Bickley: Shane Doan's dismissal has Valley hockey fans reeling

Dan Bickley | The Republic | azcentral.com

Loyalty is a land mine in the cutthroat world of professional sports. Shane Doan learned the hard way. So did his legion of fans in the Valley, where hearts are broken, where faith in our NHL team has been shaken to its core.

Doan's playing career in Arizona was effectively terminated on Monday by the Coyotes when it was announced he would not be offered a contract. The organization couldn't wait for Doan to retire on his terms. The decision is callous, ungrateful and raises significant questions about the future of the franchise.

And in the end, it might be the best thing that ever happened to one of the most popular athletes in Arizona history.

Doan is 40 and has spent half his life in a Coyotes uniform. Over 20 seasons in the desert, his enduring commitment and great standing in the community helped the Coyotes survive a series of crises that could’ve severed the bond between a team and its paying customers.

He never left for greener pastures or lost belief in the future, and Coyotes fans took his cue. Out of love and respect, they remained true to the organization he dutifully represented.

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Doan is one of the best captains in NHL history. No leader has given so much to the sport with so little in return, mentoring young players through turmoil, and guiding fans through embarrassing upheavals in management. That kind of dedication demanded a higher level of reciprocity, allowing Doan to define the end of his unprecedented career.

But here’s the deal: Doan would’ve never left on his own. He had his chances to push for a trade or leave through free agency, to chase the Stanley Cup he’s never hoisted. His decency, generosity and roots in the community never allowed that kind of perceived betrayal. His conscience kept him moored to a lost cause because he knew what he meant to all of us.

Now, Doan can leave with his loyalty intact. He can sign with the Washington Capitals, a team that is close to a championship but missing the requisite heart. He can sign with the Chicago Blackhawks, in a great hockey town that could use his brand of leadership. He can depart knowing that he never left the Coyotes. To the contrary, they bailed on him. They did for him what he could never do on his own.

Nevertheless, the Coyotes are left with a public-relations nightmare. After buying out his existing partners, owner Andrew Barroway will take considerable heat for this decision. If he can’t afford to let Doan play one more season on a $2 million contract, why would anyone believe this team can compete for anything in the near future?

Anyone watching the Coyotes in 2016-17 could see that Doan doesn’t have much left in his legs. NHL teams are now putting a premium on speed and skating ability, and the aging power forward struggled to keep up during the previous season, losing ice time and power-play opportunities.

But the Coyotes won’t be a Cup contender next season. They don’t need to give his roster spot to a rising young star. Pulling up the stakes on the most popular player in team history only reinforces the belief that current management isn’t concerned with your feelings, exacerbating fears that the Coyotes will end up in Seattle, where KeyArena is being renovated to lure an NHL team and the return of an NBA franchise.

It’s unclear if the latest developments will have a negative impact on head coach Dave Tippett, who has also shown a great deal of loyalty to the organization. Could that change with Barroway assuming full control, which included the departure of Tippett’s closest ownership ally (Gary Drummond), the trade of goalie Mike Smith and the ungainly departure of Doan? Stay tuned.

For now, it’s a time of mourning. The Valley has an uneasy history with their sporting legends. The Diamondbacks effectively pushed Randy Johnson out the door, a Hall of Fame pitcher who offered to play for half his salary. He ended up winning his 300th game with the Giants, an achievement that meant little to baseball fans in San Francisco, a milestone that should’ve belonged to us.

The Coyotes should’ve learned from Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill, who went overboard to pacify the concerns of Larry Fitzgerald, who once struggled with his diminished role and status under head coach Bruce Arians. But Bidwill deeply understood what Fitzgerald means to the community and his team’s profit margin, and rewarded Fitzgerald with a generous contract. He knew that Fitzgerald could never wear another uniform, and his loyalty was rewarded by a wide receiver who led the NFL in receptions at the age of 33.

A well-placed source said the Coyotes offered Doan a job in the organization, where he could continue to serve as the hood ornament for a team struggling with stability and relevance. Doan is also deeply wounded, and in no mood to work under an owner who deemed him unfit to play in the NHL.

Maybe free agency will change the equation. If Doan finds a lack of suitors on the open market, there could still be a happy ending in Arizona. But reconciliation seems unlikely at this point, and if that’s the case, the Coyotes will pay a steep price.

Will you still cheer for a home team that has made one playoff run in two decades? Or will you shift your allegiances to the next franchise lucky enough to sign a player of Doan’s pedigree and character?

This much is certain: The Valley will always love Captain Coyote, a player that transcended a dysfunctional organization. The one who left as a martyr, and not a mercenary.

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Reach Bickley at dan.bickley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8253. Follow him on twitter.com/dan.bickley. Listen to “Bickley and Marotta” weekdays from 12-2 p.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.