Confirmed with Link: Shane Doan named Special Advisor to the General Manager

[Menzinger]

The Mattehws connection aside (which in the grand scheme of things, is a bit of a shrewed move by the front office).

I'm a fan of bringing the next generation of front office guys into the organization - potentially help set up a longer term succession line. Spezza was seemingly on that path before he left, so good that there's a replacement here.

With a lack of salary cap form this sort of stuff, might as well spend the money where you can

 

[Superstar]

Shane Doan is a pretty big deal, although I thought he'd be an Arizona lifer (though I figured Spezza would be a Leaf lifer).

Doan was also a mean sunovabitch. Further indication, imo, that we'll be looking for more pugnacity and truculence.

You forgot belligerence and testosterone...

 

[Mess]

People thinking this is about Matthews.

Leafs want Auston Matthews to DOAN the Leaf Jersey so they hired Shane DOAN.

Connecting these dots is like shooting fish in a barrel.

If Auston wants someone in Leafs management he knows and can trust he just got it..

Matthews doesn't know Treliving, and he is about to sign an extension and if he wants a commitment from the Leafs on direction then what better way then have his idol and role model leave Arizona of which he as been a part of for the last 31 years and uproot his family and move them to Toronto to convince Auston this is where he should be also.

Doan has a long term trust relationship with Treliving and Matthews has a long-term friendship and trust with Doan, what else could you want, its a match made in heaven & 3 Musketeers now.

 

[TMLegend]

On the surface I like it. Doan was one of the most respected players in the league when he played and a longtime captain.

I don't have an opinion on him as a managerial figure though.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I can almost guarantee Doan is going to have a greater roll than Spezza had (nothing/Dubas fluffer)

Thinking maybe Gillman and/or Hardy will be let go soon in order for Doan to have an actual roll as AGM

I guess we'll find out soon enough...

I could see it taking a few more months or a year before it gets to that.

Might be some transitioning or chatter behind the scenes before anything becomes official with Doan being elevated.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Damn, if all that was the case we would've signed a hell of a lot more players over the last 20 or so years don't you think?

No. A lot of players want tax shelters. Sometimes their wives are American. If your wife is American she might want to stay closer to her family. Sometimes there's kids involved. Often they are thinking about getting their kids in private school and eventually a reputable college. Again. A very long list of considerations before the Shane Doan as Assistant to the General Manager decision.

 

[AustonMarner]

I could see it taking a few more months or a year before it gets to that.

Might be some transitioning or chatter behind the scenes before anything becomes official with Doan being elevated.

You could be right but why would Doan agree to come here for little to no role?

 

[Fogelhund]

I have to wonder who Doan likes on the Coyotes he’d want to bring? Players that would have a good relationship with him?

McBain?

 

[Menzinger]

You could be right but why would Doan agree to come here for little to no role?

He'll definitely have a role.here.

Though this also looks like a guy jumping ship from an absolute tire fire that is the Coyotes at the moment hard to ask for better upgrade if you're a part of the front office

 

[WTFMAN99]

You could be right but why would Doan agree to come here for little to no role?

Handshake deal about a AGM role or role with greater responsibility and the stability in knowing that the franchise isn't being moved I would have to think.

It's not a question of if, it's a question of when.

 

[Budz]

On the surface I like it. Doan was one of the most respected players in the league when he played and a longtime captain.

I don't have an opinion on him as a managerial figure though.

Who won nothing.
He will fit right in.

 

[BertCorbeau]

I don’t know how you can hate the move? Not that you have to love it

 

[napoleon in rags]

Shane Doan is a pretty big deal, although I thought he'd be an Arizona lifer (though I figured Spezza would be a Leaf lifer).

Doan was also a mean sunovabitch. Further indication, imo, that we'll be looking for more pugnacity and truculence.

What is the life span of an Arizona lifer?

 

[Trapper]

Leafs want Auston Matthews to DOAN the Leaf Jersey so they hired Shane DOAN.

Connecting these dots is like shooting fish in a barrel.

If Auston wants someone in Leafs management he knows and can trust he just got it..

Mattews doesn't know Treliving, and he is about to sign an extension and if he wants a commitment from the Leafs on direction then what better way then have his idol and role model leave Arizona of which he as been a part of for the last 31 years and uproot his family and move them to Toronto to convince Auston this is where he should be also.

Doan has a long term trust relationship with Treliving and Matthews has a long-term friendship and trust with Doan, what else could you want, its the 3 Musketeers now.

As long as Treliving and Doan change the mentality to a blue collar, hard working, playoff style I’m good. No more All-Star play in the postseason. Harder, faster North/South. You have 82 games to do the cute stuff.

 

[mikeyz]

Sneaky move to help retain Matthews

This is exactly what I was thinking when I first saw this. LOL

 

[ToneDog]

Who won nothing.
He will fit right in.

He'll be promoted to Pres. Hockey Ops somewhere in 5 years.

 

[mikeyz]

Now the Leafs are handing out money to friends and family? What’s next, Paul Marner as the AGM?

