Will Shane Doan walk away from the Arizona Coyotes to join the Toronto Maple Leafs front office?
Will former Arizona Coyotes’ captain Shane Doan leave the Valley?
According to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, there have been “rumblings” suggesting that Doan could potentially join the Toronto Maple Leafs front office.
Doan currently serves as the Chief Hockey Development Officer for the Coyotes which has been his role since joining the team’s front office in 2021.
Throughout the entirety of this past season, Doan participated in practices helping out the players and was seen campaigning for the Coyotes’ proposed Sports and Entertainment District on multiple occasions including at a Tempe City Council Meeting back in November.
While it would be sad to see the face of the Coyotes’ franchise leave Arizona, joining the Maple Leafs front office makes sense for the 46-year-old.
The Maple Leafs are a young team consisting of top tier talent including Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander but they continue to flame out early on in the playoffs year after year. Doan could use his past experiences in the NHL to mentor these young players and ultimately help the Maple Leafs reach the next level.
Toronto also just recently hired Brad Treliving as general manager and may very well be looking to add more pieces to beef up their front office.
However, Doan is a prominent figure in the Valley. He is a pioneer for the sport of hockey in Arizona. Doan is very involved in the community and has created a great life for himself and his family in the desert which is hard to just walk away from.
When people think hockey in Arizona, Doan is the first thing that comes to mind so if he were to leave, it would be a huge loss for not only the Coyotes but for the growth of hockey in the Valley.