{coyotes} Phoenix Coyote back on ice after hernia issues

Thursday, 5 September 2013

{coyotes} Phoenix Coyote back on ice after hernia issues

As the captain, face of the franchise and all-around good guy, Shane Doan absorbed the weight of the Coyotes' ownership unrest when it threatened to infect the dressing room last season.

He downplayed the bad news, trumpeted the good and deflected the uncertainty away from his teammates. On the ice, the load wasn't any lighter.

Doan was hobbled by sports hernias on each side of his abdomen, which limited mobility. He still tied for the team lead in goals with 13.

Now, after off-season surgery and the sale of the team to IceArizona, Doan is rejuvenated and aiming for an even better performance in 2013-14.

"In the past, there's been other things going on," he said. "Now it's just you play, and you're excited about that. When something good happens, you don't have to apologize for all the negative stuff."

During the team's four-year search for ownership, Doan was the consummate leader, always up to date on the latest developments, passing them along to teammates with an upbeat outlook.

But when Doan needed a morale boost, he turned to confidante and longtime equipment manager Stan Wilson. "He was a guy that helped me when I felt it was too much," Doan said.

In those private conversations with Wilson, Doan could have ripped down the façade of the eternal optimist. But he didn't. He honestly believed a resolution would work out in the Coyotes' favor.

"We're both fairly positive guys," Wilson said. "So you just tried to feed off each other to keep it positive when sometimes it didn't look that positive."

As much as the ownership drama was an ominous cloud over the team, it didn't stymie Doan's play in 2013 – even though he wasn't fully healthy.

Doan's conditioning wasn't at its peak when the abbreviated season started in January because he was regularly in New York City to help bridge the gap in talks between the league and the Players' Association during the lockout.

Doan got a sports hernia on his left side last season after tearing the right side two years ago.

"You can't be as physical," Doan said. "You have no jump, and it hurts to get up. It hurts to move."

And yet Doan played in all 48 games, finished third in points with 27 and let's not forget about that memorable night in Los Angeles against the Kings in March when he scored twice and registered 11 shots and 13 hits.

"Last season was a tough one where you felt like you were chasing it the whole year," Doan said.

In mid-May, Doan traveled to Philadelphia for abdominal surgery to repair the hernias. He had the procedure done in 2000 on one side and in 2001 on the other and at that time, doctors inserted a mesh to fix the tears.

But the mesh had a shelf life, about 10 to 12 years, and it had started rubbing on nearby nerves.

This time, Doan's doctor removed the mesh and the surgery has advanced so that mesh is no longer needed.

His driver's license tells him he'll be 37 on Oct. 10, a week after the regular season opens, but his body feels much younger.

"The things that were going on make you feel older, like everything was a little more work, and now you feel a little better," Doan said.

With a renewed spirit, improved health and a bonafide No.1 center in Mike Ribeiro, there's no telling what Doan will accomplish this season.

"He's fired up, and all that stuff's out of the way," Wilson said. "He can just play hockey."

Benefit game

The Coyotes are hosting an intra-squad game Sept 18 at 7 p.m. at Jobing.com Arena to benefit the families of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died fighting the Yarnell Hill fire June30.

Tickets are $5, and all proceeds will go to the families of the firefighters.

The Coyotes will auction off autographed tribute jerseys that will be worn during warm-up, and proceeds from the 50/50 raffle and the sale of Yarnell lapel pins will go to the families.

IceArizona will match the total money raised from the event to also donate to the families.

For all ticket information, call 480-563-PUCK (7825) or visit phoenixcoyotes.com.