This better be a hire based on merit.

We all know it's not. Lol

 

[Mess]

Brad Treliving has reportedly begun shaping his front office with the hiring of Coyotes legend Shane Doan as an Assistant General Manager.​

Treliving worked as an assistant GM in Arizona for 11 years during Doan’s tenure as Coyotes captain. The relationship is clearly quite strong here for the Valley icon to leave his prior post with the only NHL franchise he’s ever worked or played for.

After hanging up the skates in 2017 following a 1,540-game playing career spent exclusively with the Coyotes (14 years as captain), Doan had been serving in the role of chief development officer and a strategic advisor to GM Bill Armstrong in Arizona since 2021,

It’s natural to think of Doan occupying the role Jason Spezza had been serving as Kyle Dubas’ assistant — and there are some obvious parallels as former 1,200+ game pros who served as leaders on their respective teams, recently retired, are close with the current Leafs GM, and have loads of connections with current NHLers around the league — but it is noteworthy that Doan enters with a few years of additional experience in an NHL F.O. and appears to be taking over the title of “Assistant GM” versus “assistant to the GM.”

Notably, Doan was not only Arizona native Auston Matthews’ favourite player growing up but is personal friends with Auston and reportedly attends the same church as his parents. There haven’t been any indications Matthews wants to go anywhere but Toronto despite the initial speculation about the potential impact of Kyle Dubas’ exit on the player-management relationship and Matthews’ confidence in the organization’s future going forward, but this certainly won’t hurt the smoothening over of the transition. It’s easy to picture Doan sitting down with Treliving and the Matthews family during Treliving’s scheduled visit to Arizona as the new Leafs GM establishes the relationship and opens up an initial dialogue about Matthews’ future with the club ahead of a critically-important contract negotiation.

Brad Treliving begins making his stamp on the front office with the hiring of Shane Doan as special advisor to the GM

Brad Treliving has reportedly begun shaping his front office with the hiring of Coyotes legend Shane Doan as a Special Advisor to the General Manager. **Breaking News ** ð¨ ð° Iâm told @MapleLeafs are naming Shane Doan as an Assistant to Treliving. @espn @NHL @NHLNetwork @TSNHockey @DKSportsbook...

mapleleafshotstove.com

 

[WTFMAN99]

As long as Treliving and Doan change the mentality to a blue collar, hard working, playoff style I’m good. No more All-Star play in the postseason. Harder, faster North/South. You have 82 games to do the cute stuff.

Doan was an awesome player, hell of a leader.

 

[Captain Crunch]

If true this will also help a bit with Matty. I believe he and Auston are friends and he was an idol of Auston's growing up.

Hey Shane, pull Matty aside and remind him what "team" is all about and present a decent offer.

Not to mention Doan’s son is a Coyotes’ prospect who is good friends with Knies.

 

[Zero1]

Who cares?

Give Papa Matthews and Papa Marner $5M office jobs each if it means the two princes take a couple of mil less AAV.

They won’t, that’s the problem.

If they would then bring in their moms as Director of Hugs and Kisses for all I care.

 

[Captain Crunch]

LOL, so Matthews is really getting everything...money, term and Doan too...just waiting for Marner to bring in Gilmour when it's time to negotiate his contract...

Would not mind bringing Gilmour in. He and Doan were two of the grittiest, hardest working, and very good players to have played the game. Some of that would have to rub off on this core.

 

[Mess]

Not to mention Doan’s son is a Coyotes’ prospect who is good friends with Knies.

Arizona Coyotes prospect Josh Doan and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies join the show

Arizona-born NHL prospects Josh Doan and Matthew Knies join the show to talk about their youth hockey academy, their friendship, growing up playing hockey in Arizona and more!

 

[Captain Crunch]

On the surface I like it. Doan was one of the most respected players in the league when he played and a longtime captain.

I don't have an opinion on him as a managerial figure though.

I believe he’s already an upgrade on Dubas, as is Tree.

 

[Mess]

I believe he’s already an upgrade on Dubas, as is Tree.

Doan is also connected to the Maple Leafs’ Matthew Knies, who is an Arizona native and a good friend of Shane’s son Josh (a Coyotes prospect). Doan also played with Luke Schenn on the Coyotes, and he has familiarity with Michael Bunting from Bunting’s time in Arizona as well as on Team Canada at the WHCs.

He also has a relationship with the team’s director of player development, Hayley Wickenheiser, from Team Canada activities as well as their efforts to support the Humboldt community following the 2018 tragedy in Saskatchewan [“35 NHL players came in (to Humboldt),” said Wickenhiser. “Shane Doan was getting ice cream for the sons of (Broncos coach) Darcy Haugan – and sitting with them at the concert — because that’s just what Shane Doan does.”]

Doan has served as general manager of Canada's national team at the world championship and Olympics. Both Doan and Treliving are big backers of Hockey Canada. Doan also has a long-standing relationship with Leafs Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies due to their ties to the Phoenix area. Doan helped coach Knies as a youngster.