TUCSON, Ariz. — The name Doan is synonymous with hockey in the state of Arizona. Shane Doan played for the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes for 20 years, even earning the nickname "Captain Coyote" as he was the team’s captain for 13 of those years.
Now, a new chapter of Arizona hockey is being written for the Doan family by Shane’s son Josh, who is currently playing for the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners.
12Sports took a trip down to the Old Pueblo to check in with Josh and talk about his time at ASU, turning pro, and much more.
Josh was born and raised in Scottsdale, playing youth hockey in the desert for the Jr. Coyotes.
His two years in junior hockey took him out of the desert to play for the Chicago Steel, but home would come calling, as the Coyotes selected Josh with the 37th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Josh then returned to the Valley to play for Arizona State, where he was named the Sun Devils’ captain for the 2022-23 season.
“I think it’s a super special experience to not only play college hockey but to get to play for your local team that you grew up cheering for that school, whether it was football or baseball or basketball, so it was an unbelievable opportunity and it’s something that I’ll take with me forever,” Josh told 12Sports.
Josh added that wearing the C on his sweater at ASU was a privilege.
“It’s obviously something you have to take with a lot of honor and responsibility when it comes to the university and how seriously they take their hockey now,” Josh said.
Josh also had one of the top moments for ASU hockey last year, when he scored the first goal in the history of Mullett Arena, ASU’s new 5,000-seat multipurpose arena that is being shared with the Coyotes.
“To score the first goal in an arena is super special,” Doan said. “But to score the first goal in an arena in Arizona is something different just because of everything that’s gone on in the past and dealing with new arenas left and right in the state of Arizona. It’s definitely cool and it’s something that once again you look back on and you’ll cherish with your family. It was a great experience. To see the excitement of the fans and the students and the players in the building that night meant so much and just shows how much hockey is valued at the school.”
ASU has been a full-time NCAA Division I hockey program for seven years but has made just one NCAA Tournament appearance, in 2019, when they lost in the first round to the Quinnipiac Bobcats, who won their first national championship this year. Doan told 12Sports he thinks it won’t be long before ASU is on that level as well.
“I think obviously any given year they’re a team that could surprise people,” Doan said. “With the new facilities, they’re going to be growing and they’re going to be getting some high-end talent. They’ve shown flashes the last couple of years when I was there of a team that can really do some damage, beating Minnesota and beating North Dakota and in the years before beating Denver.
“It’s a school that I will continue to expect to do big things every given year,” Doan added. “Anything less than a tournament run is a failure considered in that program. So, when you have that going, it’s definitely something that pushes your organization in the right direction.”
Since moving to Division I, ASU hockey has been an independent program and many have wondered if the Sun Devils would join one of the six NCAA hockey conferences (Atlantic Hockey, Big Ten, CCHA, ECAC Hockey, Hockey East, or NCHC), but Doan feels that the Sun Devils can be successful as an independent program.
“I think there’s benefits to not being in (a conference) and benefits to being in one,” Doan said. “But at the end of the day, you get to play better competition when you’re out of the conference. It’s something that goes underrated as people think since we’re not in a conference, we didn’t play good teams. But, at the end of the day, we played better teams because (for) everyone’s independent games, they wanted to come to Arizona and get to the sun. So, we had to play, and I would argue, a top-five schedule this year.”
After ASU’s 2022-23 season, Doan decided that after just two years with the Sun Devils, he would go pro, and sign with his hometown team, the Arizona Coyotes, a decision Doan says came after a lot of discussion with his family.
“We didn’t want to make the jump too early because it’s a big decision to leave school and join pro hockey,” Doan said. “(The Coyotes are) an organization you can trust that they’re going to do what’s best for you and they want you to develop. And if they agree that moving onto pro hockey is the best for you as a player, then it’s something you have to take seriously."
“It was a decision the family made, and we felt ready that this was the time to do it,” Doan added.
Doan, who signed a three-year entry-level deal with Arizona, made his pro debut with the Tucson Roadrunners on March 17. He arrived just in time for the playoff push, helping Tucson clinch a playoff berth.
“I think it’s something that you take for granted is playoff hockey,” Doan said. “In juniors, I played on a team that was very successful. And then at ASU, we had our ups and downs and didn’t get a chance to play any meaningful games. To step right into a do-or-die scenario is super cool. And it makes the game more fun and entertaining.”
Roadrunners head coach Steve Potvin says Josh has been a fantastic addition to his team and they are glad to have him as they chase the Calder Cup.
