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Fans welcome Shane Doan back to Winnipeg… by relentlessly booing him?

Phoenix Coyotes v Buffalo Sabres

BUFFALO, NY - NOVEMBER 19: Boyd Gordon #15 and Shane Doan #19 of the Phoenix Coyotes celebrate Doan’s goal in the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center on November 19, 2011 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

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You’d think that fans in Winnipeg would be happy to see their former hero return to the ice for the first time in 15 years. He’s the last member of the Jets 1.0 that is still in the league and he was the final first-round draft pick of the team that moved in 1996. So what’s the best way to welcome the well-respected veteran back to where it all began?

By booing him every time he touches the puck, of course.

For the record, Doan has never trashed the city of Winnipeg since moving with the Jets/Coyotes to Arizona. “I never once said a single disparaging word about Winnipeg,” the Phoenix captain told The Hockey News. “I simply stated that the connection that I had with Phoenix was because I’d been there for 15 years, the same thing as I would have had if I’d been with Winnipeg for 15 years and someone told me I had to leave.” “I never once said a single disparaging word about Winnipeg,” said Doan. “I simply stated that the connection that I had with Phoenix was because I’d been there for 15 years, the same thing as I would have had if I’d been with Winnipeg for 15 years and someone told me I had to leave.”

To be fair, the MTS Centre crowd was ready to boo just about every time any member of the Coyotes took possession of the puck. Still, the loudest boos were reserved for the guy who should have been receiving the loudest cheers.

The Jets organization paid tribute to Doan during a TV timeout in the first period even though the crowd started booing Doan from the beginning of the game. The crowd participated by rising to their feet and giving him a standing ovation—then promptly returned to booing as soon as the game resumed.

Here’s the question for the readers: Does it make sense for the Jets fans to boo Doan in his “homecoming?” Or has the ridiculously cold weather ruined their ability to think clearly during the hockey season?