How Josh Doan’s ‘elite mindset’ earned him a consistent role with Utah Hockey Club

André Tourigny puts his players and prospects in two categories: if and when.

The Utah Hockey Club head coach used the analogy to describe the evolution of Josh Doan.

There was never a question of if Doan would eventually be a fortified NHL player, Tourigny explained. It was a matter of when.

“Doan has always been a when for us. We knew he would play,” Tourigny said. “He’s doing a good job and I think he’s enjoying every minute of it.”

The journey to a consistent lineup spot in Salt Lake City has not been easy for Doan. The 23-year-old played the first nine matchups of the season in October with the Club but was then assigned to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, with whom he stayed until January.

The organizational goal was to have Doan play in more situations, rack up more ice time and work on his physicality, speed and the well-roundedness of his game.

It is something Doan understood, but that doesn’t mean it came without a mental challenge.

“I think with everybody it’s just natural to have that disappointment. But with Josh, he knows that there’s not a lot of time to waste,” said Steve Potvin, head coach of the Roadrunners. “To be real honest with you, I think he’s just one of those guys that really adapts where his feet are and he’s going to do what he can to be the best that he can.”

Doan quickly embraced the developmental stage of his young career. In the 25 games between his shipment to the AHL and being recalled in January, Doan posted 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) while reinserting himself into the Tucson hockey culture — he is, after all, a Scottsdale, Arizona, native.

“It just shows so well on Josh that he’s able to focus on what’s important,” Potvin said. “He cares about the environment and he doesn’t think that he’s too big for it. He dives right in, he builds relationships.”

Doan got his second chance at the NHL lineup when Dylan Guenther was ruled out indefinitely with a lower-body injury on Jan. 10. Now, even with Guenther and Logan Cooley (who also dealt with a lower-body injury) back healthy, Doan has maintained his standing as a regular.

“I was super excited when he got called up when I went down. It’s a pretty similar situation to what I had last year,” Guenther said. “I’m happy for him — I don’t think anybody deserves it more. He’s a super good player and just a really good person. Fun to have around the room.”

Grind through the first half of the year in the AHL, get called back and stay — it is the path that Doan took but is also very familiar to Guenther. The 21-year-old forward spent the beginning of the 2023-24 season in Tucson where he logged 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 29 games before getting recalled by the then-Arizona Coyotes.

Guenther burst onto the NHL stage with 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in the last 45 games of the season and has not sniffed the AHL since. What’s more, he signed an eight-year, $57.14 million contract extension with Utah in September.

While inherently different players, Guenther has been an example for Doan that some time in the minors can be a good thing in the long run.

“Just staying confident is the biggest thing. There is a time where you can go down there and maybe not feel like you’re at an NHL level,” Doan said. “[Guenther] did a good job of making sure I stayed ready, stayed prepared for when I do come back up I don’t miss out on a stride … he was reaching out and making sure everything was okay.”

Potvin bore witness to both Doan and Guenther fine-tuning their games at the AHL level before leaping up. He helped shape them into the players Utah fans get to watch today. The one thing that stuck out to Potvin was their attitude.

“Their elite mindsets are bar none,” Potvin said. “They are very singularly focused and they know exactly what they want to do and they know exactly what they need to do in order to achieve it. They’re just very clear-minded, elite people.”

Doan, who was a second-round pick of the Coyotes in the 2021 NHL Draft, has quickly carved a clear role for himself in the past few months in Utah. He is noticeably tenacious on the forecheck, battles for inside ice, wins foot races and has leaned further into the physical side of his play.

Doan, simply, cares a lot about team success, which has pushed him to do the little things right.

“It’s rewarding to be part of this lineup right now,” Doan said. “We have a lot of good guys, really skilled players out there. To be in the mix every night — try to bring something a little bit different and help the team win as much as I can.”

Away from the rink, Doan — and his St. Bernard poodle mix Hank — have moved back in with defenseman Michael Kesselring.

The only thing is, Kesselring has cats. The roommates have figured out a system to keep the peace. Doan and Kesselring installed a gate with rules — the cats are not allowed downstairs and Hank is not allowed upstairs.

“They kind of introduced themselves a little bit. Hank was on a leash just to make sure the cats didn’t get too scared. He was nice and gentle with them. He likes cats, they don’t like dogs, though,” Doan said. “It’s the King’s fault, we say in the household.”

Hank has been with Doan through the ups and downs. Doan got his dog last year before his first pro season in Arizona and now walks him through Utah as a consistent NHLer.

While combinations have changed, Doan is currently skating with Lawson Crouse and Jack McBain. It is a heavyweight trio. The third line has an average height of just above 6-foot-3 and an average weight of 210 pounds. They are determined to be more than just a tough matchup, though.

“We’re slowly finding our mojo a little bit in terms of scoring,” Doan said. “We’ve done a good job of protecting pucks and creating O-zone time, but I think getting to the cage and trying to bang in a couple goals, get a little bit of goal support for our big guys, is something that we’ll take pride in.”

There is still a lot of room for growth in Doan’s game and role, Tourigny pointed out, but it seems his “when” has finally come.

Utah Hockey Club is a better team because of it.

“It’s a real honor to be part of this group,” Doan said.