Josh Doan and his dog, Hank, have been exploring the state they now call home.
The Utah Hockey Club forward recently took his 120-pound St. Bernard poodle mix on a hike in Cottonwood Heights, but they could not finish the trail.
“It was pretty steep, actually. I had to cut it short because my dog got a little bit tired. He’s a big boy so he didn’t like it,” Doan said. “When he gets tired he kind of just puts the stop on the hike for us both.”
On the Utah ice, however, Doan is just getting started.
The son of Coyotes legend Shane Doan, who played for the team from 1996-2017, grew up in Arizona and made his NHL debut last season when the organization was still in the desert. While his name will intrinsically be linked to the career of his father, Doan is looking to start his own legacy in Utah.
The 22-year-old forward played 62 games with the team’s AHL affiliate the Tucson Roadrunners last season and posted 46 points (26 goals, 20 assists) before getting called up by the Coyotes for the last 11 games of the NHL regular season. Doan potted two goals in his pro-debut and finished the short stint with a total of nine points (five goals, four assists).
Former Arizona Coyotes hockey captain Shane Doan waves to fans as he arrives during his jersey retirement ceremony prior to an NHL hockey game against theWinnipeg Jets Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
“I think it was really cool to play my first game in the same colors and jersey that [my dad] wore when he first played,” Doan said. “But it’s one of those things where it’s nice to create your own legacy and go somewhere else. As much as Arizona is home for me, it’s one of those things to branch out, go to a new city and start my own thing.”
Shane Doan went through a similar adjustment period after his rookie campaign with the Winnipeg Jets in the 1995-96 season. The Jets were sold and moved to Phoenix the following year where they became the Coyotes. Doan said it’s been nice to lean on his dad for advice during this transition.
“There aren’t a lot of people that have experienced this,” Doan said. “He’s a guy that told me to just be positive. It was the best thing that happened to him, was moving from one city to the other. And he’s still in that city today.”
Doan has his goals set on an opening-night roster spot. He has been skating with Group 1 — the top-level NHL talents — throughout the first week of training camp and has kept pace pretty well. Head coach André Tourigny said Doan’s hockey sense and “unbelievable feel for the game” have stuck out in the first few practices.
The 6-foot-1, 183-pound winger spent his offseason in British Columbia where his mom’s side of the family lives. He trained with Tanner Molendyk of the Nashville Predators and Logan Stankoven of the Dallas Stars who are also trying to make a name for themselves at the next level.
Arizona Coyotes' Logan Cooley, right, Michael Carcone (53) and Josh Doan arrive on the ice prior to the team's NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. The Coyotes are moving to Salt Lake City in a deal that could be signed less than 24 hours after the game. Hockey could return, perhaps within five years, but the stark reality is this is the end for the foreseeable future. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
“Proving that I can be trusted all over the ice is something I’m trying to emphasize,” Doan said of his mindset coming into training camp. “Be hard on pucks, win puck battles and do all the little things. The goal scoring and the points come on their own.”
On Monday morning, Doan prepared to play his first preseason game with Utah Hockey Club Monday night at the Delta Center against the Los Angeles Kings following the team’s 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.
Doan was ready to take the ice with returning stars like Clayton Keller, Sean Durzi and Lawson Crouse as well as some new faces in Mikhail Sergachev and Ian Cole. Monday’s contest will be Utah Hockey Club’s only preseason game at the Delta Center before opening night on Oct. 8 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
But the pregame jitters were there, he said.
Doan knew plenty of new fans in Utah would be watching.
Hank would also be watching from home.
Doan got Hank last year before his first pro season and the dog will be by his side as he pushes for regular slotting within Utah’s lineup. The search for a dog-sitter during team road trips is next on the to-do list once training camp is over.
“He’s come everywhere with me,” Doan said. “It was nice to have someone in the house with me at all times. … It’s nice to take him out for walks and just get away from the game.”
