Mat Ishbia Eyes Hockey’s Return to the Valley
Mat Ishbia, the impassioned owner of the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, has his eyes set on a new goal: bringing professional hockey back to Arizona. This ambitious endeavor follows the announcement that the Arizona Coyotes will be relocating to Salt Lake City after the 2023-24 season.
Amid this significant shift in the hockey landscape, the Coyotes will be rebranded as the Utah Hockey Club, debuting their inaugural season with the new identity in the 2025-26 campaign. The move marks the end of a tumultuous chapter for the Coyotes, who had been playing home games at the modest 5,000-seat Mullett Arena, located on Arizona State’s campus in Tempe, since 2022.
Reflecting on the relocation, Ishbia shared his sentiments with Sportico, expressing his determination to revive professional hockey in Arizona. "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," he stated with resolve.
Ishbia’s foray into sports ownership has been marked by significant investments and grand visions. Under his stewardship, the Phoenix Mercury has benefited from a $100 million women’s practice facility, recently built behind the Footprint Center—a venue that also played host to the WNBA All-Star Game, symbolizing the center's growing prominence in the sports world.
The Footprint Center, a state-of-the-art arena that serves as the home ground for the Phoenix Mercury, exemplifies Ishbia’s commitment to providing top-tier facilities for his teams. Yet, despite his enthusiasm for the current arena, Ishbia acknowledges the eventual necessity for even greater infrastructure. "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," he remarked, hinting at future developments that could potentially accommodate a reinstated hockey team.
The relocation of the Coyotes, sold by Alex Meruelo for a staggering $1.2 billion, underscores the immense economic stakes and evolving dynamics within professional sports. For now, Salt Lake City will be the new hockey hub, but Ishbia's ambitions suggest that Arizona's rich sports tapestry may soon be welcoming back the fast-paced thrills of the NHL.
As a committed owner immersed in the Valley's sports culture, Ishbia's pursuit to reclaim a hockey team for Arizona aligns with his broader mission to bolster the local sports community. With determined leaders like Ishbia at the helm, the dream of bringing professional hockey back to Arizona seems not only conceivable but inevitable.