Arizona Coyotes' Shane Doan Will Be A Hall Of Famer
Shane Doan has been the face of the Arizona Coyotes for the last twenty years, but has he done enough to be a Hall of Famer?
Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan has done it all in the desert.
Jaromir Jagr, Roberto Luongo, and Jarome Iginla are all considered first ballot Hall of Famers that are nearing the end of their respective careers.
They have all had incredible careers and deserve the recognition they get.
However, Shane Doan doesn’t seem to get the national attention that these players receive.
Coyotes fans know the impact that Shane Doan has had on the game in Arizona and how impactful the 40 year old winger is. Will Hall of Fame voters feel the same way as fans?
Why Shane Doan will be a Hall of Famer
Shane Doan is in elite company by playing his entire career for one organization.
He has always stated that his goal is to bring a Stanley Cup to the franchise that drafted him.
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His loyalty to the team has also allowed him the opportunity to hold all of the scoring records for the organization.
On December 23rd, Doan joined the 400 goal club in his 1500th NHL game. In his twenty year career, Doan has amassed 955 points to become 95th all time in career points.
Points aren’t everything, but Shane Doan has put up very respectable numbers in his career.
The lack of talent surrounding him and constant instability with the organization definitely hindered Doan. Even without elite level teammates for a majority of his career, the captain was still a very effective player.
Captain Coyote is also widely regarded as one of the genuinely good guys in hockey. His character has never been in question. Shane Doan’s leadership is unmatched and he is regarded as one of the best captains in the National Hockey League.
In 2010, Doan was the recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. This award is given the player that best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.
Then in 2012, Doan was awarded with the Mark Messier Leadership award. This award is given to the individual who is a superior leader within their sport, and a contributing member of society.
These are two awards that should not be taken lightly and should help validate his character to hockey fans unfamiliar with Doan.
Why Shane Doan won’t be a Hall of Famer
The biggest knocks against Shane Doan’s Hall of Fame bid will be the lack of scoring awards and team postseason success.
The captain has always had very good point production in his career. The problem is that he has never had elite production. Lack of surrounding talent has certainly played a role in Doan’s career statistics.
Shane Doan has also never topped 80 points in a season and has only scored more than 30 goals twice in his career. This will have an impact with voters.
The lack of postseason success from the Arizona Coyotes will play an impact in the voter’s decision with Doan, as well.
The Coyotes as an organization have only won two playoff series since moving to the desert.
As the face of the franchise for two decades some of that does fall on Doan’s shoulders. It’s fair to mention, however, that the front office and ownership haven’t done him any favors in this regard for the majority of his career.
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Conclusion
Shane Doan has made a very strong case for why he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
To be in the conversation for hockey immortality is a notable accomplishment by itself.
Ultimately, I do firmly believe that Shane Doan will be a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He may not be a first ballot or even a second ballot member, but he will get in. The impact he has had with one franchise, as well staying loyal for an entire career through incredible adversity speaks volumes about the captain.
Amassing nearly 1000 career points will help Doan. Point totals do not tell the entire story with his career and the voters will eventually come to recognize that.
It won’t hurt that Doan is considered one of the genuinely “good” guys in hockey. These impacts will make up for the lack of elite point production and post season success.
Getting into the Hall of Fame will be Shane Doan’s reward for sticking with an organization that, at times, was dysfunctional.
His loyalty and dedication to hockey in the Valley will not go unnoticed.
The only question is how long will he have to wait.
