January 6, 2019
Gila River Arena (Capacity: 17,125)
Glendale, AZ
Arizona Coyotes vs New York Rangers
Final Score: 5 – 0
* The arena has been renamed Desert Diamond Arena
** The Arizona Coyotes left the arena. It is currently home to the Arizona Rattlers (IFL)
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On a business trip to Phoenix, I was lucky enough to have a free Sunday afternoon to see a matinee game with the Arizona Coyotes. Located in Central Arizona, the Sonoran Desert is known for oppressive heat, but our visit was actually chilly as we were there on a rare rainy day. The team moved from Winnipeg in 1996 and it’s been a tumultuous time in the desert ever since. Substantial financial woes led to ownership going bankrupt in 2009 and the NHL took nearly four years to find someone that wouldn’t move the team. From there, it’s been a complicated and heated relationship between the Coyotes and Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix. The whole thing is headache-inducing as the city throws tens of millions away for debt and management fees while team ownership wants out of their 16-year-old, completely adequate arena so that they can be “financially viable”. For now, the team is renewing the lease on an annual basis. On the ice, the Coyotes have only made it out of the first round of the playoffs one time and they have yet to return to the postseason after a three-year stretch ending in 2012.
Prestige Ranking: 3 out of 5
Location
Phoenix is a sprawling city and so are the suburbs, which includes where the Coyotes play in Glendale, about 20 minutes to the northwest. Arizona’s “Antique Capital” is rapidly growing too, with a population over 225,000. There is a downtown/historic district in Glendale, but it’s about five miles from the arena location in the Yucca District. Even though the Phoenix Metro area has things to do, it certainly is not the most enticing area for a visitor from an attraction standpoint. What is great for fans is the flashy Westgate Entertainment District, built right across from the arena. The fountains at WaterDance Plaza greet patrons to this mixed-use complex that features lots of entertainment and dining, including large restaurants and sports bars that are perfect for fans. Yard House and Bar Louie are known, yet very solid options, while Whiskey Rose, Salt and Saddle Ranch Chop House offer more unique experiences. Get there early and well before game-time, because each one fills up quickly. Longer visits can include ice skating, bowling (State 48 Brewery) and games (Dave & Busters). It really is a great spot.
Location Ranking: 8 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
Getting to the area is very easy as it is located off Exit 7 via Loop 101. The Westgate District is accessed from 95th Ave or 93rd Ave and there is a ton of easy surface parking. The more expensive arena lot is only necessary if you want to save a few minutes of walking. Departing after the game had little to no traffic delay, though if arriving from further away in the Valley, you may encounter congestion during weeknights as people head back to the suburbs. There is no public transportation.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 7.5 out of 8
Exterior
Gila River Arena’s outside walls are colored appropriately in desert motif with a tan look that occasionally is interrupted by some brownish-red portions. The rectangular facility gets a little lost amongst other “stuff” around in the front, but when driving in, the outline is clear. The main entrance across from Westgate has a nice arena sign and plenty of glass windows.
Exterior Ranking: 6.5 out of 10
Concourse
Within that primary opening section, the space doesn’t open more than other parts of the arena and that leads to bottle-knocking when first arriving and the low ceiling in spots doesn’t help perception. It also lacks that grand introduction. Around the lower level, it does get wider in the corners and space is fine given typical crowd size. Some insets do provide a glimpse into the arena. Walls continue with that sand-like color, which is nice, but they lack displays and character. A few escalators and elevators lead to the upper concourse that rings around above the seats and has an open arena view with standing drink rails to boot. Occasional windows offer a neat glimpse to the nearby football stadium and Westgate.
Concourse Ranking: 4 out of 5
Food
The Coyotes offer everything you would expect from a Major League facility and that includes beverages of all varieties. And I mean all varieties: Selzer, Mixed Drinks, Smoothies, you name it, they had it. Craft beer options include local spots like Saint Archer and the Grand Canyon Brewing Company. For food, nothing stands out as a “Must try”, but I was enticed by some street tacos that looked fancier because a chef with a big hat was making them. Other intriguing choices include a BBQ Chicken Pizza, Poutine (for the Canadian Snowbirds) and the Pork Loin French Dip. Missing are in-arena restaurants or bar spaces for the general public, but there is an outdoor party deck that is open to all (didn’t get a chance to see this during the visit given bad weather).
Food Ranking: 7 out of 8
Interior
Gila River Arena has one of the smaller seating capacities in the NHL and the bulk of it is found in the lower bowl. Chairs feature a dark red color and they were grungy with worn fabric on most. These aren’t the best seats as they are narrow and the pitch is not great as I had to peer around heads in front of me to see the action when play got closer to our side. Inexcusable for a modern arena. The seats in the 200 level had a much better pitch, but the problem here is the double-deck of suites combined with a tall back of the first level difference pushes the 200 seats very high up. Corners are broken by a stacked set of party suites that look like a cool spot. Upper ends are on their own and you can get closer to the ice up here. Walls do make higher rows feel a little closed in. The arena looks good upon quick glance, however more inspection shows flaws for the fan.
