Arizona Hockey Isn't Dead: Where Coyotes Fans and Puck Lovers Are Keeping the Dream Alive

Let's be honest — losing the Coyotes stung. But if you think hockey culture packed up and left the Valley with them, you haven't been paying attention. The Arizona Coyotes' relocation to Salt Lake City in 2024 left a genuine hole in the Phoenix sports scene, but the grassroots hockey community didn't flinch. Rinks, fan bars, and youth leagues have been quietly thriving for years, and locals are doubling down. Start at Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe, one of the Valley's most beloved community rinks. It's been a home ice for local adult leagues, youth programs, and casual skaters for decades — and it's buzzing harder than ever with fans who simply love the sport, NHL team or not. Over at Gila River Arena in Glendale — the former home of the Coyotes — the building now hosts the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners for select games and major events, keeping professional-level puck in the metro area for fans who need their live hockey fix. For the watch-party crowd, Culinary Dropout in Tempe and Talking Stick Resort Arena's surrounding sports bar strip along Jeffersonian have become reliable gathering spots for NHL playoff hockey, especially when the Vegas Golden Knights (the Valley's adopted team of choice, like it or not) are deep in a run. Phoenix's hockey identity was never just one franchise. It's the kids in squirt leagues at AZ Ice Peoria, the die-hards streaming games at local bars, and the adults who laced up skates long before the Coyotes arrived. That's not going anywhere.