Leighton Accardo's legacy forever attached to Arizona Coyotes
PHOENIX - Tomorrow, the Arizona Coyotes will play their last game of the season and likely their last one in the Valley before the team moves out of state.
The Coyotes have meant a lot to hockey fans across the Valley over the years, but there was no bigger fan than a little girl who captured Arizona's hearts.
If you don't know the Leighton Accardo story, just know that everyone in a Coyotes jersey rallied around her.
The team embraced the Coyotes super fan after she was diagnosed with cancer. She died in 2019 at just 9 years old.
Leighton was the first inductee of a Ring of Honor in the entire NHL who wasn't a former player, coach, general manager or broadcaster.
There are moments on the ice that are ingrained in her mother Carly's memory and her legacy will forever be attached to this team.
Fans brace for likely Coyotes relocation; ticket prices soar
The ice may soon be melting for the Arizona Coyotes and their time in the Valley. On Ticketmaster and other ticket resale websites, it'll be extremely hard to find tickets for less than $500 each to attend their last game against the Edmonton Oilers.
There's the annual Skatin' for Leighton event that raises money for youth female hockey in Arizona and the Leighton Accardo Scholarship fund that helps provide girls with education through the Arizona Kachina program.
"Leighton didn't get to finish playing hockey. She didn't get to have that hockey career so it's important to us to help other girls," her mother said.
"When she was on the ice for the National Anthem and everyone had their phones up with the lights, her face when she was looking around and all that was one of my favorite memories of her."
The news that the Coyotes are likely to play their final game in Arizona on Wednesday and move to Utah hit the Accardo's harder than anyone.
"I definitely had a good cry in the car," Carly said.
The Coyotes organization was asked what would happen to the Ring of Honor if the team leaves.
"Sadly, we can't comment yet," the team said.