Doan announces retirement from NHL

Former Arizona Coyotes forward Shane Doan announced his retirement Wednesday.

Doan, 40, had been an unrestricted free agent. The Coyotes had informed Doan on June 17 that they would not be re-signing him.

Selected by the Winnipeg Jets with the No. 7 pick of the 1995 NHL Draft, Doan had spent his entire 21-season NHL career with the Jets/Coyotes franchise, which moved to Arizona from Winnipeg in 1996.

Doan made the announcement in a letter to fans published in The Arizona Republic.

"I could not fathom at the time that I would end up playing in Arizona for the next 21 years, raise a family and call this place home," Doan wrote while reminiscing about his first game in Phoenix, which came at the start of his second NHL season. "But that's exactly what happened. And that's why this has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I'm retiring from the NHL."

Doan had 27 points (six goals, 27 assists) in 74 games last season, which also was his 13th as Coyotes captain.

In 1,540 NHL games, he had 972 points (402 goals, 570 assists). He's the Jets/Coyotes leader in all four categories.

He's also one of nine players in NHL history to have played at least 21 seasons with the same franchise; three played more games with one organization than Doan did (Gordie Howe, 1,687, Detroit Red Wings; Nicklas Lidstrom, 1,584, Red Wings; Alex Delvecchio, 1,549, Red Wings). He's tied for 14th for most games played in NHL history.

The Coyotes released a statement congratulating Doan on his career: "On behalf of the entire Arizona Coyotes organization, our fans and our corporate partners, we would like to thank Shane for everything that he's done for our franchise over the past 21 years. Shane had an incredible career on the ice and we are very proud of everything that he accomplished in a Coyotes uniform. He will be remembered as one of the greatest captains in NHL history. Off the ice, Shane was a great ambassador for growing the game of hockey in Arizona and his contributions to the community are immeasurable. Shane will be a Coyote for life. Thank you Captain!"

Doan played in the NHL All-Star Game in 2004 and 2009, and in 2010 he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the player who exemplifies leadership on and off the ice and has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, and was a Coyotes fan prior to being the No. 1 pick of the 2016 NHL Draft and last season's Calder Trophy winner.

"My childhood idol growing up," Matthews posted on his Twitter account. "Amazing player and an even better person. Congrats on an unbelievable career Doaner!"

My childhood idol growing up. Amazing player and an even better person. Congrats on an unbelievable career Doaner !

— Auston Matthews (@AM34) August 30, 2017

"I have peace, and I'm so thankful for that," Doan wrote. "I've been blessed and I'm so grateful for the fans and their support. They stuck by me throughout my career and the ups and downs of the Coyotes. There are a lot of players with more skill than me and a lot more ability than me that didn't ever get the type of appreciation that I got and the type of respect that the fans gave me, and I'm so grateful for that. I can't express how much I appreciate it. Thank you for watching me grow up, and I enjoyed watching a lot of you grow up, too.

"I also want say thanks to the Coyotes, who provided me the opportunity to stay in the Valley for 21 years. That's one of the most meaningful accomplishments of my career, and I'll forever cherish the friendships I've made along the way."

Coyotes will not offer Shane Doan a contract for next season

GLENDALE, ARIZONA --- The Arizona Coyotes announced Monday that they will not offer Shane Doan a contract for next season.

"After serious consideration, we have decided to not offer Shane Doan a contract for the upcoming season. The time has come for us to move on and to focus on our young, talented group of players and our very bright future," Coyotes Owner, Chairman and Governor Andrew Barroway said in a statement Monday. This was a very difficult decision given what Shane has done for the Coyotes and his unparalleled importance to the organization. With that said, this is necessary to move us forward as a franchise.

"On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to sincerely thank Shane for everything he's done for the Coyotes on and off the ice the past 21 years. Shane is a Valley icon who had an incredible career and was one of the best captains to ever play in the NHL.

"Shane deserves an enormous amount of credit for keeping the Coyotes in the Valley and for growing the game of hockey in Arizona. He is beloved by our fans, corporate partners and the media and has been a tremendous leader for us in the community, and a great role model for kids. We wish him and his family all the best in the future. He will be a member of our Pack forever."

The last NHL player remaining from the original Winnipeg Jets, Shane Doan was selected with the No. 7 pick by the Jets in the 1995 NHL Draft, one year before the team relocated to Arizona to become the Phoenix Coyotes.

Doan was part of back-to-back Memorial Cup-winning teams with Kamloops of the Western Hockey League in 1993-94 and 1994-95. In the 1995 Memorial Cup, Doan won the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP.

He jumped right to the NHL and had seven goals and 17 points in 74 games in 1995-96, when he was named the Jets' rookie of the year. Doan also made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut that spring, playing all six games of Winnipeg's first-round loss against the Detroit Red wings. Two springs later, Doan scored his first playoff goal, also against the Red Wings.

