{coyotes} Coyotes' Shane Doan opens up about future

PHOENIX – Coyotes captain Shane Doan has been able to fly under-the-radar this summer as one of the most prized free agents of the offseason.

He has made a few public comments on his situation, talking in July when he participated in NHL Players' Association meetings in New York and then in August at an autograph sighing in Ontario. But Doan gave his most candid interview yet on Thursday when he joined Bickley and MJ on XTRA 910.

The telling points:

MORE: Coyotes coverage from the Arizona Republic

• Doan says a deal between him and the Coyotes is done. All that he's waiting on to put pen to paper is Greg Jamison acquiring the team.

• Doan confirms what has been speculated for a while now, that Jamison has secured the money to purchase the Coyotes and the money is waiting in escrow.

• The list of teams Doan would consider joining if a deal with the Coyotes can't be worked out is down to two or three.

• Doan was told ownership had a really good chance of being done June 20-21. (That would likely enabled him to completely bypass the free agency period.)

• Doan is still optimistic ownership will get settled in time for him to remain a Coyote.

Here's a transcript of the interview:

Bickley: We know this is a very trying, testing off-season for you. Let's jump right into this, if you don't mind. Where are you right now emotionally with all that's going on?

Doan: (Laughs) I want everything to be done and over with. I want the team to be sold. I want Mr. Jamison to be the owner, and I want us to be excited about the upcoming year. That's kind of what it's been the whole time.

Bickley: Cleary, everything that you had mentioned should have been done by now. The fact that we're still talking about it I'm sure just boggles your mind. I'm curious -- we've heard it from your agent how economically it really makes all the sense in the world for you to be signed by Sept.15. Is that really a drop-dead deadline for you, Shane?

Doan: Yeah, I will be signed by midnight on the 15th. I'll sign somewhere. My goal is to sign here, and I've told everybody. It's funny. I haven't talked to one person in the media. I haven't done anything other than a couple times with TSN where I had to do things. I did an autograph appearance, so I had no choice. And then I did a PA thing that I had no choice. My goal has been to stay here the whole time. Don and Tip and the organization have been great. We have a deal worked out that we just want to make sure that the team gets signed and that everything gets done and it gets done before the 15th.

MJ: What's the latest? We heard that he obviously has the money, and he's ready to purchase it from the National Hockey League. And then you hear Glendale wants to rework the lease agreement and obviously if you're Mr. Jamison, you don't want to purchase the team and then have to fight it in court. What do you know, what's the latest?

Doan: That's pretty much it. Mr. Jamison has the money. Mr. Bettman has said it's all good, according to the NHL, and it's going to go through. It's just a matter of getting the lease agreement done now. Obviously that was done earlier. Now there are some things they decided they wanted to change, which obviously can delay things. With that being said, I think that Mr. Jamison and the league have stated it's really up to Glendale and Glendale, they had it done for awhile. So it's not like it's been up to them up to this point. But there's a couple things they want to change, and hopefully they can get the changes done and approved in the coming week.

MJ: In your meetings with Mr. Jamison, you feel confident? You feel comfortable signing a long-term deal once this does get resolved?

Doan: With Mr. Jamison, I do. I get asked a lot about why have I been willing to wait as long as I have. For the most part, the other teams that I've talked to that have talked to me have been phenomenally patient and kind and generous with some of their offers and different things, but I'm really excited about what we can have here in Phoenix. I think that with Mr. Jamison as the owner, we have a world-class owner. I think we have one of the best GMs in the league. I think have the best coach in the league. I think we have one of the best goalies in the league, if not the best goalie. And I think our defensive core is as good as anybody so because of that, that's why I'm excited. I think that's why Mr. Jamison is excited and why I'd be excited to sign a long-term deal here.

Bickley: Maybe on the surface you can understand why the city of Glendale wants to get back into this lease agreement if in case there is a lockout that might cost them a big chunk of money. But here's what I don't understand. It seems there's some confusion as to what has to get done first. Does the lease agreement have to get done before the team sale goes through? Does the team sale go through before the lease agreement? Where are they on that?

