PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Maricopa County leaders have taken the next step in their efforts to bring professional hockey back to the Valley.
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin announced on Monday that Andrea Doan has been named Chair of the Advisory Panel on Pro Hockey to Arizona. The panel is made up of local leaders focused on bringing a National Hockey League (NHL) team back to the state after the Arizona Coyotes franchise was relocated to Utah. Doan, a longtime Arizona resident, is the wife of former Coyote Shane Doan.
“Arizona means a lot to me and my family, and the hockey community in this incredible state is committed to bringing the NHL back to the desert,” she said. “I am honored to serve as the chair of this advisory panel and look forward to working with my colleagues and fellow community leaders in Arizona on this important effort.”
The rest of the members of the panel have not been publicly announced, but are said to include community members as well as business and sports leaders. Some of the goals of the advisory panel will be to find new ownership and identify and establish an arena that the team could play at.
The Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation, a charitable organization supporting the growth of hockey, is responsible for developing and championing community outreach. The non-profit works to provide accessible avenues for aspiring players of all ages to develop their skills, camaraderie and passion for hockey.
“It’s not like it doesn’t belong here. In fact, it thrives here. And we just want to continue pushing that story,” said Garrett Niederkorn, who’s on the board of the foundation.
In the year and half since the Coyotes last played a game in Arizona, the youth hockey scene in the Valley has stayed afloat but without a professional team nearby that work will get harder in the years to come.
“You’re naturally going to take a dip or you’re going to take a hit when a team leaves because you don’t have that impulse driving the fan hood forward,” said Niederkorn.
Galvin had made his intentions clear in working to bring NHL hockey back to Arizona when he was sworn in as chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors earlier this year.
The Coyotes relocated to Salt Lake City after the end of the 2023-2024 season, after a 26-year tenure in the Valley.
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