Chase Field aims to host NHL hockey?

With Arizona Coyotes (NHL) is in dire need of a temporary home when he was kicked out of the Gila River Arena after this season, Chase Field has been reported as a candidate to host the team.

We say down the line because home Arizona Diamondbacks apparently unable to host Coyotes in the NHL 2022-2023: between the carved regular season, the great post-season Elton John concert and a possible World Baseball Classic in 2023, Chase Field not only is it available for the commitment needed to host NHL hockey on a regular basis. So we are talking about the NHL season 2023-2024 at the earliest.

Here’s a background on why Coyotes needs to find a new home: In essence, the City of Glendale and arena manager ASM have decided not to bring the team back after the current lease expires at the end of the current NHL season.. Not that Coyotes would want to be there longer than required: the team owner has been looking for a new home in the East Valley for several years, finally breaking into a new arena / mixed-use development with the city of Tempe. However, Coyotes must find a new home for at least two NHL seasons to narrow the gap between Glendale and Tempe. The Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns (NBA), is out of the question after the latest renovations, and most other hockey venues in the valley or even the entire state are too small. (The Veterans Memorial Coliseum would seem appropriate for the fall; no, I don’t know why it’s not being considered.)

The scarcity of options is due to the fact that Chase Field will be involved in the NHL for at least the period 2023–2024. It’s not a completely whimsical idea; remember, Tropicana field-then Florida Suncoast Dome, nicknamed Thunderdome– hosts the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning in 1993-1996. We’ve covered the ongoing Coyotes saga on our Arena Digest site; Read more here.