Doan's play steadily improved and in 1999-2000 he had his first 20-goal season; he was second on the Coyotes in both goals (26) and points (51). He also led the Coyotes with 225 hits and 221 shots. Doan was one of three NHL players to have 200 hits and 200 shots that season.

That would be the first of nine straight seasons of 20 or more goals for Doan. From 2003-04 to 2010-11, he led the Coyotes in scoring every season. He was selected to his first NHL All-Star Game in 2003-04 and led the Coyotes in goals (27), assists (41), points (68) and shots (254) that season. He was also named captain of the team in 2003-04.

In 2005-06 Doan had the first 30-goal season of his NHL career, and led the Coyotes in points (66), hits (154) and penalty minutes (123). He scored his 200th NHL goal Oct. 27, 2007, against the Dallas Stars and finished the 2007-08 season with a team-high 78 points, his first time with more than 70 points in the NHL.

Selected to his second NHL All-Star Game in 2008-09, Doan had 31 goals and 73 points that season. He was awarded the King Clancy Trophy for leadership and humanitarian contributions in 2009-10. In 2011-12, he won the Mark Messer NHL Leadership Award.

Doan broke Dale Hawerchuk's franchise record of 379 career goals Dec. 31, 2015, when he scored twice against the Jets, of all teams. He surpassed Hawerchuk's franchise points mark (929) Feb. 12, 2016, against the Calgary Flames.

Doan, Trocheck, Reimer named our 'Three Stars of the Night'

NEW YORK -- UNB! Network NHL/hockey blog 'The Neutral Zone' has named Shane Doan, Vincent Trocheck, and James Reimer as their 'Theee Stars of the Night' for the National Hockey League games taking place on February 20,  2017.

FIRST STAR - SHANE DOAN, F, ARIZONA COYOTES

Doan skated in the 1,524th game of his NHL career to tie Brendan Shanahan for 15th on the all-time list as the Coyotes built a 3-0 lead and held off a late Ducks rally to improve to 5-2-1 in their last eight contests.

SECOND STAR - VINCENT TROCHECK, F, FLORIDA PANTHERS

Trocheck scored the go-ahead goal with 4.6 seconds left in regulation as ths Panthers concluded their road trip with a 5-0-0 record. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Trocheck (59:55) scored the latest game-winning goal in Panthers history.

THIRD STAR - JAMES REIMER, G, FLORIDA PANTHERS

Reimer of the has earned wins in his past five decisions and improved to 8-1-1 in his last 10 overall dating to Dec. 31.

Shane Doan signs one-year contract with Coyotes

Forward Shane Doan signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. Financial terms of the contract were not released.

Doan, who will turn 40 on Oct. 10, led the Coyotes with 28 goals last season and had 47 points in 72 games.

Doan had thought about retiring after last season ended, but after having one of his best offensive seasons, he decided to play at least one more.

"I'm happy to sign for another year," Doan said. "I'm very excited about the players we added this summer and all of the talent we have on our roster. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming season."

This season will be his 21st with the Coyotes franchise. Doan is the longest serving captain in the NHL; he was named captain prior to the 2003-04 season.

Doan will become the ninth player in NHL history to play at least 21 seasons with the same franchise. Seven of the other eight -- Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Steve Yzerman, Stan Mikita, Ray Bourque, John Bucyk and George Armstrong -- are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The other, goalie Martin Brodeur, who played for the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues, is not yet eligible.

Doan, selected in the first round (No. 7) of the 1995 NHL Draft when the franchise played as the Winnipeg Jets, has 945 points (396 goals, 549 assists) and 1,305 penalty minutes in 1,466 regular-season games, and 15 goals and 13 assists in 55 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He is the franchise leader in games played, goals and points.

"We are thrilled to have Shane back for another year," Coyotes general manager John Chayka said. "No one has done more for this franchise than Shane. He's one of the best captains in the NHL and we are lucky to have him."

Chayka said recently he spoke with Doan and wasn't concerned about getting a new contract completed, despite the fact Doan entered free agency on July 1.

"I get asked often about the loyalty I feel towards this organization," Doan said. "I get asked why I've turned down other opportunities so that I can keep playing hockey in what some people characterize as not an ideal situation. I've already given plenty of examples of why I love it here, but on a basic level, my biggest reason for wantcing to stick around all these years is simple: The organization drafted me to win a Stanley Cup, and I still plah to deliver on my end of the bargain."

Chayka, 26, was named GM of the Coyotes in May. He is the youngest GM in NHL history, and Doan has repeatedly said he backed the hire and the direction the Coyotes are headed. Although they have not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since making the conference final in 2011-12, Arizona had a 22-point improvement last season after finishing with the worst record in the Western Conference in 2014-15 (56 points).

NHL Release.