As those signed to NHL contracts look ahead to the start of training camp, there’s one veteran that will be hanging up his skates rather than tying them this fall. Long-time Arizona Coyotes’ captain Shane Doan announced on Wednesday that he is retiring from the NHL after 21 seasons in the league.
Doan, a first-round pick (seventh overall) by the Winnipeg Jets in 1995, gave notice to the team and the hockey world in a special letter where he explained his decision to walk away after so many years in the league.
Doan: Saying Goodbye
“I’ve been blessed and I’m so grateful for the fans and their support,” he wrote. “They stuck by me throughout my career and the ups and downs of the Coyotes. There are a lot of players with more skill than me and a lot more ability than me that didn’t ever get the type of appreciation that I got and the type of respect that the fans gave me, and I’m so grateful for that. I can’t express how much I appreciate it.”
Doan’s decision to leave the NHL comes after the expiration of his one-year deal with the Coyotes that he signed on July 12, 2016.
He spent 20 seasons with the Coyotes and 21 with the same franchise (after the Jets moved to Arizona ahead of the 1996-97 season). Over that span he collected 402 goals and 972 points in 1,540 regular season games.
While he never won a Stanley Cup during his career, he did earn himself the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2010 and the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2012. He also appeared in the all-star game twice over his career – in 2004 and again in 2009.
Doan also won the Memorial Cup in 1994 and 1995 with the Kamloops Blazers – earning MVP honours in 1995.
But when it comes to his NHL career, the lack of a Stanley Cup doesn’t mean he didn’t leave his mark on the league and the franchise he played so long for. In fact, he set the mark in a number of categories for the Coyotes franchise.
Doan’s Career in Numbers
The long-time captain ranks first in franchise history in regular season games played (1,540), goals (402), assists (570), points (972), power play goals (128) and game-winning goals (69). He also ranks second in penalty minutes (1,353).
In fact, when it comes to a number of these categories and current players on the team’s roster, there’s no chance that any of his records are broken any time soon.
Doan also finishes his career tied for 14th with Johnny Bucyk on the NHL’s all-time games played list.
On top of that, he’s found significant success at the international level – medalling six times in eight opportunities. He won gold medals at the 2003 World Championship, 2004 World Cup of Hockey and 2007 World Championships. He also helped Canada to silver medals at the 2005 World Championships, 2008 World Championships and 2009 World Championships.
In 61 games over eight international tournaments, Dean has tallied 16 goals and 38 points.
While there’s no guarantee, Doan’s retirement also makes him eligible to join Team Canada at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, if the team’s management should choose to extend the invite.
