"The Mullett" "The Party Barn" [1] | |
Former names | ASU Multi-Purpose Arena (planning/construction) |
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Address | 411 S Packard Drive |
Location | Tempe, Arizona |
Coordinates | 33°25′36″N111°55′43″W / 33.42667°N 111.92861°W |
Public transit | Veterans Way/College Ave Marina Heights/Rio Salado Pkwy |
Owner | Arizona State University |
Operator | Oak View Group [2] |
Capacity |
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Construction | |
Broke ground | January 2021 [2] |
Built | October 1, 2022 |
Opened | October 12, 2022 |
Construction cost | US$134 million [3] |
Architect | SCI Architects [2] |
Builder | Mortenson Construction [2] |
Tenants | |
Arizona State Sun Devils men's ice hockey (NCAA) 2022–present Arizona State Sun Devils women's ice hockey (ACHA) 2022–present Arizona State Sun Devils women's gymnastics (NCAA) 2022–present Arizona State Sun Devils men's wrestling (NCAA) 2022–present Arizona State Sun Devils women's volleyball (NCAA) 2023–present Arizona Coyotes (NHL) 2022–2024 [3] Valley Suns (NBAGL) 2024–present |
Mullett Arena (originally ASU Multi-Purpose Arena) is an indoor multipurpose arena at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.
The 5,000-seat arena is the home of the men's ice hockey, women's ice hockey, women's gymnastics, women's volleyball, and men's wrestling teams as well as the NBA G League's Valley Suns. It served as a temporary venue for the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes from 2022 to 2024, with seating capacity for NHL games capped at 4,600. [4] The facility is owned by Arizona State University and managed by the Oak View Group.
In November 2020, the Arizona Board of Regents' finance committee approved plans for a new 5,000-seat on-campus multipurpose arena, which replaced the privately-operated Oceanside Ice Arena, which had been leased by the university long-term, as the Sun Devils men's hockey facility starting in 2022. [5] [6] [7] Originally known as the Multi-Purpose Arena, it is also used for women's hockey, women's gymnastics, men's wrestling, women's volleyball, and community hockey events. [2]
With their lease agreement at Gila River Arena expiring after the 2021–22 NHL season, [8] the Arizona Coyotes were in talks by January 2022 with Arizona State University to temporarily use the ASU facility for the next three to four NHL seasons. On February 10, 2022, the Coyotes signed what was to be a three-year agreement to play their home games at ASU's facility, beginning with the 2022–23 NHL season. [9] The additional cost of completing the arena to accommodate the Coyotes was approximately $19.7 million, which was paid by the team. [3] During the Coyotes' short tenure in the building, it officially had the lowest permanent seating capacity in the NHL.
On August 23, 2022, Arizona State University unveiled the new facility name as Mullett Arena. It is in honor of Donald and Barbara Mullett, two of the university's benefactors. [10]
On October 14, 2022, the Sun Devils men's hockey team played their first ever game at the arena against the Colgate Raiders. Josh Doan (son of former Coyote Shane Doan) scored the first ever goal in Mullett Arena history. The Sun Devils won the game, 2–0.
Two weeks later (October 28, 2022), the Coyotes' first ever game in front of a sellout crowd of 4,600 at Mullett Arena resulted in a 3–2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Christian Fischer scored the first and second NHL goals at the arena. [11]
On April 17, 2024, the Coyotes played their final game at the arena against the Edmonton Oilers, where fans in attendance wore white for a final Whiteout, a considered playoff tradition for the franchise. [12] The Coyotes won the game 5–2, with the final goal at the arena being scored by Sean Durzi. Following that game's conclusion, the Coyotes were revealed to have agreed to suspend operations for a five year period of time (thus ending their lease prematurely), with many of their assets moving to Utah to become a new, technically expansion Utah Hockey Club, but in June, the Coyotes franchise ceased operations. On May 22, 2024, it was announced that the Valley Suns, the NBA G League affiliate of the Phoenix Suns, will play their home games at Mullett Arena starting in the 2024–25 G League season. [13]
Arizona State University announced on March 3, 2022, a multiyear naming rights partnership with Mountain America Credit Union for the ice rink on the west side of Mullett Arena. Officially named as the Mountain America Community Iceplex at ASU, it has a concession stand for hot and cold refreshments and a full hockey pro shop. [14]
For the first four Coyotes home games, temporary locker room accommodations were set up within the confines of Mountain America Community Iceplex for the visiting teams. [15] The Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars used this location during that opening Coyotes homestand.
After that, the Coyotes began a franchise record 14-game road trip while ongoing construction of the annex was officially completed in time for their next scheduled home game (December 9, 2022, against the Boston Bruins). The building housed all on-site NHL training and locker room facilities during the Coyotes' temporary stay at Mullett Arena.
The Arizona Coyotes were a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area, which competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division and the Pacific Division (1998–2020) in the Western Conference, and the West Division (2020–2021). They played at America West Arena in downtown Phoenix from 1996 to 2003, at Glendale's Gila River Arena from 2003 to 2022, and at Mullett Arena in Tempe from 2022 to 2024.
