Every time Josh Doan walks into the Ice Den in Scottsdale, Ariz. for an Arizona Coyotes practice or morning skate, he passes the Shane Doan rink.
Sometimes, being the son of a franchise icon can be a burden, but the younger Doan has been wearing it well. After adding a goal on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights, Doan’s now up to three goals and six points in just his first five career NHL games.
Josh Doan chatted with Ken Campbell on Friday morning. Here’s what he had to say (lightly edited for clarity):
Ken Campbell: This rink that you skate on for pre-game is not the Shane Doan Rink, but there’s a rink over there that’s called the Doan Rink. What’s it like coming into a rink that’s named after your dad?
Josh Doan: It’s cool; I think it’s a unique experience. It’s been a place I’ve been coming to since I was a little kid, so it feels pretty normal walking in this building. It’s pretty easy to get comfortable in here because of everything you’ve done in the past in this rink. I’ve been coming yourself as three years old, so it’s cool, but it’s just kind of like home to me.
Ken Campbell: Is this actually where you learned to skate, like in this building?
Josh Doan: Yeah.
Ken Campbell: How cool is that, that you come to this place, and it’s so comfortable to you?
Josh Doan: Yeah, it’s a unique experience. I don’t think very many people can say that they learned to skate in the same rink they took their first pre-game skate in, so it’s definitely a unique thing, but I’ve enjoyed every second of it.
Ken Campbell: Some guys, they embrace the fact that their fathers are icons or whatever, which Shane is, obviously, in this organization. And for some people, it can be a bit of a burden. What’s it been like for you?
Josh Doan: It’s been pretty easy for me. He did all the work in taking the pressure off of me by just letting me enjoy the game and having me play because I like to play, not because I was forced into it. And when you kind of get that aspect of it where you’re you’re playing for fun, you’re still a kid and you’re still just out there to have a good time, and it takes all that pressure away. I think the pros outweigh the cons — just being able to rely on someone like him to kind of talk to about the game and reach out for his opinion on things has been a huge asset that I’ve had.
Ken Campbell: You’ve had a lot of success, five points in four games since you’ve come here. How do you feel about the way you’ve played, and how things have kind of fallen into place for you?
Josh Doan scores his third NHL goal for six points in five games 🫡 pic.twitter.com/J9a6OmSa03
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 6, 2024
Josh Doan: I’m still figuring it out a little bit. It’s been good the first couple games playing with (Matias) Maccelli and (Jack) McBain. They’re awesome players, and they both are so unique in their craft. So when you get a chance to play with them, you got to take advantage of it. I mean, I’m enjoying it so far. I think it’s something that, every game, you’re going to learn something new, and you got to take it day by day. But as I progress, it’s slowly starting to settle in a little bit and got a little bit better.
Ken Campbell: What’s dad told you about your game so far? What’s his scouting report been?
Josh Doan: Keep getting to the dirty areas. It’s something that we worked with him and something he was really good at. So find your way around the net. And get a good stick on the forecheck. That’s something that you can always do, no matter how you’re feeling. You can always work hard and get to the blue area. So that’s always the focal point and let the rest of the game take care of itself.
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News Summary:
- Q&A: Coyotes' Josh Doan Feels Right at Home, Where His Father Is the Franchise Icon
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.