Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - Putting an end to months of speculation, the
Phoenix Coyotes and captain Shane Doan agreed on Friday to a 4-year contract.
No financial terms were disclosed, but multiple reports, including the Arizona
Republic, state it is worth $21.2 million with a $2 million signing bonus.
"We are thrilled to sign Shane to a long-term contract," said Coyotes general
manager Don Maloney. "Shane is our captain and the heart and soul of our
franchise. He is the consummate professional and one of the best leaders in
the NHL. His loyalty, commitment, integrity and passion for the game epitomize
everything you'd want in a player. It was a priority for us to sign him to a
long-term deal so that he can play for the Coyotes for the remainder of his
career."
The native of Alberta finished last season with 22 goals and 50 points in 79
games, adding five goals and nine points in 16 postseason appearances as the
Coyotes reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise
history.
Doan's previous deal, a 5-year contract worth a reported $23 million signed in
July of 2007, expired in the offseason, making the 35-year-old an unrestricted
free agent.
He drew interest from as many as 11 different teams, and went so far as to
meet with representatives of the Rangers and Flyers, but still maintained he
wanted to stay in the Valley of the Sun to finish his career.
In recent weeks, Doan also made it clear that he was only going to remain with
the franchise if a deal was struck to find new ownership. That came to
fruition when Greg Jamison secured enough funding for the purchase earlier
this month.
"I'm extremely excited about remaining a Coyote," said Doan. "I was drafted by
this organization and it means a great deal to me to be able to play with the
same franchise my entire career. I'm very excited about our team, our coaching
staff and our management and am confident about our future in Arizona. I chose
to stay with the Coyotes because I am committed to winning here, not anywhere
else and I love living and playing in the Valley. This is my home and this is
my team."
For his 16-year career, Doan has scored 318 goals and registered 470 helpers
in a franchise-record 1,198 games with the club.
Doan was originally drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in 1995, and is the only
active player on the Coyotes' roster that made the move to Phoenix when the
franchise relocated in 1996.
The Sports Network