It didn't take Shane Doan very long to find a job after hanging up his skates, and he didn't have to venture far.
It was officially announced this week that the longtime Coyotes captain will be joining the NHL's department of hockey operations, where he'll work closely with the department's senior executive vice president, Colin Campbell.
According to the Associated Press, Doan doesn't have a specific role or set of duties yet but the league thinks he'll be able to provide value by drawing from his wealth of experience during a long NHL career. He'll work from home in Arizona, watching games and reaching out to "communicate with coaches and general managers about aspects of play, rules and interpretations."
Doan, 41, is widely respected within the NHL community, so it's not all that surprising that he's moving into the league office. He played 21 seasons with the Coyotes organization (including one season in Winnipeg before the franchise relocated) and was the team's captain for 13 seasons, tallying 972 points over 1540 career games. He retired from the league this past summer.
The Canadian forward is just the latest of several other former players to join the NHL operations department as they transition to life after their playing days are over. Many have moved on to prominent front office positions around the league -- including Brendan Shanahan in Toronto and Rob Blake in Los Angeles.
For now, Doan, who has long placed a strong emphasis on family, will have a good opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the league office while also getting to spend more time at home. It seems like a valuable chance to gain experience and make connections to start what could be a long career off the ice.
