Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you confused as to why the Arizona Coyotes are playing in a college arena? We’re here to help.
Over the next few years, home games for the Coyotes will be drastically different to anything the NHL has seen before. Starting in the 2022-23 season, the Coyotes will be playing home games at Mullett Arena, a multipurpose arena at Arizona State University.
The decision is one that’s sparked quite a lot of conversation around the hockey world, as this is just another blow for a troubled Coyotes franchise. That being said, how did the Coyotes get here in the first place and what does this temporary arena deal mean for the future? Let’s dive in.
Where were the Coyotes playing previously and how did it fall apart?
Previously, the Coyotes had an arena deal with the city of Glendale to play at Gila River Arena (now Desert Diamond Arena), which had been the team’s home since 2003. In 2021, however, the city of Glendale pulled out of the team’s arena deal as it was revealed that the Coyotes owed them more than $1.3 million in city and state taxes.
Eventually, the Coyotes paid up — after copious amounts of threats from Glendale — but the damage was done between the two sides as Arizona played its last game at its former home in April 2022. As the Coyotes continued to look for new arena options elsewhere, such as Tempe, the team hooked up with Arizona State for a temporary arrangement in the Sun Devils’ new 5,000 seat arena.
What does the Coyotes set up look like in Mullett Arena?
In short, it’s kinda rough. Not only will the Coyotes have restrictions on how it can advertise in Mullett Arena, the team will be sharing the center ice logo space with Arizona State and are on a “good behavior clause” that will allow the school to back out of the deal.
Not only that, the visiting locker rooms have yet to be built ahead of the team’s four-game home stand, so Coyotes opponents will be operating out of curtained off rooms for the time being.
We got a first look at the temporary visiting team spaces (dressing room, training areas, etc.) for the first 4 NHL games at Mullett Arena!
The annex is being built and expected to be ready in December.
Full discussion: https://t.co/I8WhRYnAss
Full show: https://t.co/Y2dZMn7BiM pic.twitter.com/24SXok1S3I— PHNX Coyotes (@PHNX_Coyotes) October 26, 2022
Sure, it’s easy to point and laugh at how far a NHL franchise has fallen, but at the same time the home atmosphere the Coyotes are cultivating sounds awesome.
Coyotes president Xavier Gutierrez says there will be 200-400 tickets set aside for Arizona State students, priced at $25. They'll sit in the usual student section. There also will be a drumline, adding to the collegiate atmosphere.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) October 27, 2022
We’ll have to see how the Coyotes capitalize on a college hockey atmosphere in an intimate arena setting, but it could really be something special if Arizona plays its cards right. The Coyotes play its first home game at Mullett Arena against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, October 28 at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
