Over the past decade, several NHL teams have built brand-new arenas. In most cases, it was sorely needed. The Edmonton Oilers moved out of the old and decrepit Rexall Place in 2016 and into the beautiful downtown facility, Rogers Place. The Red Wings left the iconic but severely dated Joe Louis Arena in 2017 and entered the new Little Ceasars Arena. After years of bouncing between the now 52-year-old Nassau Coliseum and the Barclays Center, the Islanders finally had a state-of-the-art arena to call their own when UBS Arena opened in 2021.
Sign up for our NHL Prospects & Draft Substack newsletter
Even the most beloved arenas have a limited lifespan before their age shows. Dated player facilities, poor sight lines, lack of seating options, and many more shortcomings plague older arenas. All of these teams transformed the fan experience and player amenities with these massive projects. That begs the question: Which arenas should be next on the chopping block?
Arizona Coyotes – Mullett Arena
The Arizona Coyotes raised some eyebrows when they were unceremoniously evicted from Gila River Arena by the City of Glendale. Scrambling for a temporary home, the Coyotes moved into the Arizona State University hockey rink, now known as Mullett Arena.
The building seats under 5000 fans for NHL hockey, a laughable number for a league of the NHL’s caliber, and it lacks the seating options available to larger venues. The Coyotes can try to sell this building as charming and intimate all they want; it simply isn’t up to snuff for a major league sports franchise. Players around the league are beginning to feel fed up with it. “We’re trying to grow the game, and being an arena like that, that only allows for that many fans, is a little disappointing,” said Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves while speaking with the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran (from ‘’LeBron James doesn’t play in front of 5,000 people.’ Mullett Arena, cozy home of the Arizona Coyotes, is on thin ice with NHLers’ Toronto Star, Feb. 21, 2024).
Mullett Arena may be an excellent college rink, but it isn’t viable for the NHL in the long term. There will be an end to this saga shortly, one way or another. After their plans for a new arena in Tempe were rejected by a public referendum, the Coyotes have been searching all over The Valley for new potential arena sites. The clock is ticking, and franchise relocation will be the only option if…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…