After many, many missed deadlines, Shane Doan has finally made his decision: he’s staying in Phoenix. By the time things are all said and done, he’ll have been a faithful one franchise man, an admirable feat (that I would’ve quit on long ago) given all the ups and downs the organization has been through.

Here’s the official word:

Shane Doan has signed a 4-year $21.2 million contract with $2 million in bonus money to remain with the Phoenix Coyotes.

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo620) September 14, 2012

Shane Doan has signed a 4-year $21.2 million contract with $2 million in bonus money to remain with the Phoenix Coyotes.

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo620) September 14, 2012

As a wise Canucks fan once said…

Well, if it would have been for 5 million per then I would have hated the Shane Doan signing for the #Canucks.

— Jamie Uyeyama (@JUyeyama) September 14, 2012

And given some of the rumours we were hearing out of the Eastern Conference – stuff like four years at seven million per – the contract looks like a pretty reasonable one for the Coyotes’ captain, fresh off a 50 point campaign that saw the Coyotes win their division and make the Western Conference Final.

We don’t know the progression of the numbers just yet, though it’s safe to say they start big (in the five-to-six mill range next year, I’d guess) and work their way down.

So holy horse poop, Shane Doan. After all that, from July 1st until now, all the wooing from around the league, it was much ado about nothing. But, it’s hard not to be happy for the guy. Ice Barns lives on.