Shane Doan's wife Andrea to lead chair committee aiming to bring NHL back to Arizona: Reports

Retired Coyotes star forward Shane Doan's wife, Andrea Doan, will chair a new committee to bring the NHL back to Arizona. It was formed by Maricopa County Supervisor Tom Galvin, and its goal is to secure ownership, find an arena site and strengthen community ties.

In her statement following the announcement on Monday, Andrea said she feels obligated to help the city and the league. She believes hockey in Arizona isn't complete without a team in Phoenix.

"I think we have an obligation to the city and an obligation, honestly, to the NHL, to make this happen," Andrea said, via Sportsnet. "We have been given all these opportunities because of hockey and so you want to help by giving back and doing whatever you can. Just not going to feel complete until the team is back here."

Arizona lost the Coyotes in April 2024 when they moved to Salt Lake City, and former owner Alex Meruelo gave up his rights later. The Doan family has been part of Arizona hockey for more than 20 years, with Andrea supporting the game at the professional and youth levels.

Meanwhile, Shane has been part of the league since 1995, when he was drafted at No. 7 by the Winnipeg Jets. He played his rookie season with Winnipeg in 1995-96, and when the team moved, he joined the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996. Shane stayed with the franchise until retiring in 2017, finishing with 1,540 games, 402 goals, 570 assists and 972 points.

Shane was the Coyotes’ captain from 2003 to 2017, and became the longest-serving captain in NHL history. He spent his entire career with the Jets/Coyotes organization, with his No. 19 jersey retired by Arizona in 2019. Shane is remembered as the face of Coyotes hockey.

Andrea will lead talks with community leaders and the NHL about expansion. The committee will also look to resolve the arena issue with potential sites being discussed, including downtown Phoenix and areas east of it.

Shane Doan's son talked about Arizona Coyotes' move to Utah

Shane Doan's son, Josh Doan, spoke about the Coyotes’ move in September 2024, and his father's long career in Arizona. Josh admitted that it felt strange seeing his hometown team leave, but called it good for the NHL.

"It’s weird," Josh said, via NHL.com. "Obviously, it’s hard seeing a hometown team leave, but being on the other end of it and being part of a team, it’s something I think that’s only going to benefit the NHL and the team right now, with what the circumstances were in Arizona at the time."

Josh also shared that his father went through a similar move in 1996. The original Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix that year and were named the Phoenix Coyotes.