What began as a short meet-and-greet at the rink in Arizona turned into a cherished friendship between Shane Doan and the late Senator John McCain.
During a Prime Time Sports appearance on Thursday, the former 21-year NHL veteran shared the story of his relationship with McCain, who died Saturday of brain cancer at age 81.
“He came down into the dressing room, probably about 10 years ago and I got an opportunity to shake his hand and meet him, and we talked for about four or five minutes,” Doan said. “Obviously, anyone that’s ever heard his story is impacted by the things that he’s done and the life that he’s lived. I mean, it’s more than a Hollywood story. It’s just incredible, you wouldn’t even believe it, everything that he went through.”
From there, the two stayed in touch and Doan was even asked to attend his leadership forum in Sedona.
“The people that were there, were a little out of my league, obviously — it was Prime Minister Tony Blair from Great Britain, Elon Musk, Carlos Slim, some of the most influential people in the world,” said the ex-Arizona Coyotes star.
“And for some reason, him and I kind of hit it off. He has a ranch up in Sedona and I went up there probably seven or eight times, my wife and I went up there and stayed over a couple times, and just hung out with him. I became, each time I was around him, probably more impressed with the man than I was before. We became pretty good friends and that’s how it kind of came about. I was very fortunate that it happened.”
McCain’s legacy goes far beyond politics. The military officer and war veteran also had a strong passion for sports, and established friendships with other Arizona-based professional athletes including Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Diamondbacks outfielder Luis Gonzalez.
All three were part of Thursday’s memorial service for McCain — Doan and Gonzalez served as pallbearers while Fitzgerald spoke during the Phoenix service.
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