Just over a week after hiring ex-Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving, the Toronto Maple Leafs are adding Arizona Coyotes great Shane Doan to the staff in the role of special assistant to the GM, according to Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star.
Considered the most storied player in the history of the Coyotes franchise, Doan spent the entirety of his 21-season NHL career with the organization, beginning with the original Winnipeg Jets in 1995 before playing in Arizona for two decades.
The 46-year-old Alberta native was the last remaining player active in the league from the original Jets franchise; he announced his retirement from the game in the summer of 2017. He served as the Coyotes' chief hockey development officer in 2021, but left the role in 2022.
There is a connection between Brad Treliving and Shane Doan; Treliving previously served as Arizona's assistant general manager from 2007-14, overlapping with Doan's playing days before he left to join the Flames.
Doan played 1,540 games in the National Hockey League, scoring 402 goals and 570 assists throughout an excellent career in the desert. He was the general manager of Team Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games, and won a gold medal as assistant GM at the 2021 IIHF World Championship.
One of the keys for the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason is addressing the contract of superstar Auston Matthews; the young American is an Arizona native who grew up cheering for Doan's Coyotes teams.
“My childhood idol growing up. Amazing player and an even better person. Congrats on an unbelievable career Doaner!” Matthews tweeted in the summer of 2017 following Doan's retirement.
Brad Treliving said in his introductory press conference that re-signing Matthews was a top priority for the team, and Shane Doan figures to be deeply involved in those negotiations.
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