Shane Doan

As the NHL schedule moves through the coming winter months and toward spring, thoughts tend to revolve around player transactions.

When the trade deadline of February 27 approaches, the usual suspects and a myriad of combinations and possibilities surface. One name which could attract attention is Shane Doan, captain of the Phoenix Coyotes—a reasonable fit for any team in the playoff hunt.

When Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov was asked why didn't want to move to Winnipeg if the Phoenix Coyotes franchise heads to the Manitoban capital, he responded, "Not many people live there, not many Russian people there. Plus it's cold. There's no excitement except the hockey.

As the horn sounded to end last nights sweep of the Phoenix Coyotes in what could be the last game ever played at Jobing.com Arena, Shane Doan had to choke back tears as he interviewed with Fox Sports.

This situation is all to familiar to Doan, being the only remaining Coyote to once don the jersey of a Winnipeg Jet.

The Detroit Red Wings finished off the Coyotes season last night by completing a four game sweep of the sixth place team after a hard fought Game 4.

While two games does not make a series, the Wings have learned several things during the series so far. 

After sweeping the first two games at home, the series will now head to Phoenix on Monday night.  Will they be able to keep up the pace of the first two games?  They have proven to be a strong road team throughout the season—will that continue as they invade Phoenix?

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Ridiculous officiating aside, the Red Wings put together a solid Game 2 effort, Pavel Datsyuk in particular. The star forward is making Wings fans forget that Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg even had 80 points in the regular season and finished eighth in the league in points.

Should NHL referee stats (for judgment accuracy) be made available to the public by the league?

This way, not only does the league have a better idea of who the better ones are, but so do the fans.

It would allow the league to the better ones more frequently for the playoffs, especially deep in the playoffs.

Of course they would keep playoff stats too as opposed to just regular season.

I think referees might try harder to get the calls right if their performances were public record.

If the Phoenix Coyotes expect to qualify for postseason play, they need to learn to play with "the big boys."

That means acquiring the education "to put teams away," and maintain leads until the final buzzer.

Through the All-Star Game, the Coyotes' inconsistent game remains as troubling as their penchant to tease Phoenix fans. Just when the team strings a few wins together, they find ways not to play a complete game, can't quite go the distance in the 60-minute marathon on ice, and tend to lose leads late in games.

In this Week 14 edition of the Fantasy Hot players, sophomore sensation John Tavares of the New York Islanders is starting to show his true potential in this league.

The Phoenix Coyotes boast two players heating up in fantasy circles and you'll want to make sure both are inserted into your lineups as soon as possible. But which Coyotes are gearing up for the kill?

Which other players are starting to make noise this week in fantasy?

Note:  Stats are taken from December 27 to January 3.

With the end of the year approaching the St. Louis Blues hope that their winning streak doesn't end when the ball drops at midnight. The Blues are on a four game winning streak and have shot themselves up from last in the division to second, only nine points behind Detroit for first in not only the division but also the conference.

Tonight Shane Doan begins his three-game suspension when the Phoenix Coyotes host the Los Angeles Kings. With Doan out of the lineup for less than a week, these three games will be crucial for a struggling Coyotes team. This is the first suspension Doan has received in his 15 seasons in the NHL.

For the last two seasons, Doan never missed a regular season game as this iron man streak of his will conclude tonight.