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The last name Doan carries major significance in Arizona’s hockey culture. Both Shane and Josh Doan created memorable moments in the desert. Josh’s father, Shane Doan, played over 1,500 NHL games and recorded 972 points for the Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes franchise. He was captain of the Coyotes for 13 seasons and led Arizona to its only Western Conference Final appearance.
However, without a trade, Josh Doan may have not become the first Arizona-born, raised, and trained player to join the Coyotes.
Derek Stepan
On June 23, 2017, the Coyotes acquired forward Derek Stepan and goalie Antti Raanta from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Tony Deangelo and the seventh pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft – Lias Andersson became that pick, he has 17 NHL points. With New York looking to save money and give younger forwards Kevin Hayes, Pavel Buchnevich, and J.T. Miller more ice time, Stepan was the odd man out.
With four years remaining on his contract worth $6.5 million per year, Stepan became the Coyotes’ first-line center. In his first season in Arizona, the 5-foot-11, 196-pound center came one point shy of tying his career high in points, with 56. In the 2017-18 season, the Coyotes lost their first 11 games (0-10-1) and finished with a 29-41-12 record, but Stepan still earned power-play and penalty kill time.
In the next two seasons, Stepan failed to match that offensive production. In 2018-19, the Hastings, Minnesota native recorded 35 points in 72 games. He then tallied seven fewer points the following season with 28 in 70 games, although, the Coyotes made the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in eight years – Arizona defeated the Nashville Predators in a best-of-five series (due to the COVID pandemic) and lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round 4-1. Stepan had five points in nine games, his last in the desert.
Stepan to the Ottawa Senators
On Dec. 26, 2020, the Ottawa Senators acquired Stepan in exchange for a 2021 second-round pick from the Coyotes. Arizona received the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 2021 second-round pick in the deal. In a prior trade on Feb. 23, 2019, Ottawa received Columbus’ 2020 and 2021 second-round picks and Anthony Duclair. The Senators dealt Ryan Dzingel and a 2019 seven-round pick to the Blue Jackets in the deal. Therefore, the Blue Jackets’ 2021 second-round pick was involved in two trades to make its way to the Coyotes. Little did they know that this non-blockbuster move would bring home another Doan to the franchise.
Stepan scored six points in 20 games for the Senators but missed the rest of the season after surgery was required to fix an injured shoulder. The Carolina Hurricanes became Stepan’s home for the next two seasons before he retired on Oct. 3, 2023. In 890 NHL career games, Stepan recorded 515 points.
Josh Doan’s Upbringing
Josh Doan played for the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies. After two seasons with the Jr. Coyotes in 2018-19 and 2019-20 when he scored over a point per game, Doan played for the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League. In 2020-21, he scored 31 goals and 70 points in 53 games, his best season in Chicago – a 56-point difference from his first year with the Steel in 2019-20.
The 6-foot-1, 183-pound forward decided to stay in his home state to play college hockey. He recorded 37 points in 35 games his freshman year at Arizona State University, and head coach Greg Powers named him captain of the team heading into his sophomore season. Powers had this to say about Doan after his first NHL game:
“He made a huge impact on our program. So much so, that as a sophomore, I was comfortable naming him our captain just because of the kind of human being that he is,” Powers said. “He’s the kind of person that, if you’re around him, you just become better.”
In his last season as a Sun Devil, Doan scored the first collegiate goal at Mullett Arena against Colgate University. Thirty-eight points in 39 games marked almost another point-per-game season as a sophomore.
2021 NHL Entry Draft
The Coyotes had eight selections in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, including three second-round picks. After selecting forward Dylan Guenther ninth overall in the first round, Arizona had the 37th overall pick in the second round, which they used to select Josh Doan. At the time, Shane Doan served as the organization’s chief hockey development officer. It was a full-circle moment for his father and the team.
Where did the Coyotes get the 37th pick from? In the trade that sent Stepan to the Senators for the Blue Jackets’ 2021 second-round pick.
After finishing his sophomore season at ASU, Doan joined the Coyotes’ American Hockey League affiliate Tucson Roadrunners and tallied six points in 14 games to end the 2022-23 season.
Doan’s 2023-24 Season
Starting the 2023-24 season in Tucson, Doan showed major promise, scoring 26 goals and 46 points in 62 games. He was rewarded for his impressive campaign by being named an American Hockey League (AHL) All-Star for the Roadrunners and earning a call-up to the NHL. On March 26, 2024, Doan made his NHL debut. Of course, it had to be against the team whose draft pick the Coyotes used to select Doan, the Blue Jackets.
Late in the second period, Doan broke up a play behind the net. The puck found its way into the air and he batted it into the net. Mullett Arena erupted as he scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game. However, the night was just getting started for the hometown kid. Midway through the third, he deflected a shot from Matias Maccelli to put Arizona up 3-2. The Coyotes defeated the Blue Jackets 6-2, and Doan had this to say about his special night:
“I think just the whole night itself is going to be one I’ll remember forever,” Doan said. “I was told to soak in your first-ever game because you only get one first game, and it’s a game I’ll never forget. It’ll be hard to beat this one.”
In 11 NHL games, Doan scored five goals and nine points.
From Stepan to Doan
Who would have thought Stepan would become Doan? The stars aligned for the Coyotes as the Blue Jackets’ 2021 second-round selection ended up being a top-five pick in that round. Once traded from the Coyotes, Stepan’s career took a steep decline, and up came an Arizona native looking to follow in his father’s footsteps. Young star forwards like Doan, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther will look to propel the team’s success in the future.
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