Wednesday, August 5, 2015

GLENDALE, ARIZONA -- The Arizona Coyotes and Sun Devil Athletics announced today that four Sun Devil hockey games and two additional NCAA games will be played at Gila River Arena in 2015-16.



“We are proud to be hosting a couple of ASU's marquee matchups and a first of its kind NCAA D-1 hockey tournament in the Southwestern United States,” said Coyotes Co-Owner, President and CEO Anthony LeBlanc. “Gila River Arena is one of the best hockey venues in the entire NHL and we are excited to have the Sun Devils play in our home. The Sun Devils will have an enormous positive impact on the growth of hockey in Arizona. We look forward to a long and great partnership with ASU.”



“The Phoenix community has embraced Sun Devil Hockey with open arms and the Arizona Coyotes are great ambassadors for the sport of ice hockey in the Valley,” said Ray Anderson, Vice President for University Athletics and Athletic Director at Arizona State University. “The partnership between Sun Devil Athletics and the Arizona Coyotes gives our student-athletes the experience of competing in a top-tier NHL facility in Gila River Arena, and the partnership also provides immense exposure for the growth and development for the sport of hockey at all levels in Arizona and on the west coast.”



The Sun Devils will host the Arizona Wildcats at Gila River Arena on Saturday, October 3 at 7 p.m. ASU will also host a four-team tournament, the Desert Hockey Classic, with UConn, Yale and Michigan Tech with two games being played on Friday, January 8 and two games being played on Sunday, January 10. Additionally, ASU will host the U.S. National 18-U team at Gila River Arena on Sunday, February 28. The complete schedule is listed below.

2015-16 Sun Devil Hockey Schedule at Gila River Arena

Saturday, Oct. 3: ASU vs. Arizona (ACHA), 7 p.m.

Desert Hockey Classic

Friday, Jan. 8: UConn vs Michigan Tech, 5 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 8: ASU vs. Yale, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 10: Consolation Game, 12 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 10: Tournament Final, 3 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 28: ASU vs. U.S. National 18-U Team, 3 p.m.

ASU announced last November that Sun Devil Athletics will add ice hockey as its 23rd NCAA Division I sport starting for the 2015-16 season. Sun Devil hockey will compete at the NCAA D1 level immediately playing 25 games against NCAA D1 opponents.Arizona State is the first school from a power-five conference to make the move to the NCAA level since Penn State joined the NCAA (The Big Ten didn’t officially sponsor hockey until 2013) in 2012 and is one of a handful of schools that supports NCAA D1 ice hockey west of the Mississippi River.ASU elevated head coach Greg Powers to the NCAA level in the same position. He is in his eighth year overall as a member of the Sun Devil Hockey coaching staff. Powers led the ACHA program to a national title in 2013-14 and has a 164-27-9 record all-time as head coach. Powers is a former ASU goaltender, and is a member of the ASU Hockey Hall of Fame.Fans interested in ticket information for Sun Devil Hockey games played at Gila River Arena should call 480-563-PUCK (7825) or visit ArizonaCoyotes.com.