this is great news for the Arizona Coyotes.
Next: Coyotes' 10 Best Goals From The First Half Of The 2015-16 Season
You never want to see a player go down with a concussion. You certainly don’t want to lose your captain for any reason.
It looks like the old man’s body is still hooked up to the rejuvenation machine, however, and we’ll see that familiar #19 skating around American Airlines Center tonight.