TEMPE, Ariz. — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
The Arizona Coyotes are still in search of a permanent home in the Valley as the team is moving out of Glendale at the end of the 2021 NHL season.
In the meantime, the Coyotes will move to Tempe and play in ASU’s new multipurpose arena in the seasons ahead.
“It’s brand new and it’s state of the art,” Coyotes President, Xavier Gutierrez said. “It’s right on campus with 80,000 students, right in the heart of Tempe and we are very excited about it.”
Excited about the potential to permanently move to Tempe with a new arena, although that final decision will take some time to find out.
Instead, the team announced it will play home games at the venue from the 2022-23 season through the 2024-25 NHL season with an additional option for the 2025-26 season.
“We’re investing over $25 million in additions to this brand new facility,” Gutierrez said. “When we approached ASU we told them we knew we would need to build out new locker rooms, new medical facilities, and all the things you need to make it to the NHL standard. It shows our commitment.”
The one catch; the arena only sits 5,000 fans which is less than a third of the size of Gila River Arena. Since it is a temporary move, the Coyotes aren’t worried about the smaller building and crowd size.
“I have been asked a hundred times if we are leaving Arizona and I always respond with we are not,” Gutierrez said. “We know this is a hockey town but what we needed is a better arena solution, and this is a step into that solution.”
The ASU arena, which is expected to be completed in October and the team will have to start its season on the road, as ASU documents indicate the arena won't be available for NHL games until December.
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