With a 13-18-1 record going into its last home series, the ASU hockey team has not provided the most consistent performance during the 2025-26 season. However, one thing remains constant at Mullett Arena: the energy and passion brought by the home crowd.
Between long-standing chants and a growing interest in Sun Devil hockey after the Arizona Coyotes' relocation, the traditions and energy of hockey fans at Mullett Arena create a gameday experience unique to ASU.
READ MORE: Valley vacancy: ASU hockey moves into the post-NHL era
For players, the intensity of the crowd — and specifically the student section — is palpable and provides an extra feeling of encouragement to play for something bigger than themselves.
"Seeing the support we get for our games and seeing all the people that show up definitely makes us feel awesome, and it's one of the reasons we play," junior center Sean McGurn said. "We're really thankful for our fans."
It is not just the constant roar from the crowd that energizes players on the ice. Simply knowing that there is an entire arena there to support the team can set a competitive mood before the first puck drop.
"Sitting on that goal line before games is a lot of fun and definitely gets you going," sophomore forward Ty Nash said.
While the growth of the fanbase may be a product of an emerging hockey culture in the desert, the coordination of chants and traditions by student leaders is no accident.
Every season, student section leaders from 942 Crew take certain chants that have been passed down from year to year and use these customs to energize the home crowd. Noah Castorena, a junior studying financial planning, loves every second of leading student sections and utilizing the traditional cheers of ASU hockey.
"You see how much these traditions pass on to us," Castorena said. "I love being able to hear what the first people might have said, and then they just keep on going off of that."
Some traditions are meant to electrify the Sun Devils on the ice while others exist to mess with opposing teams. Students can be heard yelling, "Ugly goalie," when an opposing goaltender takes off their mask and saying, "It's all your fault," when the Sun Devils score against them.
Sometimes, these cheers seem to create actual results on the ice.
"I like the chant, 'Hit somebody,' and the crowd goes, 'Anybody!'" Harsh Bhanushali, a senior studying informatics, said. "When someone actually hits someone, that's when the crowd goes wild."
Outside of the work that goes into creating the gameday environment and upholding certain traditions along the way, members of 942 Crew also put in considerable time behind the scenes. Their efforts help to make sure students attend games and continue to support their team.
"We're always marketing these events, and we're like, 'Hey, we're going to sell out this game,'" Castorena said. "This is our hockey team. We're going to make sure that Arizona stands proud of our ASU team."
Additionally, 942 Crew started promoting jersey and hockey stick giveaways to incentivize even more students to attend games.
This effort certainly is not lost on the players. For those from Arizona, the growth in attendance and interest surrounding Sun Devil hockey is undeniable.
"Just growing up here, I've seen a couple games at the old arena, Oceanside, and (the team) didn't have nearly as much support as it does now," Nash said.
Both Nash and McGurn have specific student traditions that have had the greatest impact on their experience as Sun Devils. These experiences range from students turning their backs on the opposing team when its starting lineup is announced and doing a "Forks Up" during the national anthem.
It is things like these — traditions, chants and electrifying passion — that connect fans with players, help build the gameday environment at Mullett Arena and prove how truly unique it is to be part of the hockey community at ASU.
"I've played (at) a lot of cool places, but there's nothing like this," McGurn said.
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Jack McCarthy and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at bcsmit41@asu.edu.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
Brooklyn Smith is a sports reporter for The State Press and an English student at ASU. She is in her 1st semester with The State Press.
