Mat Ishbia's Vision: Bringing Hockey Back to Arizona
Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury owner Mat Ishbia is looking to make a bold move in the Arizona sports landscape. With the Arizona Coyotes set to relocate to Salt Lake City after the 2023-24 campaign, Ishbia has his sights on bringing hockey back to the region.
The Coyotes have called the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena at Arizona State's campus in Tempe home from 2022 to 2024. However, this chapter will come to an end as the team transitions to become the Utah Hockey Club, making its debut in the 2025-26 season. The sale of the Coyotes to Alex Meruelo for a reported $1.2 billion marked a significant turn in the franchise's history, and their departure leaves a noticeable void in Arizona's sporting community.
Mat Ishbia expressed his commitment to the community and his interest in restoring hockey to the area. He stated to Sportico, "I'm definitely going to be part of the community, and if I can help bring hockey back, I'll look at that. It's definitely something I'm interested in. It's a four-sport town. I'm disappointed we don't have a hockey team, but I understand what happened, and we're going to try to fix that one day."
Ishbia's ties to the community and his sporting ambitions are evident in his recent investments. The Footprint Center, home to the Phoenix Mercury, recently hosted the WNBA All-Star Game. Complementing this centerpiece is a newly built $100 million women's practice facility, underscoring his dedication to expanding and enhancing the local sports infrastructure.
Ishbia is not just focusing on the present but is also planning for the future. He emphasized the state of the Footprint Center, saying, "I think our arena is first-class right now. I love our arena. But at some point we're going to have to get a new arena." His vision clearly extends beyond hockey, as he looks to continually improve the venues and facilities that play a pivotal role in the fans' and athletes' experiences.
The potential reintroduction of a hockey team to Arizona not only hinges on Ishbia's commitment but also on the community's support and the feasibility of creating a new arena that meets NHL standards. With the Coyotes' departure, the opportunity to reinvigorate the local sports scene and provide fans with a comprehensive four-sport environment is on the horizon.
While the journey to bring an NHL team back to Arizona may be lengthy and fraught with challenges, Ishbia's track record as an invested and forward-thinking sports owner inspires optimism. His foresight in infrastructure development and fan engagement has already begun to transform the sporting landscape of Phoenix, suggesting that his ambitions for hockey could very well come to fruition in the years to come.
In the meantime, Arizona sports fans can take solace in the solid foundation being laid by Ishbia across basketball and other sports. The dedication to creating a first-class sporting ecosystem sets a promising precedent for any future endeavors, including the potential return of professional hockey to the Valley of the Sun.