Uncertainty surrounds Doan ahead of potential final game

Loyalty and leadership.

Few words better describe Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan, who may play the final game of his 21-year career Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild.

The 40-year-old Doan had a career renaissance last season, potting 28 goals, making it an easy decision for him to return for 2016-17. But he hasn't been as successful this season, tallying just six goals and 20 assists, all while battling a nagging groin injury in recent weeks.

That struggle has made it more difficult for Doan to decide whether to call it a career.

"I really don't know," Doan told Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. "I truly wish I did. It would make everything so much easier to be able to give a definitive answer. There's a chance I come back and play; there's a chance I don't.

"It's amazing how quickly you go from thinking you have lots of time to realizing you have no time. This whole year, you wish you had a do-over on, but you don't get them so you want to make sure you finish them off the right way."

Doan's leadership in the locker room is where the Coyotes captain has been as valuable as ever. He is the guiding light on a team featuring a crop of young players, from last year's rookies Max Domi and Anthony Duclair, to the new fresh faces in Christian Dvorak, Jakob Chychrun, Lawson Crouse, and Brendan Perlini, among others.

Coyotes coach Dave Tippett told reporters that Doan's value is more than what he provides on the ice, noting his leadership, personality, and commitment to the organization.

"All those things rub off, especially when you have as many young players as we have. It's great that they all get a little bit of a taste of that from him," Tippett said. "Shane is more than willing to help out in those things. There is sometimes when guys get a little older, they tend to back away from a lot of the young players. Shane is engaged with the young players all the time."

Now with 20 seasons under his belt in the desert, Doan has become the face of the game in the southwest, beloved for his dedication to the organization, having stuck with the club through its lean years. Through it all, he's made his mark on the franchise and etched his name across the record books, holding eight individual team-high marks:

The Coyotes captain is also one of just six players to play more than 1,500 games with one franchise, an accomplishment that puts him in a category with Steve Yzerman, Ray Bourque, Alex Delvecchio, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Gordie Howe.

Named captain of the Coyotes in 2003, the most memorable season came nine years later, as Doan and the Coyotes eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators to advance to the Conference Finals. The series win over the Blackhawks was the franchise's first playoff series victory in 25 seasons.

Whatever his decision, Doan will still be lacing up the skates somewhere, telling Ben Kuzma of The Province, "The day I retire, I'll be playing in a men's league somewhere because I love the game."

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)