Shane Doan Committed To The Phoenix Coyotes
Shane Doan committed to the Phoenix Coyotes last summer and now it’s time for him to be rewarded. One off-season removed from his UFA experience, Phoenix Coyotes Captain Shane Doan must be wondering what he got himself into? Last summer, Doan’s biggest concern was whether the Coyotes would be able to find an owner that was going to keep the team in Arizona. If you remember, he postponed his self-imposed signing deadlines more than once to give prospective buyer Greg Jamison time to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on his purchase of the team. Well, it’s almost one year later and he will probably have to make a new list of concerns. Let’s have some fun and see if we can guess what would be on that list.
The Captains Concerns:
1. Ownership?
Huh? Wasn’t that addressed last summer? Answer — No!! He though it was. By now, everybody has heard over and over and over, about the on again, off again, on again bid to buy the Phoenix Coyotes. I am not going to dwell on this topic for too long because everybody in the “Free World” is sick of it.
I truly believe that this deal will get done sooner rather than later by one of the following:
A. Renaissance Sports and Entertainment (RSE)
B. Darin Pastor
C. Greg Jamison
D. ???? ?????
2. General Manager?
Coyotes GM, Don Maloney, has a contract that will be expiring at the end of June. It’s pretty hard for the GM to plan for the future when he doesn’t know where he will be working. Now in saying this, I’m sure that the first things on Don Maloney’s wish list would be a new owner, to sign a nice long-term contract and to start getting ready for the 2013-14 season. He has a lot of work to do.
3. Coach?
Coyotes Head Coach, Dave Tippett, also has a contract that expires at the end of June. Much like his GM, I’m sure his wish list is very similar. Tippett would love to see the Coyotes get a new owner, sign a nice long-term contract and start getting ready for the 2013-14 season. He has a lot of work to do also. If Tippett does hit the open market, he will be candidate #1 for teams looking for a Head Coach.
4. Starting Goalie?
Phoenix Coyotes goaltender, Mike Smith, will become an Unrestricted Free Agent this summer on July 5th. Smith is the prized UFA in this summers free agent market. He is coming off a solid performance in the World Championships playing for Team Canada and now is being mentioned as a candidate for Canada’s Olympic Hockey Team. Not bad negotiating leverage! Now in saying this, I’m sure that Mike Smith also has a similar wish list as his GM and Head Coach. I’m sure he would love to see a new owner, sign a nice long-term contract and to start getting ready for the 2013-14 season. He has a lot to prove.
Recurring Theme Here?
Of course, there is a recurring theme here. Everything about this organisation is at the mercy of Gary Bettman and the NHL getting a deal done with one of the above mentioned ownership groups and this team staying put. Phoenix is a terrific place to play hockey. If it wasn’t, it would be an easy decision for the above mentioned personnel to play out their contracts and move on to greener pastures. Why do you think Shane Doan decided to re-signed with the Coyotes? Is it too simplistic to put all the blame on the ownership saga? Not at all !!
My Final Word
As captain of the Phoenix Coyotes, I’m sure Shane Doan would love to play out his contract in Arizona with the knowledge that the franchise is in good hands and all he has to do is concentrate on playing hockey. I believe he deserves it. I’m sure his team-mates would also share that sentiment.
I think that the fans that have remained loyal to this team deserve this too. As a fan myself, I enjoy going to the games. I enjoy writing about the Coyotes and I hope to continue doing so for a long time.