With the seventh overall pick in the 1995 NHL Draft, the Winnipeg Jets selected Shane Doan. He played his rookie season in Winnipeg before the franchise relocated to Phoenix, where he spent the next 20 seasons with the Coyotes organization and became the face of the franchise.
After retiring, he purchased an ownership stake in the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers before joining the Coyotes in a front-office role. He spent two seasons in Arizona before moving to Toronto, where he served as a special advisor to the general manager, a position he held until May.
There was a stir in Winnipeg in late May after reports surfaced that Doan had been spotted in the city. According to Murat Ates of The Athletic, Doan met with Jets co-owner Mark Chipman for a tour of Canada Life Centre, a look at the building renovations and a discussion about hockey.
Speculation about a possible front-office role followed, but little else emerged publicly in the weeks afterward.
When Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff was later asked about Doan’s visit, he said:
“Shane came to town, several weeks ago and had a visit. But I’m not sure there’s anything more to that than just a visit.”
Cheveldayoff’s comments marked the first public response from the organization regarding Doan’s visit to Winnipeg, while downplaying any suggestion that there was more to it.
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