Interior Ranking: 6 out of 14
Scoreboard
Above center ice is a four-screen scoreboard that is disjointed as each screen stands on its own. The sides are the largest as it extends from blue line to blue line with a clarity that is perfect. End screens are smaller, yet just as clear. I love that they also had a little underside screen for those sitting near the boards and the players on the ice. As standard, ribbon boards surround the rink.
Scoreboard Ranking: 4 out of 4
Displays
On the outside, human-sized bobbleheads are a cool touch. Disappointment follows as the lack of Coyote based displays is quite apparent. It’s only inside the rink where anything is found and that comes in the form of one lonely division title banner hanging from the rafters. At the top of one side is a “Ring of Honor” (not really a “Ring”). These are almost all players from when the franchise was in Winnipeg and now that the Jets are back in the league, it is bizarre to see the likes of Hawerchuk, Hull and Roenick up there. Wayne Gretzky has a spot too from his brief coaching days. At least Shane Doan will have his number retired and soon will be the first true Coyote to be honored (he’s to be added in a ceremony a month after my visit). Otherwise, other displays include some high school and college hockey jersey from around the state in the concourse, plus there’s an Arizona High School Coaches Hall of Fame. Take a look at some of the write-ups on the older plaques, they are kind of goofy.
Displays Ranking: 2 out of 6
Cost
There is a wide variety of ticket prices from the Coyotes and it’s a pretty ridiculous spread based on how many fans of the road team are expected. For example, on a Saturday, the same $23 seat for a game against Colorado goes for $74 for one against Toronto. You’re much better off using the secondary market where tickets are nearly always cheaper and available. Arizona does rank first in the league for the cheapest average ticket in this department. It’s even possible to find a seat for less than $20 if you wait until near gameday. Parking in a Westgate lot is just $10 and if you do anything in that District, many retailers will redeem that $10. Concession prices are absurd as a Hot Dog costs $7.25, French Fries: $6 and a beer goes for $12-$13.
Cost Ranking: 7 out of 8
Fan Support
There are many Coyote fans in Arizona. They are just not as numerous as most other league cities and the passion is much more lukewarm. Attention is limited as plenty of other teams in the Valley take precedence and there’s not much buzz until the playoffs come (which is a rare occurrence). Yet it’s hard to blame fans given the team’s constant ineptitude and talks of moving (within the Valley or outside the state). This in turn leads to poor attendance as the Coyotes have ranked near the bottom of the league for most of their history. Often, games are swarmed by fans of the visiting team and that’s still not enough to completely fill the arena.
Fan Support Ranking: 2.5 out of 8
Atmosphere
An odd atmosphere ensues as Arizona fans give a half-hearted attempt at making their “Let’s Go Ca-yotes” chant louder. That is usually started by Howler hitting a hand-held drum to get things going. A Coyote howl is played after goals and that howl is certainly a characteristic of a game here as it will be played at other times as well. The home crowd does nearly all get to their feet after goals and they follow with a chant of “He Shoots, He Scores, Hey Goalie: You Suck” that was meagerly heard at our game. Mild applause greeted the team after a dominant period and the fans do respond with more oohing and ahhing in an Overtime or Shootout scenario. To their credit, the Coyotes keep with Winnipeg’s tradition of the playoff whiteout and the crowd is very respectable in terms of turnout and noise level during those late season games.
Atmosphere Ranking: 5.5 out of 14
Other Stuff
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen standard definition, 4:3 TV’s, yet you can find them all near the food stands here. In an NHL arena, no less!……What exactly is that odd circle hanging down a bit from the roof that has the Coyotes logo inside of what looks like a moon? I know it’s been around for a long time and it does add a bit of character, but I’ve never really got it…..The Coyotes spent their first several years in downtown Phoenix at the already existing facility that housed the Suns and it was not a good fit for a hockey rink….In 2014, the team changed their name from “Phoenix” to “Arizona”…..The Sound System was quite loud, too loud for my liking….It was the mascot Howler’s birthday and this brought an interesting assortment of friends to celebrate. Included: mascots for the Colorado Avalanche and the New Jersey Devils.
Game
This was a remarkable blowout as it is rare to see an NHL team dominate in this fashion. After two periods, Arizona was up 5-0 and had more than double the shots on goal. They controlled every facet of play as the Rangers barely generated any sustained puck possession. With the game wrapped up, the third period played out like an exhibition as Arizona cruised to the win. Conor Garland scored two goals, while Alex Galchenyuk had three points.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