Doan: (Laughs) You know what, that's kind of been amongst them and I've kind of stayed out of any of that. From what I've been told, and again I don't know everything by the word of what they know, but I do believe that the league came out, Mr. Bettman came out, and said that Jamison is good, according to the league. He has the money, and everything is sitting and waiting in escrow and it's really up to the city just to get the lease agreement. Mr. Jamison, I can understand, is saying, 'Hey, I'm clean. I'm cleared and approved by the league. But I'm not signing into buying anything until that lease agreement is in place because it's such a huge part of what's kind of been the root of everything with the Coyotes.' I don't know how it's going to work out or what it's going to do. But Mr. Jamison seems to be encouraged that the city is doing their due diligence to have it done here, hopefully in the next day or two, and they can have everything done. Now I guess or maybe it's done already but I haven't heard, but hopefully they can get it done before next Friday.

Bickley: Today is Sept. 6. We're talking about Sept.15, which is just around the corner. How much time do they need administrative wise to get the deal done to make it fit? The 15th is the deadline for you to be signed somewhere, but at what point in time does all this have to be done to make it work for you?

Doan: To be honest, with the way that it's set up right now, I'd like it to be done a few days earlier than the 15th. I'd like it to be done today. If someone was able to tell me today that it was done, we'd be able to get everything worked out. Like I said, Don Maloney and Dave Tippett and the organization, Mike Nealy, they've all been great and encouraging me that they're going to get it done and not worry and so has Mr. Jamison. So I'm not that concerned. But at the same time, I'm not so naive. It has to end. It has to just for competitive balance for our team. We want to be on the same playing field as everybody, and so I'm hoping that it gets done here this week. I don't think I'd need too many days to get it signed after it's done. But at the same time if it doesn't, there's a few other teams that I've talked to. I have to make a phone call and make sure that it would work out with them.

MJ: When it comes to Sept.15, that could be the first day of the lockout. We've heard that the NHL could consider rolling prices back, salaries back. How important is it for you to get that signing bonus to where when you sign this new deal that they don't go ahead and try to capture some of that money moving forward?

Doan: See, MJ, you know football. You guys understand football. You understand cap, everything. Thatta boy. That's obviously something that's been talked about and tried to figure out the best way. Don Maloney and my agent have worked most of it all out. It's just a matter of once we know that the team is here and everything is set up, it'll be done. That being said, if it falls apart and Mr. Jamison doesn't get the team, it's one of those things it makes it tough.

MJ: You know what I respect about you? Obviously your heart's here. Your family's here. You have a future here whether it's become the assistant GM, maybe get a piece of the team down the road. That's something you'll worry about when you're done playing. The fact that you have a $30 million offer on the table, regardless if it's Buffalo or somewhere else, the fact that you're still willing to stay here for a lot less money that the Coyotes are offering. Just your thoughts on your loyalty.

Doan: (Laughs) You know what, the Coyotes have been more than fair to me in their offer as well. Obviously to pick up your family and move it would be difficult. My plan, and I've stated to anyone that has ever listened at the time, my goal has been to stay in Phoenix until I believe that the team is in that much trouble. I was gonna do everything I could to make it so I had a chance to stay here. As tempting as some of those other things were, it was more of you know what, this is the organization that gave me a chance to play in the NHL. I love it here, and the Valley has been phenomenal to me. Don and Tip have been more than fair to me. It hasn't been that big of a deal that way. Obviously it'd be nice to get that, but that probably wasn't gonna happen anyway.

Bickley: I echo everything that MJ is saying about your loyalty. I think it's been exemplary here. I think everybody just assumed you were going to do what you did, and that's ride this thing to the very last minute and try to get the Coyotes to a point where they can re-sign you and you can be a part of this team going forward. Let me ask you this, though. In worst-case scenario, without naming the team, have you decided what your option is going to be if it doesn't work out here?

Doan: It's one of those things I went through a list of criteria of what I would need if I was to go somewhere, and obviously there are a few teams that have hit that criteria. There are a few teams that don't. If I was 25 years old, my criteria would probably be considerably different than the fact I'm 35 years old. I've worked it out, and I've spoken to a couple teams. It's not like I've been saying, 'Hey, what do you guys wanna give me?' It's more I want it to work for my family. I want it to work for everyone involved. But again, my whole focus is still with the Coyotes. It's never, ever changed. If anyone has ever talked to me or I talked to other teams I've said all along if I really believe there's a chance, I'm going to do what I can here to make it work. But yeah, there's a group of teams. It's actually probably down to three or four teams now, two or three teams now, that I'd be looking at now.

Bickley: You were recently voted the 10th best captain in NHL history by NHL.com, and I think that's a cool honor. But here's what I think is even cooler. The fact that so many teams respect what you're all about that they're actually waiting this long. That's practically unheard of with teams that want to spend money. They want answers now. It's put-up or shut up. The fact that teams are allowing you to ride this thing out I think really speaks a lot about your reputation across the league. What are your thoughts on that? Is it an awkward situation keeping other teams on hold? How do you feel about that?

