Arizona State Univ.’s Mullett Arena “will become the most unique venue” in the NHL this season with only 5,000 seats as it plays host to the Coyotes, according to Jenna Ortiz of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. Coyotes LW Lawson Crouse said, “The rink is beautiful, and when people say there’s not a bad seat in the house, there truly isn’t.” Coyotes LW Clayton Keller said, “It’ll be a great atmosphere. It’s obviously a smaller building, but I hope fans are really engaged.” Crouse believes the “intimacy of the arena will give fans a new sense of appreciation for the sport.” Crouse: “It’s good because they’ll be able to see how fast the game truly is.” Ortiz notes the Coyotes have "generated interest from fans," with season-ticket revenue up 50% compared to at the team's former arena in Glendale. The increase in ticket sales "was anticipated by those involved in the team, especially given the move to Tempe." Coyotes President & CEO Xavier Gutierrez said, “I’m not sure why that it was such a surprise to folks that we were going to be successful.” Ortiz writes the closeness to the game "provides some factors that the team also didn’t anticipate at first." He said, “Our club seats will be the closest to the ice than any other club section in the NHL. We actually have concerns that there will be too much of a potential liability of pucks flying into the clubs" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 9/22).
