It was about 9 a.m. last Saturday when Shane Doan sat down at First Watch in Scottsdale to meet with Coyotes General Manager John Chayka.
This get-together was arranged by Chayka, who reached out to Doan Thursday, and Doan figured they would talk over breakfast about the direction the team was going and what his thoughts were.
But as the two started to chat, Doan began to realize the point of the sit-down was much different.
He was being let go.
“I had been corporately fired,” Doan said. “That’s the way it felt.”
The Coyotes told Doan he wouldn’t be back with the organization as they weren’t going to offer the soon-to-be free agent a contract, abruptly ending his 21-season tenure with the only franchise he’s ever represented with a decision that rocked not just the Valley but the entire hockey world once it became public Monday.