Doan: That was one of the things that Terry and myself tried to say as adamantly as we could that we weren't going to make a decision very quickly, that we were going to try to ride it out. Some things have come and gone. Timetables have come and gone along the way, and teams have continued to be patient. I've appreciated it so much because I understand how liquidly the free agency is. It slows. It moves. It does things. Guys need to make decisions on their teams and if they had to, it was totally understandable. I didn't take anything personally. But at the same time, I really appreciated it. And I think the fact there isn't a lot of players out there right now in my position. As much as it is that, it's the fact that it's kind of run its course the way it has.

MJ: When it just comes to your offseason, I know you've obviously been traveling with your son. He plays hockey. I think you were at Polar Ice over the weekend in Ahwatukee. How stressful has it been, though, as Dan mentioned, these teams are waiting for you. You want to stay here. Clearly you want to get it worked out. But how stressful has it been when you have those times alone when you think boy, if it doesn't work out here?

Doan: It's not your idea of a fun summer. This isn't what I had in mind. I was really hoping it would be done. I think it was June 20 or 21 the first time I was told it had a really good chance of being done. That would have been ideal. It hasn't been the way that I wanted it to go by any means. I was hoping to have some questions answered, especially for your family in regards to my wife and kids and them knowing where they're going to school and where they're playing hockey and what they're going to do with different organizations and different things that they get involved in. My wife, she's the one that kind of has to bear the brunt of that. It's been interesting. It hasn't been the way we wanted it, but it's going to be OK. Everything is going to work out.

Bickley: Throughout the course of all of this, do you find more teammates, family members telling you, 'Cut the cord. You don't need to be going through this.' Do you find people wanting you to just not be enduring this year after year after year like you have?

Doan: I don't know. It's hard for me. I appreciate, people will say certain things about that it hasn't been the smoothest ride. I think everyone was hoping it would have worked out where we step right into a new owner. That all being said, I've stressed the fact that last year was one of the most enjoyable years I've ever had as a player. Having the run that we went on, and I know it was only to the conference finals, but it was something that I couldn't express how much I appreciated and enjoying it being in Phoenix and doing it here in Phoenix and how I think we're right on the verge of being one of those stable franchises. As much as someone might say, I don't really take it too seriously in the fact that I think I've been involved in it and I've seen it and been through it more than anybody. So I think I have a pretty good understanding of what it really is, and it's not that bad. We're right on the verge of being one of those teams that I really believe is a stable franchise if we go from ownership to management to players. I think that our defensive core is arguably going to be one of the best in the league, if not the best. I think with Yandle and Ekman-Larsson we have two of the premier defensemen in the league, and you win with defense. You win with a good blue line. I'm excited about our team. And I still refer to it as our team. Hopefully in a week from now it'll still be that way.

Bickley: On a scale of one to 10, where is your optimism at?

Doan: I'm probably always going to remain very optimistic. Maybe to a fault, but I'm very optimistic that it's going to get done in the next few days. People always say, 'They've been telling you the same thing for three years.' It's different now. Mr. Jamison has been cleared by the league. He has the money in escrow. The lease agreement was done already once, so the core issues of it are done. Everything's in place. We just need the city to sign off on it because everything else is done. And the city, obviously the deal with the city has been worked and talked about so much and the city has been helping out with keeping the Coyotes here and they've done so much. It's not like anyone's saying it's up to them, but that's the last piece. If that can get done, then everything is really in place for this franchise not just to survive but flourish and I'm excited about that.

Smith watching Doan status

Phoenix Coyotes is paying particular attention to where captain Shane Doan ends up.

"If he leaves, it'll be a big blow to this franchise and this organization," goalie Mike Smith said. "I think it'll determine whether or not people sign back here or how we lure in free agents in the future. It'll definitely be interesting to figure all that out."

The lack of an owner has also affected Smith. The Coyotes planned to negotiate a contract extension for him this offseason, but talks were put on hold until ownership was resolved. That leaves Smith in the final year of a two-year deal worth $4 million.

Ownership, however, might not have been the only factor to halt negotiations as Smith is interested in Doan's future with the team.

"We were gonna kind of wait to see what Shane did, too," Smith said. "Obviously he's a huge piece of the puzzle in Phoenix."