Shane Doan is taking a “step back” from the Arizona Coyotes.
Reached by phone on Thursday morning, Doan stressed, “I don’t want this to be seen in any way that hurts the organization. I want the arena bid to be successful for hockey’s long-term future in the Valley.”
Doan re-joined Arizona as Chief Hockey Development Officer in January 2021 after three years in the NHL’s hockey operations department. Given his history — he played 1,466 games in Arizona and is the franchise’s all-time leader in goals, assists and points — it would seem far better for him to be more involved than not. But Doan wanted no part of that storyline, saying he’s a big fan of second-year head coach Andre Tourigny and would help him in any way that’s asked.
It also gives him more time to spend with his four children, including Josh, taken 37th overall in last July’s draft by the Coyotes. Josh Doan is entering his sophomore season at Arizona State. The Sun Devils are sharing an arena with the NHL team, with the Coyotes’ home opener scheduled for Oct. 28 against Winnipeg.
