The Arizona Coyotes franchise has been quicksand since moving from Winnipeg at the start of the 1996-97 NHL season. Whether the dilemmas surrounded management, team success, or their home state, it felt like professional hockey was never meant to be in the Grand Canyon State. After 27 seasons in Arizona, the Coyotes have become the Utah Hockey Club. This upcoming season will be Utah’s inaugural year in the NHL, playing at the Delta Center. While the move leaves Arizona’s up-and-coming ice hockey community distraught, let us review the Coyotes’ most memorable moments at their short-lived home ice of Mullett Arena.
Arena History
Before making the move to play at Mullett Arena in Tempe, the Coyotes played in Glendale at Gila River Arena (now Desert Diamond Arena) for 17 years (2004-2021). Before that, Arizona played in Phoenix at America West Arena (now the Footprint Center) for six years (1997-2003).
In August 2021, the city of Glendale decided to end leasing Gila River Arena to the Coyotes. leading up to the decision, former Coyotes’ owner Alex Meruelo was operating on a year-to-year lease with Glendale. Scrambling to find other venue options to play at for the 2022-23 season, the Coyotes and Arizona State University came together to build Mullett Arena. The 5,000-seat multi-purpose venue was Arizona’s temporary solution to keep the Coyotes in town while they explored other sites for a permanent home. Meruelo’s management invested nearly $20,000,000 to help construct Mullett. Today, Mullett Arena is home to ASU’s NCAA Division 1 ice hockey team and the Phoenix Suns’ NBA G League team, the Valley Suns.
Unfortunately for Coyotes fans, the franchise’s recent efforts (Tempe Entertainment District and land auction cancelation) failed to pan out.
On the other side, Utah’s owner Ryan Smith will bring the second major league sports franchise to Salt Lake City. Smith’s NBA team, the Utah Jazz, offers over 18,000 seats at the Delta Center. The NHL hopes to have a 17,000-seat capacity this upcoming season at the Delta Center.
Opening Night at Mullett Arena: Oct. 28, 2022 vs. the Winnipeg Jets
After opening the 2022-23 season with a six-game road trip, Mullett Arena opened its doors for NHL hockey. The Coyotes took on the Winnipeg Jets in a thrilling game that went to overtime. Coyotes forward Christian Fischer scored the first two goals in Mullett Arena’s history in the first period. The Jets stormed back with three-straight goals to eventually win the game in overtime 3-2. This was the only game ESPN broadcasted for Arizona at the Mullett.
Arizona hosted another three games at home before going on a long 16-game road trip.
Despite the loss, the game showcased a unique atmosphere that may never be replicated again in NHL history. Furthermore, it gave the Coyotes an advantage against some of the best teams in the NHL that season.
Upset Victories During the 2022-23 Season
Although the Coyotes ended their 2022-23 campaign with a 28-40-12 record, they found success amongst some of the top teams in the league on home ice. They defeated the Florida Panthers (2023 Eastern Conference champions), the record-setting Boston Bruins (most wins with 65 and points with 135 in a regular season), the Colorado Avalanche (defending Stanley Cup champions at the time), the Toronto Maple Leafs (who were 22-7-6 at the time), the Tampa Bay Lightning (47-save shutout from goalie Connor Ingram), and the Vegas Golden Knights (the eventual 2023 Stanley Cup champions.)
As you can tell, the “Mullett Magic” was on full display that season.
Consecutive Wins Against Previous Stanley Cup Champions
From Nov. 25, 2023 through Dec. 4, 2023, the Coyotes defeated the past five Stanley Cup-winning teams. First, Arizona defeated the Golden Knights (2023 champs) on the road. Then, the Coyotes won their next four straight games at Mullett Arena. They were victorious against the Lightning (2020 and 2021 champs), Avalanche (2022 champs), St. Louis Blues (2019 champs), and the Washington Capitals (2018 champs).
Keller Ties Tkachuk: April 13, 2023 vs. the Vancouver Canucks
Heading into their last game of the season, Coyotes forward Clayton Keller was one point shy from tying Keith Tkachuk for most points in a single season in Coyotes history. With seven seconds left in the first period, Keller found forward Travis Boyd alone in front of Vancouver’s goal and he deposited the puck into the net. His 49th helper of the season was his 86th point of the season and tied Tkachuk.
