Getty Image / Christian Petersen
The Arizona Coyotes are no more. While it’s not confirmed what the newest iteration of the team will be based in Utah, reports that suggest a move to Salt Lake City is a done deal essentially closing the book on the team’s stint between 1996 to 2024.
Arizona finished 7th in the Central, missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they beat the Oilers 5-2 in their last-ever game in Arizona *and* something incredible happened when Coyotes legend Shane Doan was reunited with his lost banner (but not in Arizona).
Shane Doan was presented with the banner by the Arizona Coyotes upon his retirement. He’s currently an assistant with the Leafs and on the final night of the season he was reunited with the banner that was accidentally thrown in the trash years ago after it was left behind at the Gila River Arena when the Coyotes moved stadiums.
Here’s the footage of Shane Doan being reunited with his banner:
A few years ago the Coyotes threw Shane Doan’s retired number banner into a dumpster, this fan took it and returned it to Shane tonight @spittinchiclets
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 18, 2024
Shane Doan’s lost banner was rescued from a dumpster at the stadium, the same fan who brought it back to Doan in the video above and got to share his story:
A few years ago the Coyotes threw Shane Doan’s retired number banner into a dumpster, this fan took it and returned it to Shane tonight @spittinchiclets
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 18, 2024
According to Arizona Radio Talk host John Gambadoro, the banner *should* have been taken down and put in storage when the team left. Instead, he claims the arena kept the banner and threw it into the dumpster without ever contacting the team or Shane Doan about it. So it seems pretty vindictive and intentional on the part of the arena’s owners, if that story is to be believed.