Offtopic/fun » weeks, though Saturdays game could have conceivably

At age 40, Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan continues to serve honorably as one of hockeys great ambassadors. While leading a rebuilding club last season, Doan enjoyed one of the better seasons of his 20-year pro career and paced the Coyotes with 28 goals. This season, Doan has been tasked with mentoring one of the leagues youngest teams, which includes teammate Jakob Chychrun, an 18-year-old defenseman who was born almost three years after Doan was drafted, in 1995.The arrival of all this young talent -- including Arizona native Auston Matthews, with whom Doan skated as part of the Coyotes youth program -- makes Doan excited about the future of the game. Even if it does make him also feel kind of old.ESPN.com: How complicated is it being a veteran on such a young team?Shane Doan:?At one point we had nine guys 21 and under. Thats pretty incredible. I dont think its like that anywhere else in professional hockey, including the AHL or the East Coast League. Obviously, its exciting for the future, but its a little more difficult for the present.ESPN.com: You have four teenage children. Does that help you deal with the kids on your team?Doan: My oldest daughter is the same age as some of them. There are obviously similarities. But these guys are so mature. As a hockey player, you leave home when youre 15, 16 years old. It forces you to grow up. Our guys are great. Theyve handled themselves incredibly well. Its fun to be around them.ESPN.com: Are younger players better prepared for the NHL today?Doan: I think, because of social media, you get to see the day-to-day life of an NHL player a lot more. If you follow someone on Twitter or Instagram or whatever, you see what goes on a little bit more because of that. That makes it a little bit easier. You understand things you may not have understood in the past because there just wasnt exposure to it.ESPN.com: Do you wish you had social media when you were younger?Doan: No. Im so glad, so thankful that I didnt. Its crazy how much it affects our day-to-day lives as players and how much it affects the young guys.ESPN.com: What are the main differences today for young players compared with 20 years ago?Doan: Their skill level. It all comes down to exposure. When someone in the Swedish Elite league makes an incredible move, then the kids everywhere get to watch it and practice it -- and it becomes part of the hockey community. I think it pushes the skill level so much quicker because everybody can see things and their imaginations are kind of expanded by being able to see what other guys are doing around the world. In the past, if you saw it on the late-night sports TV shows, it was pretty amazing, but you only saw it once. Now everyone watches it over and over and can break it down. I think that helps. The skill of the young guys is just incredible now.ESPN.com: Youre skating alongside players whose fathers you played with and against. Have you talked to any of them about playing with their dads?Doan: Ive played with quite a few of them.?Max Domi?and Connor Murphy. Weve had?Philip Samuelsson?and Brett Hextall on the team. Getting to play against Matthew Tkachuk after playing with his dad, or Josh Manson in Anaheim. They were in our dressing room as kids when I was a player.ESPN.com: Have you reminded them about how you saw them as kids in the dressing room?Doan: For sure. Without a doubt. Thats one of the things that, as a player, you remember. Matty and Josh were so young, they dont really remember. But my daughter is the same age as Matty. They were both born here [in Arizona]. Ive gotten to know Josh as he got older. Its exciting. Its fun. You feel old, but you enjoy it, for sure.ESPN.com: Do you ever chat with Matthew Tkachuk about how you bought and moved into his childhood home in Arizona?Doan: Oh, yeah. We have horses here and Matty would come out and go riding at the farm. It was fun.ESPN.com: You skated with Auston Matthews while he was in the Coyotes youth program. What do you remember about him as an emerging young player?Doan: I got to know his family a little bit. His mom and dad go to the same church that we go to. Hes an unbelievable kid. Hes an even better person than player, and thats exciting because hes an incredible player.ESPN.com: Was his talent evident right away?Doan: The first time he skated with us, it was just shinny. I think his team won or lost 5-4. He had all his teams goals and it was against NHL guys, and he was a year away from being drafted. I was pretty impressed.ESPN.com: How important is it for youth hockey players in Arizona to see someone like Auston make it?Doan: Its huge for us. It gives validation to an organization like the Junior Coyotes. Any time anyone asks how the program is, you can say Auston Matthews grew up in the program. Thats huge for minor hockey and grass roots.ESPN.com: Your general manager, John Chayka, is more than a decade your junior. How often does he come to you with questions?Doan: Hes not afraid to come and ask for your opinion. But at the end of the day hes the one who makes the decisions. Thats the way it goes. As much as I think every player wants his opinions heard, its not our [call]. Hes very professional in that he asks questions and wants to gain perspective from people who might have experienced a few things. At the same time, he recognizes its his call and he makes those decisions when he needs to.ESPN.com: Youre coming off one of your best statistical seasons, but have you given any thought to retirement?Doan: It crosses your mind daily. But you dont make those decisions on a daily basis. Ten days ago, if you had asked me I probably would have retired on the spot. Today if you asked me, I think Id sign a five-year deal. It kind of goes back and forth. You understand you cant make rash decisions like that. It has to be something you make over the course of the year. I kind of approached last year the same way I approach this year. Ill just see how I feel at the end. Air Vapormax Clearance .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Vapormax Flyknit 2 Discount .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. http://www.vapormaxcheapoutlet.com/ . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. Vapormax Plus Outlet . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. Vapormax Plus Captain America . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. CINCINNATI --?Chicago Cubs?All-Star left-hander Jon Lester laid down the gauntlet for his team come later this month after pitching in his regular-season finale Saturday:Some 100-plus wins are nice, but theyll mean little if October doesnt go the Cubs way.This season isnt anything unless we do what we showed up at spring training to do -- win a World Series, Lester said after failing to win his 20th game in a 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. I dont want to sound like an a--h--- or anything, but we really havent done anything yet.Its been over a century since the Cubs (102-58) have won this many regular-season games, but its been even longer since theyve won a World Series. Lester wants to make sure the team has its eyes on the prize.This is the real season now, he said. You play 162 to get to now.After Sundays finale, the Cubs will have four days off before their playoff run begins at Wrigley Field on Friday. It will mark three weeks to the day they celebrated clinching the National League Central, meaning they havent played any intense baseball in quite a while.Those four days off are manager Joe Maddons biggest concern.For me, mission accomplished these last 10 days or whatever its been, Maddon said in regards to his players staying sharp. Its not about this [now] -- its about the four days off.Lester thinks the same attitude the Cubs have displayed all seasonn will come in handy at the most important time of the year.ddddddddddddThe big thing with this team is were consistent, he said. We show up every day to play. Thats huge, especially with the young group that we have. Thats hard to do. Thats a hard thing to learn at a young age. These guys do it.Lester likely will be the division series Game 1 starter Friday, so hell have a big say in what transpires in the coming weeks, though Saturdays game could have conceivably cost him the Cy Young Award. He missed out on win No. 20 while seeing his ERA rise to 2.44.For whatever reason, just fighting myself today, Lester said after giving up five runs in five innings. Ill look at it, and if there are adjustments to be made, Ill work on it next week.It was one of the few bad starts in the second half for Lester (19-5), who held opposing hitters to an .085 batting average with runners in scoring position.This one was pretty special on a personal level, he said. It will probably go down as one of the better years of my career.But it wont be complete without a championship -- Lester made that abundantly clear.Can the Cubs break the drought? The left-hander is banking on it.Its go time, Lester said. Now we have to live up to the expectations and hype. ' ' '