ASU forward Josh Doan decides to go pro with Coyotes
Mar 16, 2023, 2:55 PM | Updated: Mar 17, 2023, 7:41 am
(Arizona Sports Photo/Jeremy Schnell)
Josh Doan will hang up his collegiate skates with the Arizona State Sun Devils and start his NHL journey with the Arizona Coyotes.
The son of former Coyotes captain Shane Doan has agreed to a three-year, entry-level deal, the team announced Thursday. Doan will join the Tucson Roadrunners for his first pro game on Friday against the Calgary Wranglers at the Tucson Convention Center.
“It’s a big signing for us,” Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Thursday. “You know Josh is a great kid. He’s someone that in the draft our scouts just pounded the table for. He’s got some great hockey sense. He makes everybody better on the ice around him.
“And ASU this year was a year with a lot of injuries on their team. It was a tough year for injuries and he still managed to kind of lead that team. He was captain of the team and he was always the best player on the ice every night. We’re really looking forward to him coming into the league and showing us what he can do and get off and running in the pro game.”
Doan played his last game for ASU on Saturday.
Selected with the 37th pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Coyotes, Doan has spent the last two seasons at ASU.
Doan netted 12 goals and 25 assists his freshman year (both third on the team during the 2021-22 season) and was subsequently named the Sun Devils’ captain for his sophomore season.
From a personal and team standpoint, Doan’s second season was more up-and-down. It was filled with point streaks, injury and inconsistent play that led to an 18-21 record for Sun Devil Hockey. Doan still finished the season with 16 goals and 22 assists in 39 games and scored the first goal in Mullett Arena history.
Doan was born in Scottsdale and raised in the Valley. He is the highest NHL-drafted Sun Devil in the history of the program.
When Doan committed to Arizona State, there was a strong belief that he would stay there for at least three seasons but two strong colligate seasons were enough for Doan to take the next step.