In a very unsurprising bit of news, the Arizona Coyotes have plans to retire Shane Doan's number.
Doan's No. 19 will go up into the rafters at Gila River Arena next year, the team announced on Wednesday. The Coyotes will honor Doan with a ceremony before their game against the Winnipeg Jets on February 24 -- a fitting opponent considering Doan was drafted by and played one season for the original Winnipeg Jets before the organization moved to Phoenix.
Doan will be the seventh player to have his number retired by the Coyotes organization (eighth if you count Wayne Gretzky's No. 99, which is retired league-wide), joining Keith Tkachuk, Bobby Hull, Dale Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen, Teppo Numminen and Jeremy Roenick.
After being selected seventh overall in the 1995 NHL Draft, Doan spent his entire career with the Jets/Coyotes franchise -- 21 seasons in total. He became one of the most beloved and influential members in the Arizona hockey community and he served as the Coyotes' captain for his final 13 seasons before retiring last year.
Doan, 41, stands as the team's all-time leader in games played (1,540), goals (402), assists (570), and points (972). He was a two-time All-Star, a King Clancy Trophy winner and a Mark Messier Leadership Award winner.
In addition to his NHL service, Doan won two gold medals and three silvers at the IIHF World Championships, a championship at the 2004 World Cup, and was a member of Canada's Olympic roster in 2006.
Unfortunately, Doan played more games without winning the Stanley Cup than any other player in NHL history. He had an opportunity to leave the Coyotes organization to chase a Cup later in his career, but he chose to stay with the only club he'd ever known rather than jump to a contender.
His fierce loyalty and contributions to the Arizona community is part of the reason why he was so beloved and respected by the locals. It will also likely be a central focus of what should be an emotional jersey retirement ceremony this winter.