The 86th point seemed improbable after Keller’s gruesome femur injury the season prior. On March 31, 2022, in a game against the San Jose Sharks, he lost his balance and crashed into the boards; his season was over as he left on a stretcher and had surgery to repair a fractured leg. Even Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong was not sure if he would play at the start of the 2022-23 season.
“I think it was just a weird feeling to have that rod in his leg, you know? Every time it moved, it just kind of freaked him out,” Armstrong said. “[Keller] couldn’t really walk correctly. I was like, ‘There’s no way he can skate, right?'”
Furthermore, it had been 25 seasons since a Coyote tied Tkachuk’s marker. What was 25 seasons ago? The Coyotes’ first season in Arizona after moving from Winnipeg.
Four-Goal Comeback: Dec. 27, 2023 vs. the Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche and last season’s Hart Memorial Trophy winner Nathan Mackinnon came to Tempe. Colorado went up 4-0 midway through the second period. More “Mullett Magic” was on display as the Coyotes stormed back with five-straight goals to win in overtime. Arizona posted a three-goal third period with the game-tying goal coming from defenseman Sean Durzi. An unlikely overtime hero in forward Jack McBain scored the game-winning goal by bunting the puck out of the air and into the back of the net. This was Arizona’s second overtime win on home ice against Colorado last season.
Josh Doan’s NHL Debut: March 26, 2024 vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets
Josh Doan, Son of Coyotes legend Shane Doan, became the first Arizona-born, raised, and trained player to play for the Coyotes. He grew up playing for the Jr. Phoenix Coyotes with current Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound forward played two years at ASU and was captain of the team his sophomore year. Of course, the Scottsdale native scored the first collegiate goal at Mullett Arena. The right-handed shooter became the third former Sun Devil to play in the NHL, joining current Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord and former San Jose Shark Brinson Pasichnuk. Arizona’s 2021 second-round pick was an AHL All-Star this past season before he was called up to play for the Coyotes’ last 11 games.
Related: How the Coyotes Turned Derek Stepan Into Josh Doan
It was an unforgettable night for those in attendance: Josh’s family was present, Coyotes and ASU fans were cheering for him at his home rink, and he tallied two goals in his NHL debut. Doan scored his first goal off a puck that pin-balled towards the net that he batted into the goal. He then scored the eventual game-winning goal by deflecting Matias Maccelli’s shot from the high slot. The 6-2 victory that night was not the overall focus. It was a win for Arizona’s ice hockey community and a full-circle moment for the Doan family.
Six-Goal Third Period: April 5, 2024 vs. the Vegas Golden Knights
After a scoreless first period, the Coyotes and Golden Knights combined for 11 goals in the following two periods. The Golden Knights scored four-straight goals to go up 4-1 heading into the third period. A three-goal lead for the defending Stanley Cup champions seemed like a tall hurdle for the Coyotes to conquer. However, Arizona erased the three-goal margin, scoring three goals in 1:07 (the fastest three goals in Arizona’s history). Michael Carcone scored the game-tying and winning goals in the third period, roughly five minutes apart. If that was not enough, Arizona put two more in the back of the net, accumulating six goals in the third period. Ultimately, this was the fastest six-goal span (9:06) by any NHL team since the Jets did so in 1988.
The Final Send-Off: April 17, 2024 vs. the Edmonton Oilers
The news had already broken that Arizona would relocate to Utah, but that did not stop fans from showing their support one last time. The Edmonton Oilers started former Coyotes goalie Calvin Pickard and defenseman Troy Stecher played. Coyotes forward Liam O’Brien began the party, scoring 2:18 into the game. The two longest-tenured Coyotes, forward Lawson Crouse (who scored the game-winning goal) and Keller, recorded points in the franchise’s last game. Arizona went on to win 6-2, giving their fans a proper send-off.
In the end, Mullett Arena provided the Coyotes with a winning record all-time despite being in a rebuilding phase. Arizona posted a 43-34-5 record in Tempe and contributed towards one of the nicest college hockey rinks. The Coyotes will be deeply missed by their fans but have a bright future ahead in Utah.
