From an ACHA rink to a NHL arena – ASU hockey has made it.
The Sun Devils announced Wednesday they will play four games in Glendale's Gila River Arena as part of a new partnership with the NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
ASU freshman forward Jack Rowe, one of the program's first NCAA commits, said he was excited by the move.
"It's obviously exciting," Rowe said. "Any chance you get to play in a building such as an NHL rink, even one to this extent, it's exciting. It's going to play everything out of us, and give us a chance to really show what we have."
Both Rowe and junior defenseman Drew Newmeyer have had the opportunity to play in a NHL arena before, but never like this.
"I played a couple youth games in some rinks at the United Center (in Chicago) and Joe Louis Arena (in Detroit), but it can't really compare to putting on a (Division I) jersey and going out and playing against top competition," Rowe said. "It's going to be a new experience for sure."
"I actually played at Gila River when I was little younger," Newmeyer said. "I was playing youth hockey a couple times, but that was a long time ago. You can't beat it. It's pretty incredible walking out there and walking down the same hallway that the pros do every night. It'll be pretty exciting."
Rowe added playing in a NHL arena is crucial for the program, which is entering its first season at the NCAA level.
"It just sets the tone for what we're about," Rowe said. "If we're going to go out there and be what we want to be, which is a top team, then it really just gives us the stage to make that a possibility."
ASU plays its first game as a NCAA program on Oct. 3 at Gila River Arena against ACHA rivals Arizona.
Reach the reporter at fardaya@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @fardaya15
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