PHOENIX - The newly elected Chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is working to bring professional hockey back to Arizona.
Chairman Thomas Galvin, who represents District 2, announced that he's forming an "advisory panel of local leaders who will explore ways of bringing NHL hockey back to the Valley."
In 1996, the Phoenix Coyotes became Arizona's first NHL team, eventually becoming the Arizona Coyotes in 2014. In 2024, the league announced the team would be leaving Arizona for Utah following troubled ownership by Alex Meruelo.
The Coyotes played at the former Gila River Arena in Glendale, but ended their year-to-year contract after the 2021-22 season. The team played the next two seasons at ASU's Mullett Arena.
Tempe residents voted down an entertainment district in 2023 that would have included a brand-new hockey arena, housing, dining and shopping. In 2024, there was another option for the team to buy land and build an arena near Mayo Clinic in Phoenix near Scottsdale, but nothing ever came of the idea.
"Losing the NHL Coyotes was a low point. And I cringe when local politicians took glee in the demise of our hockey team. I think of Wayne Gretsky's quote, ‘You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.' So I'm forming an advisory committee of visionary leaders dedicated to bringing NHL hockey back to the Valley," Galvin said in a speech on Jan. 6.
He said he's had several meetings with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
"He looks forward to working with us to identify an owner and the best location for a world-class building," Galvin said about his conversations with Bettman.
FOX 10 reached out to the NHL for comment and is waiting to hear back.
You can watch Galvin speak about this by clicking here and fast-forwarding to the 10:20 time stamp.