Players Tribune: Shane Doan The Right Way

[frankgrimes 1,836]

It's an awesome read. Guy seems like a bit of a hothead on the ice but class guy of the ice. http://www.theplayerstribune.com/shane-doan-coyotes-hockey/

Manso was our assistant captain and had been in the league for a decade. I’ll never forget him looking me in the eye and growling, “Don’t you ever roll your eyes at the coach again! I don’t care how good you are or what you go on to do in your career, don’t you ever disrespect your coach like that again!”

Here’s the thing: Manso wasn’t a guy anyone would expect to suck up to the coach. He wasn’t even a particularly vocal person in general. And I think that’s why his message got through to me so clearly. He didn’t do this for himself; he did it because it was right.

But for one reason or another, this organization showed faith in me. They could have easily gotten rid of me at any point, and nobody would have had a second thought about it. That’s the business, and you either learn to understand that or it’s forcefully taught to you. But somehow, throughout the years, I avoided the cycle of getting moved from team to team.

And that’s really how it works in this profession, unfortunately: If you get moved one time, it generally happens again and again. And at that point, even if you’re a high-caliber player, it can be difficult to stick because you don’t get to establish yourself in any one place. When you watch the really great teams, you notice a certain flow and grace in their play. You’ll see a special chemistry on their best lines. That takes time to develop.

When you get brought up by great guys like that, you feel a responsibility to pass on their message. So much of this game is about respect, and when I tell a young guy something to improve, I’m paying my respects to Kris, Keith, Teppo and the other veterans who had an impact on my career. If I didn’t pass on that knowledge to the young guys, I would be ignoring a big part of my obligation as a veteran of this league. I’ve never seen it as a chore, but as a way to make my team better. That’s all I ever really want.

Just a few highlights, Doan seems to really love being captain. I agree with him the fans who are still showing up there deserve all credit in the world but yeah in the end it won't be enough and the team will be on the move soon. I also like the fact how he isn't just thinking about himself but also his family when it comes to trades.

[Travis 576]

Had a chance to do some work with the Coyotes over the Spring. Everyone we talked to in and around the organization said nothing but the best about Doaner. He's their Yzerman, for sure, and does even more around the community than we ever hear about.

Looking forward to the read.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

I love Shane Doan. He's a class act.