It wasn’t all sad times at Mullett Arena with the Arizona Coyotes playing their final home game of the season.
Shane Doan was in attendance for the Coyotes finale and he was given a gift from a fan that he probably never expected to see again.
Back in February 2019, Doan had his number retired by the Coyotes with his No. 19 being raised to the rafters at Gila River Arena (now known as Desert Diamond Arena). When the team was forced to vacate the arena and move to Mullett Arena, they apparently forgot to bring the banner with them.
A fan of the team was able to recover the banner and met up with Doan at Mullett Arena where they met in the hallway during the game.
Doan played his entire 1,570-game career with the Winnipeg Jets-Arizona Coyotes organization, the vast majority as captain, scoring 402 goals and 972 points.
After he retired in 2017, Doan joined the NHL front office and in 2021 he returned to the Coyotes as chief hockey development officer. Doan and the Coyotes parted ways in September 2022.
He is now a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs front office joining them as a special advisor to general manager Brad Treliving.
According to PHNX Coyotes, owner Alex Meruelo was not in attendance for the team’s final game.