Former Arizona State forward Josh Doan couldn't have written a more perfect script Tuesday night at Mallett Arena, scoring two goals and feeling comfortable in his NHL debut against the Arizona Coyotes.
The son of Coyotes all-time leading scorer Shane Doan, Josh was destined to play hockey in the desert. His days playing for the Junior Coyotes of the Coyotes Hockey Association prepared him for the inevitable call-up from the organization several years later, when the Coyotes selected Doan with the 37th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. It became. But before Doan's nameplate was sewn onto the back of another Coyotes sweater, the Scottsdale standout introduced his NCAA Division I hockey to Tempe's campus.
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His college career couldn't have gotten off to a better start with his first multi-point night in his debut game. He scored five points in the first series of the 2021-22 season against the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Doan rode his momentum throughout his first year, averaging over one point per game in 35 games. Doan set a single-season scoring record by a freshman with 38 points and finished the year as a Tim Tooker Rookie of the Year finalist.
His 12-goal, 25-assist freshman season not only solidified his legacy as a Sun Devil, but also caught the Coyotes' attention as Doan became a legitimate star and prospect to watch.
Elected captain in his second year, Doan was destined to lead the team in historic fashion, and in the first-ever game played at Mallett Arena on October 14, 2022, Doan did just that. fulfilled.
With less than a minute left in the first period, Doan used a rebound of his own to begin his first rendition of “Mullet Magic,” giving ASU a 2-0 victory over Colgate. There was little doubt it would be Doan. It felt like it was always meant to be.
The Coyotes prospect had a big sophomore season, finishing with 39 points and a team-leading 16 points, but perhaps nothing will be more memorable than his first season. Doan totaled 16 points in the maroon and gold's final stretch, finishing his ASU career with a nine-game point streak.
Doan completed his second season in March 2023 and signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Coyotes that does not begin until the 2023-24 season. For the remainder of the 2022-23 season, Doan was sent to Tucson to play for the Coyotes' American Hockey League affiliate, the Roadrunners.
Doan started the 2023-24 season with the Roadrunners, appearing in 62 games and posting impressive numbers with 26 goals and 46 points. On March 25, 2024, Doan was summoned to his familiar locker room.
After earning huge applause for his solo lap during the warm-up, the winger calmly took on the match inside the friendly venue.
In the second period, the moment Arena had been hoping for happened. Doan snuggled up to the crease and smashed the puck out of the air for his first goal of his NHL career, tying the game with 3:17 left in the first inning.
It was certainly a night to remember. That was a priceless response from the Doan family.
Then, late in the third period, with the score tied at 2, the Coyotes won 6-2, and Doan hit the shot that would become the winning goal. His tipped goal earned him his first multi-point game in his debut.
Doan became the first skater in Coyotes Series history to score two goals in his debut.
Josh Doan and Shane Doan became the second father-son duo in NHL history to record points in their NHL debut for the same franchise.
“That was special,” Josh Doan said. “Everyone did something special from the beginning and made sure I was comfortable.”
Doan's night was an emotional culmination, a historic culmination of effort and pedigree on a historic night of hockey in the desert.
