The Doan connection always brings a smile to the hockey fans in Arizona. For 21 seasons, since 1996, Shane Doan has been associated with hockey prosperity in the region, taking the desert state through management troubles and arena challenges while the fans there tried to enjoy their NHL game. And what do you know? A Doan has once again gotten Arizona fans dreaming as the future of NHL hockey in the region is at stake.
We are talking about Andrea Doan, Shane Doan’s wife. She might be the key to the NHL returning to Arizona after they were officially relocated to Salt Lake City in 2024. Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Tom Galvin has formed an advisory committee consisting of key political, business, community, and sports leaders who would help find the right resources for a new team to set up in Arizona. On Monday, September 22, he officially named Andrea Doan chair of that committee.
“Andrea Doan is a longstanding supporter of Arizona hockey, and is married to Shane Doan, who was instrumental in building Arizona’s hockey legacy,” Galvin said, according to Arizona Insider. “She is as much a part of the Arizona hockey story over the last 20-plus years as Shane. Andrea has dedicated much of her personal life to our community and building support for Arizona hockey. Andrea’s knowledge of the industry and her connections to Arizona and the NHL are instrumental to our mission.”
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Shane Doan, who had been the captain of the Arizona Coyotes for 13 seasons, believes his wife holds the key to helping hockey prosper from the ground up. In particular, she guided Josh Doan through his youth, helping him become a Coyote player like his dad. “Understanding what it takes to build and sustain the grassroots side of the game is so important, and Andrea understands that so much more than I even understand it because of how involved she was with Josh when he played minor hockey,” Shane Doan said.
Andrea Doan will bring more than just the business perspective of running an NHL team; her experience as a hockey mother helps her understand the best of both worlds, especially how an NHL team in Arizona can help the community come closer.
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For Andrea Doan, it’s about rectifying all the problems that previously made it difficult for an NHL team to thrive in the Grand Canyon state. And one of them is the misconception about their connection with hockey. “The Coyotes were a huge part of this community when they arrived in 1996,” Andrea Doan said. “When we were down at America West Arena, the way that the team was embraced by the city and by the fans is, to me, what this team is and what it will be.”
Unfortunately, the public perception also had to do with the dwindling fan attendance when the Coyotes relocated from American West Arena to the Glendale Arena in 2003, the brand-new home of the NHL team. Average attendance dropped from 15582 for the 2005-06 season to 11989 in 2009-10. This was because of the arena being far from the focal Coyote fanbase. Finding a suitable location is of utmost priority, and they have narrowed it down to either downtown Phoenix or east of downtown. Once they find a suitable buyer, the ball will start rolling. For Andrea Doan, the key is having an ownership dynamic that brings together the community and the NHL franchise, something numerous previous owners ignored.
Shane Doan’s family is royalty in Arizona, and the community has been indebted for the 20 amazing years the left winger has given them. In turn, Andrea Doan wants to bring more joy to the people of Arizona. “It’s just not going to feel complete until the team is back here. And I don’t care if I have to wait until I’m like 80 years old. We’re going to work hard on this and it’s gonna be back.”
The foreseeable future is one of anticipation and hope for the Arizona folks. While there is optimism for the franchise with expansion talks, Arizona’s NHL team depends on overcoming major hurdles like securing area land, ownership stability, and a sustainable financial approach. Nevertheless, the latest NHL news comes with massive promises.
Shane Doan’s legacy continues thanks to expansion plans
For Arizona, the Tom Galvin announcement coincides with a new collective bargaining agreement, inviting NHL expansion talks. Good news for Arizona, right? Well, it only puts them on a clock, especially with other cities also having franchise aspirations and Arizona somewhat trailing them.
Atlanta already has well-developed ownership and arena plans. Yes, it has competing groups, and that’s the only thing slowing them down. Moreover, Houston has an ownership prospect lined up, pushing Arizona to get things moving. “I’ve had numerous conversations over the past few months with interested parties about potential ownership and viable locations in the Valley for an arena,” Galvin said.
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And it should be easy to convince the NHL. Arizona already has a substantial local fanbase and infrastructure because of its prior NHL experience, which was not bad. It certainly gave hockey a legend in Shane Doan, a King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner in 2009-10.