GLENDALE – When it comes to talking about milestones,
Coyotes captain Shane prefers to talk about other people’s
rather than his. I learned this a long time ago, but it
was underlined for me after practice today when I tried to
speak to Doan about how he scored his 300th NHL goal on
Tuesday night during a heartbreaking 3-2 shootout loss to
the Dallas Stars.

Doan listened to my questions but, as I expected, he
politely/modestly passed on explaining what scoring 300
NHL goals means to him. The best I could get is that it’s
something that he may look back on fondly when he’s
sitting on his front porch someday, years removed from his
playing career.

Instead of talking about his most recent feat, we ended up
discussing, at length, Wayne Gretzky’s 215-point season,
Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak and Wilt
Chamberlain’s 50.4 points-per-game average in 1961-62.

We also discussed how legendary defenseman Bobby Orr twice
led the NHL in scoring.

“That may be the coolest thing of all,” Doan said. “That’s
really special.”

As our conversation continued, I tried to circle back and
get Doan to acknowledge that scoring 300 NHL goals is
pretty cool. He did, for a split second, but then he
quickly said he’s already turned his attention to scoring
No. 301 and, more importantly, helping the Coyotes win
more games.

Clearly, victories are more important to Doan than
personal milestones. He is truly a team player who would
gladly trade a silver stick and/or a plaque with his name
on it for a sip or two from the Stanley Cup. And that,
among other reasons, is why he’s an ideal team captain.

Before departing the room, I asked Doan one final time to
reflect on his personal milestones. Of which one, I asked,
is he proudest.

“I am appreciating longevity more and more,” said Doan,
who has played 1,127 NHL games. “The longer I play, the
more I appreciate that I am playing. I don’t take it
lightly. I recognize that an athlete’s career can end
suddenly, and at any time, and I am enjoying every minute
of mine.”

So are Coyotes fans.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Contact Dave Vest at thedesertdogblog@phoenixcoyotes.com and
follow him on Twitter @davest4yotes.
For information on upcoming Phoenix Coyotes games, please
visit
http://coyotes.nhl.com

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