.@BizNasty2point0 saw this going differently.

Congrats to Shane Doan on being named the first @NHL player ever to play in the @WMPhoenixOpen Pro-Am. And congrats to Biz on being named his caddy! ⛳ pic.twitter.com/or114j3cL0

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) January 5, 2020

Tournament Chairman Tim Woods announced that Arizona Coyotes legendary winger Shane Doan has accepted an invitation to play in the Annexus Pro-Am at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course. The surprise announcement and invitation was made to Doan during the first intermission at the Coyotes – Flyers game on Saturday night (January 4), with the help of friend and former teammate Paul Bissonnette.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have one of the Valley’s biggest sports stars and local celebrities play in one of our most exciting events of the week,” Woods said. “Shane is a great friend of the tournament and an all-around incredible person, and it was great to poke a little fun and surprise him in front of all the Coyotes fans. We’re looking forward to seeing him tee it up and especially anxious to watch him at the 16th hole in front of 16,000 energetic fans.”

Doan spent the entirety of his NHL career with the Arizona Coyotes – coming over with the club when they moved from Winnipeg – playing 21 seasons. Doan led the Coyotes in scoring from 2003-2011 and was the longest serving NHL captain until his retirement in the summer of 2017. Internationally, Doan won two gold medals and three silvers at the World Championships, as well as one World Cup championship in 2004. He was also a member of Canada’s 2006 Winter Olympic team. The Arizona Coyotes retired Doan’s number (19) in 2018.

Tee times for the Annexus Pro-Am will range from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Exact tee times for participants will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 29 on WMPhoenixOpen.com, along with a complete list of celebrities and PGA TOUR players in the field that currently includes Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley.

The 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open will be held at TPC Scottsdale January 27 – February 2, 2020. “The People’s Open” was recently named the Tournament of the Year by the PGA TOUR for 2019, an honor that has been awarded four times in the last six years (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019) to help the tournament gain legendary status for being one the most unique events in golf. The 2020 edition will mark the 85th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 11th as the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 280 “life” members. The Thunderbirds raised a record $13.2 million for charity from proceeds from the 2019 WM Phoenix Open and have eclipsed $147 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932. For more information on The Thunderbirds, visit www.thunderbirdscharities.org.