“(Josh is) one of those guys that wants to win,” Potvin said. “I think it’s huge to have young guys that are really aware of the circumstances and situations that they’re put in, and that they push a little bit to bring their level to another level. And honestly, it helps our team persevere as well.”
One way that Potvin has been pushing Josh to bring his game to the next level is by putting him on a line with players that have NHL and Olympic experience, such as Bokondji Imama, Michael Carcone, and Roadrunners captain, Adam Cracknell.
“I think it’s good to be able to play with some leadership who will be able to keep (Josh) calm and keep him steady,” Potvin said. “(Josh is) a player that’s continued to earn trust. And so, we were able to put him with the top players and he’s been able to contribute.
The 37-year-old Cracknell, who has played 210 games in the NHL and was a member of Canada’s 2022 Olympic team, told 12Sport that Josh has been a welcome addition to his line.
“It’s been great to see how quick he’s adjusted to the game, playing with a lot of confidence,” Cracknell said. “It helps when you play with guys with some experience. And so far, he has been great. Great kid off the ice, and he works hard. (I’m) very happy for the success he’s having and not surprised either.”
Cracknell added that the biggest thing Josh has brought to the Roadrunners since turning pro has been some excitement.
“He’s obviously had a great college career,” Cracknell said. “And obviously we all know who his father is. (That’s a) tough standard to live up to but something I’m sure he’s willing to try to get to. And I think it just shows in his character how he was brought up. He works hard, he’s respectful and it’s something that will take him a long way in his career.”
Doan said he cherishes the opportunity to play with and learn from Cracknell.
“He brings so much calmness and composure to his game,” Doan said. “You can’t take it for granted because there’s so much to learn, not only in practice but throughout games, whether it’s just watching him play or him coming to the bench and just telling you something quickly. It’s stuff you’ve got to absorb. It’s like talking to my dad. You’ve got to be like a sponge and apply it to your game.”
Speaking of his dad, Josh admitted there is some advice from Shane that has come to mind since turning pro.
“He’s always said it was cheesy to say have fun and enjoy yourself,” Doan said. “But you get caught up in the stress of this is pro hockey now and at the end of the day, you’ve got to relax. This is what you’ve been doing your whole life. You’ve been having fun doing this, trust yourself and just get back to the basics.
“And that’s the one thing that you fall back on (when you’re) on the bench,” Doan added. “No matter what’s going on in the game, you’ve got to make sure you’re having fun because when you’re having fun, you’re being creative and you’re creating offense and that’s what you’re here to do.”
Doan has climbed the ranks of hockey in the Grand Canyon State and said he is happy to represent hockey in the desert.
“Personally, it’s something I take a lot of pride in, being from Arizona and representing the state of Arizona hockey-wise because there’s so many people here that have pushed so hard to help me grow and develop and to get to this point,” Doan said.
“Now to be in Tucson, which a place I’ve never played hockey until now, and then you kind of check off the list with that being playing in Scottsdale and Tempe and Flagstaff a couple of times, and now in Tucson, you’re almost hitting every rink in Arizona,” Doan added. “It’s something that you’ve got to just keep moving on with, but hopefully at the end of the day, it finishes with the Coyotes, and it comes full circle, all the way around and completes the checklist of all the teams in Arizona you can play for.”
And for Josh, getting the chance to play in the NHL for the same team as his dad, and the possibility of winning the club’s first Stanley Cup would be a dream come true.
“That’s something that my whole life has been a dream and a goal and something that my whole family has taken after,” Doan said. “When I was 10 years old, the Kings won the Stanley Cup, when my dad played against them. I was playing for a team in California. It was a select team and they had all the kids come in to see the Stanley Cup and a one-on-one and I refused to go in the room with it because I was so upset that the Coyotes had lost to LA.
“To build off that, it’d be unbelievable for the organization (and) the fans of Arizona that have battled through so much adversity in terms of constantly getting heckled on social media about everything going on,” Doan added. “And to kind of lift the weight off all of that would be super special.”
The Roadrunners earned the seven-seed in the Pacific Division and will play the two-seed, the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the best-of-three first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.
All three games will be played at the Firebirds' home arena, Acrisure Arena, in Palm Desert, California. Game One will be on Wednesday, April 19 at 7 p.m., Game Two will be on Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m., and if necessary, Game Three will be on Sunday, April 23 at 3 p.m.
All of the games will be streamed live on AHLTV.
If the Roadrunners upset Coachella Valley, they would take on the one-seed, the Calgary Wranglers in a best-of-five series.