Auston Matthews drove by the Arizona Coyotes鈥� new home this summer.
The 5,000-seat rink tucked into a college campus is a temporary solution 鈥� for at least the next three seasons 鈥� as the franchise continues working on a proposed long-term arena.
Matthews, who grew up in the Phoenix area, wants to see the franchise that sparked his hockey obsession 鈥� long before the Toronto Maple Leafs sniper scored 60 goals in a season and won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP 鈥� succeed in the desert.
He鈥檚 also curious what that first trip to Mullett Arena will look like.
鈥淚 think it鈥檒l be pretty fun 鈥� the atmosphere and everything,鈥� Matthews said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be kind of funny and interesting being in the NHL, playing in a rink like that.鈥�
The Coyotes begin life at Arizona State University on Friday when they host the Winnipeg Jets following a six-game road trip to open the schedule.
The team played at Gila River Arena in Glendale beginning in 2003, but attendance issues plagued the Coyotes almost immediately before the suburban city cut ties with the organization at the conclusion of last season.
The Coyotes鈥� old home was on the Phoenix metropolitan area鈥檚 west side, while ASU鈥檚 campus and where the club hopes to build are in Tempe 鈥� closer to the majority of its fan base.
鈥淓verything鈥檚 brand new,鈥� Arizona winger Clayton Keller said of Mullett Arena鈥檚 cosy confines. 鈥淲e鈥檒l just go from there. The atmosphere will be cool 鈥� there鈥檚 standing bleachers behind the net, which no NHL team has.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unique and brings a different aspect.鈥�
There were inevitable jokes made when Arizona鈥檚 move to an arena 鈥� which is named for a prominent ASU donor family 鈥� that鈥檚 a fraction the size of the league鈥檚 other 31 venues was announced, but NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said it will benefit the franchise both now and in the future.
鈥淔ull building every night,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t could help the team and player performance when you have that type of environment.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a permanent solution 鈥� could never be a permanent solution 鈥� but as a short-term solution it鈥檒l work fine.鈥�
There have been moments when it appeared the Coyotes would be leaving Arizona after originally relocating from Winnipeg in 1996.
Daly, however, said when the league commits to a market, 鈥渨e鈥檙e committed.鈥�
鈥淭he myriad of things that have gone wrong for this franchise over time contribute to why people want (it moved),鈥� he said. 鈥淣one of (the issues) were really within their control and none of them proved the market wasn鈥檛 capable of supporting the team.鈥�
As for playing in a 5,000-seat facility, NHL stars have mixed feelings.
鈥淐ertainly gonna be different,鈥� Edmonton captain Connor McDavid said. 鈥淣ot really too sure what to expect. Definitely hope it works out.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know,鈥� Colorado centre Nathan MacKinnon added with a smile. 鈥淲e鈥檒l see, I guess.鈥�
Players with ties to the U.S. college game sound the most enthused about being back on campus.
鈥淔ired up,鈥� Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk said.
鈥淐ollege barns are some of the best atmospheres in all of hockey,鈥� Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger said. 鈥淗opefully they pack it out and have cheap drinks.鈥�
Columbus defenceman Zach Werenski, another NCAA alum, is looking forward to his team鈥檚 only trip. He also wonders what it would be like to play in a rink smaller than most junior or college facilities 41 times a season.
鈥淟iving in Arizona probably doesn鈥檛 get old,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut going into that rink everyday might.鈥�
Max Domi, who was drafted by the Coyotes and played three seasons in Arizona, said if the organization can get the arena situation sorted, the desert will become a destination.
鈥淕ame over,鈥� said the Chicago forward. 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 going to be wanting to play for the Yotes.鈥�
Matthews, who was raised in nearby Scottsdale, wants to see the franchise thrive.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e the reason I started playing hockey,鈥� he said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 think I鈥檇 be here if that team wasn鈥檛 in Arizona 鈥� I鈥檓 hopeful that it all works out.
鈥淎nd you never know when we鈥檒l get the next kid coming out of Arizona.鈥�
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