Footprint Center is a multi-purpose arena in Phoenix, Arizona. It opened under the name America West Arena on June 6, 1992, at a cost of $89 million.
Desert Diamond Arena is an indoor entertainment arena located in Glendale, Arizona, which anchors the 223-acre, $1 billion Westgate Entertainment District.
Canada Life Centre is an indoor arena in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The arena is the home of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
Desert Financial Arena is a 14,198-seat multi-purpose arena located at 600 E Veterans Way in Tempe, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. It sits immediately east of Mountain America Stadium on the northern edge of the Tempe campus of Arizona State University (ASU).
The Arizona State Sun Devils are the athletic teams that represent Arizona State University. ASU has nine men's and eleven women's varsity teams competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Big 12 Conference. The mascot was adopted in 1946; earlier nicknames were the Normals and later, the Bulldogs. The Sun Devil mascot, Sparky, was designed by Bert Anthony, a former Disney illustrator. ASU's chief rival is the University of Arizona Wildcats, and both universities' athletics departments compete against each other in the Territorial Cup Series.
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Hockey for All Centre is an ice hockey facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba, near the Red River Exhibition.
True North Sports and Entertainment Limited is a Canadian company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that owns and operates Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. The company also owns the Jets' minor league affiliate, the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. Aside from hockey, TNSE is also involved in real estate with True North Square, and are active in bringing concerts and other acts to Winnipeg.
Sports in Phoenix include several professional sports franchises, and until 2024, was one of only 13 U.S. cities to have representatives of all four major professional sports leagues, although only one of these teams actually carry the city name and play within the city limits. Phoenix was the last of the metropolitan areas with teams in all four leagues to gain its first major professional sports team, when the Suns were granted a franchise in 1968.
The Arizona State Sun Devils men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents Arizona State University. It plays its home games at Mullett Arena in Tempe.
Christian Fischer is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes, 32nd overall, in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
The Tucson Roadrunners are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play for the 2016–17 season. Based in Tucson, Arizona, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's (NHL) Utah Hockey Club, the Roadrunners play their home games at the Tucson Convention Center Arena.
Joel "Joey" Daccord is a Swiss-Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 199th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Oceanside Ice Arena was an ice arena and skating center in Tempe, Arizona. It served as the home of the Desert Youth Hockey Association from 1975 to 2023 and formerly Arizona State Sun Devils men's and women's hockey, the Arizona State Men's program had been at Oceanside since 1979.
The Arizona State Sun Devils women's ice hockey team represents Arizona State University (ASU) in American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) women's Division I competition as a member of the Western Women's Collegiate Hockey League (WWCHL). It plays its home games at Mullett Arena in Tempe, beginning in the 2022–23 season.
The 2021–22 Arizona Coyotes season was the 43rd season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on June 22, 1979, the 26th season since the franchise relocated from Winnipeg following the 1995–96 NHL season, and the 50th overall season, including the World Hockey Association years.
Joshua Thomas Doan is an American professional ice hockey right winger for the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Utah Hockey Club of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Arizona Coyotes selected Doan with the 37th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He is the son of Coyotes franchise scoring leader Shane Doan.
The 2022–23 Arizona Coyotes season was the 44th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on June 22, 1979, the 27th season since the franchise relocated from Winnipeg following the 1995–96 NHL season, and the 51st overall season, including the World Hockey Association years. It was their first season playing their home games at Mullett Arena, which held the distinction of being the smallest venue in the National Hockey League in the modern 21st century based on seating capacity, accommodating just 4,600 spectators at maximum capacity. This was also the last season where Coyotes games aired on Bally Sports Arizona after previously partnering with the network since the franchise's move to Phoenix, Arizona in 1996; following this season, the Coyotes moved their airing rights to Scripps Sports to air games both in Arizona and Utah, while Bally Sports ultimately shut down for good on October 21, 2023 after losing airing rights to the Coyotes months after already failing to secure airing rights to the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks earlier in the year. The Coyotes were eliminated from playoff contention on March 24, 2023, after a loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Utah Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey expansion team that will be based in Salt Lake City. The team will compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and will begin play during the league's 2024–25 season. The team will play its home games at the Delta Center, the home of the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA), with plans being made to remodel the arena to make it more suitable for both franchises.
Arizona State University got the go-ahead Thursday to build a $20 million addition that would allow the Arizona Coyotes to use a new campus arena as the NHL team's home for the next three years and possibly longer.
Events and tenants | ||
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Preceded by | Home of the Arizona State Sun Devils men's hockey 2022 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
Preceded by | Home of the Arizona State Sun Devils women's hockey 2022 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
Preceded by | Home of the Arizona State Sun Devils women's gymnastics 2022 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
Preceded by | Home of the Arizona State Sun Devils men's wrestling 2022 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
Preceded by | Home of the Arizona Coyotes 2022 – 2024 | Succeeded by Last arena |
Preceded by Franchise established | Home of the Valley Suns 2024 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |