- Slug: Sports-Coyotes Scrimmage,330
- Photo available (thumbnail, caption below)
By GINGER POULSON
Cronkite News
GLENDALE – On Thursday, fans celebrated the return of hockey to Gila River Arena following a long summer filled with uncertainty that stemmed from a legal dispute between the Arizona Coyotes and the city of Glendale.
“I can’t explain how good that feels to know they are going to be back for another season,” Coyotes fan Jason Armijo said at the Coyotes’ Red and White game. “I’m excited for the season. I can’t wait, I’m going to try and catch as many games as I can.”
Now that the dispute has been settled, excitement about the future has replaced the uncertainty that haunted the Coyotes all summer.
“They’re here to stay, I want them to stay,” lifelong Coyotes fan Andrew Hill said. “It’s a great feeling knowing that they are here for another season. They’re not going anywhere. If they go somewhere I will move to follow the Coyotes.”
Approximately 2,000 fans showed up Thursday night to watch a mix of Coyotes veterans and newcomers face off in the scrimmage.
“It’s great that they are anxious for hockey to start again,” Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. “Just like the coaches and players, so it’s great to see. It brings extra energy into the building and it helps the players play well.”
The return of hockey also marked regained stability for employees at Gila River Arena. Revenna Fritz, who has worked in the arena’s team shop since 2009, said having the team back at the arena means more to her than just the added job stability.
“This has actually become somewhat of a second home for me,” Fritz said. “I actually tried to leave and ended up coming back. The people who work here, we’re like a family. We all work together to make sure everything works on game day. From concessions to us – the merchandise – to housekeeping to the ice crew, everybody has their part that they play on game day.”
