When Mike Smith would talk to Shane Doan about Doan’s future and whether or not he was ready to retire, Doan’s answer would vary.
One day, he felt like he was ready to pack it in.
Another day, he thought he could keep playing.
Not until the two met for dinner in British Columbia over the summer, with Coyotes defensemen Luke Schenn and Alex Goligoski, did Smith realize Doan had reached a verdict.
He was going to retire, a decision he announced Wednesday in The Arizona Republic.
“I’m just honored to be able to have played with him, and obviously to play for 21 years for the same organization in any sport is pretty impressive and probably won’t be done for a long, long time or maybe ever again,” Smith said.