The San Jose Sharks on Tuesday got their first look at Mullett Arena, the 5,000-seat facility in Tempe, Arizona that is serving as the Coyotes’ temporary home while the team tries to build a permanent arena elsewhere in the city.
The arena’s intimate atmosphere was sure to evoke memories of the major junior or college hockey rinks several Sharks players skated in earlier in their careers. But to some players, the Coyotes’ offseason move to the campus of Arizona State University also has its drawbacks, all related to the size of the facility.
With tickets typically in abundant supply, Sharks fans usually flocked to what was formerly called Gila River Arena, the 18,000-seat building in Glendale that was about 20 miles away from downtown Phoenix.
Now with ticket inventory drastically reduced for Coyotes games, that might no longer be the case, although the team does set aside a limited number of tickets for each regular season game.
“Personally, I was a little upset because we have so many fans that traveled to Glendale,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said.
“When we played there, it felt like half of the arena was Sharks fans. I’m hoping Sharks fans can still travel and see the games. It feels cool when you have a lot of your team’s fans in a visiting arena.”
Cost is another issue. The cheapest single ticket for the Sharks-Coyotes game as of late Tuesday morning on Ticketmaster was $106 before fees, with some resale tickets near the glass going for around $400.
When the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals play in Tempe next week, the cheapest tickets, as of Tuesday, were $160 and $145, respectively.
Last season, per Yahoo!, the cheapest single-game ticket at Gila River Arena was $54.50.
Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic said his initial reaction to the Coyotes’ move was to wonder why the team couldn’t play in a bigger arena.
“I guess it’s like playing in their old arena with the same amount of fans. It’s the same thing,” Vlasic said. “It’s just their ticket prices are way more. In order to compensate for the lack of capacity, they jacked their ticket prices up.”
After the city of Glendale announced in August 2021 that it would not be renewing its lease agreement with the Coyotes after the 2021-2022 season, speculation began months later about a possible relocation, prompting team owner Alex Meruelo to reiterate that he plans to keep the franchise in Arizona.
In an agreement last February with ASU, the Coyotes committed to play at Mullett Arena for three seasons and possibly a fourth, while the organization hopes to build a 16,000-seat arena and entertainment district on city-owned land in Tempe.
Tempe’s city council in November approved the Coyotes’ project, which also includes two hotels, a 3,500-person theater, and close to 2,000 residential units, at a cost of $2.1 billion, with at least $1.9 billion being privately financed. The plan will go to a May 16 voter referendum.
Vlasic has long been a proponent of having an NHL team back in Quebec City, where he starred with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL from 2003 to 2006. His number, 44, was retired in 2015 and hangs in the rafters of the 18,259-seat Videotron Centre, which is the largest arena in Canada not to host an NHL team.
“Hopefully it’s sold out. Hopefully, it’s loud, but I just think (the Coyotes) should be playing in a 15,000-seat capacity rink,” Vlasic said of Mullett Arena. “There’s a lot of rinks in North America that can sell out 15,000 with that team. Not going to say where. But there’s a whole bunch of arenas across North America that would sell out.”
The Sharks also play in Arizona on April 1.
“It’ll be a cool experience,” Couture said. ‘I’m sure the fans feel like they’re right on top of you and seems like they’ve been selling out most games. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Going into Arizona, a smaller rink, I’ve nothing but good things about the atmosphere. They pack the place,” Sharks forward Steven Lorentz said. “It doesn’t matter what building you’re in. If it’s small or big, if there’s a lot of people in there and the acoustics are good, it’s going to be an electric environment.”
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