The Arizona Coyotes will rise Shane Doan’s No. 19 jersey to the rafters of the Gila River Arena on Feb. 24 prior to their game against the Winnipeg Jets, marking the first jersey to be retired in the Coyotes team history.
According to an Arizona Coyotes press release “Shane Doan is Mr. Coyote and a Valley icon,” Coyotes President & CEO Ahron Cohen said, “No one has done more for the Arizona Coyotes or the game of hockey in Arizona than Shane”.
It was truly only a matter of time, but the longtime face of the Coyotes franchise Shane Doan will finally have his jersey retired by the team, becoming the first Coyotes player to have their jersey retired in Coyotes team history.
Former Coyotes players Keith Tkachuk (No. 7), Teppo Numminen (No. 27), and Jeremy Roenick (No. 97) along with former Winnipeg Jets players Bobby Hull (No. 9), Thomas Steen (No. 25) and Dale Hawerchuk (No. 10) are members of the Coyotes Ring of Honor.
"“I am extremely grateful to be the first Coyotes player to have his jersey retired,” Doan said in a release. “I am so proud to have played my entire career for the Coyotes because loyalty and commitment mean everything to me. I want to thank the entire Coyotes organization for this incredible honor. It means so much to my family and me”."
A message from Captain Coyote: https://t.co/suUN3XoBbt
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) August 1, 2018
Drafted by the Winnipeg Jets with the 7th overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, Doan moved with the original Jets franchise to Phoenix prior to the 1996-97 season, where he would quickly become a fan favorite and the face of the Coyotes organization for the remainder of his career.
Serving as team captain of the Coyotes from 2003 until 2017, he eventually became the NHL’s longest-tenured captain. For the Coyotes, Doan is the all-time leader in games played (1,540), goals (402), assists (570), points (972), powerplay goals (128), and game-winning goals (69), forever etching his name into the Coyotes history books for years to come.
During his success with the Coyotes, Doan represented the team during the 2004 and 2009 NHL All-Star games. Along with his success in the league, Doan had international success as he was able to represent Canada during their run at the goal medal at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, 2006 Olympics Winter Games, and in six IIHF World Championships winning two goal medals and three silver medals.
Along with his massive success in the NHL and internationally, Doan has been able to play a large part in becoming one of the largest influencers in the Arizona hockey community. Including one of the most recent success stories from the Desert, Toronto Maples Leafs forward Auston Matthews.
According to an article from Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, the Arizona State’s men’s hockey team head coach Greg Powers has said that many of the student-athletes and local hockey players in Arizona grew up idolizing Doan, and that many players on the Sun Devil’s hockey team enjoyed viewing the moment of when Matthews came back to Arizona to play against Doan and the Coyotes, speaking volumes of Doan’s impact on the Arizona hockey community.