Josh Doan #91 of the Arizona Coyotes skates with the puck during the NHL game at Mullett Arena on April 17, 2024 in Tempe, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Oilers 5-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – As members of the Utah Hockey Club continue to adjust to their new home in Salt Lake City, the sudden relocation may be a little more significant for one player in particular. As an Arizona native and the son of Coyotes legend and franchise scoring leader Shane Doan, Josh Doan recognizes how sad it was for Arizona to lose the Coyotes but is still very excited for this new opportunity in Utah.
Born and raised in Scottsdale, AZ, Doan has almost exclusively played hockey in the Grand Canyon State. Aside from a short stint with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, Doan grew up in the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes program before playing college hockey at Arizona State, and eventually was drafted by the Coyotes in 2021.
Get To Know The Utah Hockey Club: Who is Josh Doan?
With such a deep connection to Arizona, Doan completely understands how sad it was for the team to leave but shared that this move to Utah is beneficial for the organization.
“Obviously it’s hard at times when your whole life has been playing in Arizona and your family has always been there. But at the same time, I think the move is something that’s going to benefit the team, the league and the players. As a player you take all the positives, as a fan you’re a little bit upset, but it’s one of those things where I am extremely happy to be in Utah and really looking forward to the season,” Doan told KSL Sports.
“Obviously we’ve been welcomed amazingly by the fans and the people here, so we’re all really excited,” he added.
Stepping into the 2024-25 campaign, Doan also has a unique opportunity to play his first full season with the club. Ahead of what will likely be his rookie year, Doan was sent to the NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Washington DC to represent the team.
This gave Doan the opportunity to be the poster child for the club’s new sweaters and give fans their first real look.
More photos of @JTDoaner19 in the new Utah threads ⚫️🔵⚪️🏒🥅👀 #UtahHockeyClub #NHLinUtah
Photo credit: @sammisilber pic.twitter.com/DRxy3rQxT4
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 4, 2024
A new generation of Doan 🔄#NHLPARookieShowcase pic.twitter.com/xn9zrLyZLt
— Upper Deck (@UpperDeckSports) September 5, 2024
“They’re really cool to put on,” Doan said. “It’s a really clean jersey. I know a lot of other guys at the event were pretty impressed with them and they were all big fans. It’s something that, with little time and not a lot to work with, they did a good job of setting it up and making sure they’re clean and simple. They come off nice and the colors pop.”
After an impressive 11-game stretch last season where he scored 5 goals and 4 assists, Doan has earned the right to be heavily considered for a roster spot. But before then, he’s got to prove himself during training camp and his goal is show that he not only belongs, but to gain everyone’s trust.
“It’s obviously a big training camp for me,” Doan told KSL Sports. “Just going in and proving that I can play at this level and stick there the whole year. I think my goal in camp is to go in there and prove that I can be trusted and reliable in all areas of the ice and kind of let the offense take care of itself.”
“It’s something that as a kid you grow up dreaming of, making an opening day roster. Being a part of the team from day one is super special,” he added.
Assuming that Doan does crack the roster, he’ll join the likes of Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther and Matias Maccelli as one of the most talented groups of young players in the entire league.
Alongside some of the newly acquired veterans and more established players on the roster, Doan believes this team will be really good and just might take some people by surprise.
“We’ve got a really deep team. Our D core got some new additions but the guys returning are really good and all of them are taking huge strides. Defense wins championships so we’re going to rely on those guys this year and I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people early on,” Doan explained.
“We have the young kids who are all hungry and we’ve got a really good group of newly coming veterans, guys that have been around for a while and wore similar shoes as us that have battled and want to win now,” Doan added. “Guys like Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Lawson Crouse. They’ve battled, they’ve been tested and helped us all through this journey. That combination is what has allowed us to be successful and will help us to be really good this year.”
Doan’s chance to make the roster and experience his rookie campaign will begin in just a few weeks as training camp is expected to start the third week of September.
Related: Can Josh Doan Win NHL Rookie Of The Year?
Fans can watch the Utah Hockey Club’s first game on October 8 against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. Click here for the full schedule.
