The Arizona Coyotes will call Arizona State University home for at least the next three seasons as they wait for approval and construction of a permanent home in Tempe, Arizona. The brand new facility in which they’ll play NHL games is called Mullett Arena, named for a prominent benefactor of the Sun Devils men’s hockey team.
For their home opener against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night, the Coyotes are giving the roughly 5,000 fans in attendance a unique opportunity: To rock their own mullet inside The Mullett.
The Coyotes placed black headbands with blonde hair attached to the back on every seat in the new barn, including an ASU student section that will seat between 200 to 400 spectators. The front of the band reads “GO COYOTES GO”; above the party in the back is a message that reads, “YOU DO YOU.”
Party in the back. And on the seats at Mullett Arena. @ArizonaCoyotes pic.twitter.com/7684tCIQJO
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) October 28, 2022
It’s all part of what the Coyotes hope is one of the most enthusiastic home-ice advantages in the NHL.
“We’re excited. We’re curious. If the fans are into it, that will be a unique experience and a lot of emotion out there,” said Andre Tourigny, the Coyotes’ head coach. “I coached for a long time. If you asked me about the great crowds, you would be shocked. Because it would not be Madison Square Garden. It would be small barns where people are on top of you, and there’s emotion and it’s intimidating.”
The mullets will be here in the student section for tonight’s @ArizonaCoyotes @NHLJets game on ESPN+ #saladbar #lettucepray pic.twitter.com/qykyH8U73g
— BucciParmPastaExtension8X11 (@Buccigross) October 28, 2022
There wouldn’t be mullets without the Mulletts.
Don and Barbara Mulletts’ family have been ardent supporters of Sun Devil Hockey and helped the program reach NCAA Division I status in 2014.
“Don has been the biggest benefactor for our program going back to the club hockey days,”said Sun Devils coach Greg Powers. “It’s the only name that deserves to be on the building. It just so happens it’s a really cool name, too.”