Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon. These players have a lot in common: Hart trophy winners, first overall picks and NHL superstar status. However, another stat they share is recording a game played at Mullett Arena, the only arena in college hockey that this applies to, and for many other superstar-level hockey players.
Despite hosting two seasons' worth of NHL hockey and four seasons of NCAA hockey, Tempe's Mullett Arena has yet to host a regional in the NCAA tournament.
The format of the NCAA Hockey Tournament is similar to the NCAA Basketball Tournament if it began at the Sweet Sixteen.
Four neutral sites are selected to host different regionals with equal teams in each; the winners move on to the Frozen Four.
With the future host cities for regionals already being selected in 2026, 2027 and 2028, 2029 serves as the perfect chance to give Tempe the shine it deserves.
Attendance for ASU hockey games in the Valley has improved in recent years, especially since losing the Coyotes.
In 2025-26, ASU reached a 50-game sellout streak, averaging 5,020 spectators in the two seasons following the departure of the 'Yotes, which is over 100% of the 5,000-seat arena.
Despite the 5,000 seats being the minimum requirement to host a regional, per the NCAA, selecting Tempe could be the solution to fan complaints about poor attendance at prior regionals.
The Valley is no stranger to hosting NCAA Tournament games and other major events. The Super Bowl and the Men's and Women's Final Four all found their way to the Valley from 2023 to 2026.
College hockey does share some differences from the NFL and college basketball, with a vast majority of teams coming from the Midwest or Northeast. However, this has not proven to matter to the NCAA, with Las Vegas being selected as the host site for the 2026 Frozen Four.
Tempe's location can even be a benefit to the tournament due to its distance from most other college hockey schools. As long as closer teams like Denver and Colorado College aren't drawn into it, a Tempe regional could offer a true neutral site, unlike the locations selected for 2026 and 2027 that have schools nearby.
This would also benefit two groups of fans: Valley-based fans starved for hockey after ASU's regular season ends, and fans of tournament teams wanting a new experience while supporting their team.
Dedicated college hockey fans are the type to travel. North Dakota, Denver and St. Cloud State all pulled noticeable away crowds when traveling to Tempe in 2025-26 alone, with many taking advantage of the great restaurants and bars near Mullett Arena.
This would also allow local fans to experience playoff hockey, something its former NHL representative last did for non-COVID games in 2012.
A regional in Tempe would provide traveling fans the chance to experience hockey in a different climate.
While cities in the Midwest and Northeast reach temperatures below the 40s, fans would have the chance to hike Camelback Mountain or visit the Desert Botanical Garden in 80-degree weather toward the end of March.
While the wait for professional hockey in Arizona might take some time, the NCAA has the opportunity to strike when the iron is hot for a city begging for more hockey.
When trying to find an argument for Tempe as a host city for an NCAA Tournament regional, look no further than the words of senior forward Cruz Lucius.
"There is not a better place to play in college hockey than here," Lucius said.
Editor's note: The opinions presented in this letter are the author's and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Edited by Niall Rosenberg, Jack McCarthy and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at aswift10@asu.edu and follow @alexswiftsports on X.
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