Phoenix (AZ Family) —Wednesday could be the Arizona Coyotes' last hockey game. There is growing talk of the team relocating to Salt Lake City for the first time in 28 years.
Arizona has produced some of the most successful and promising NHL players like Auston Matthews and Josh Doan. This raises the question of what the Coyotes' departure means for youth hockey.
The 14U Tier II Jr. Coyotes team went undefeated in the national tournament earlier this month.
The team was fortunate enough to train at the same Scottsdale facility as the Coyotes, and the coach believes the move will have a big impact on the future of hockey in the state.
“We're still trying to get over the fact that there won't be an NHL team in town next season, and we're still sad,” said coach Zbynek Michalek, also known as Z.
“It's definitely going to have a negative impact on youth hockey. It's a shame because these kids want role models and people to look up to. It's a huge loss for everyone,” he said.
Z is a former professional player who retired from the Coyotes in 2019. “I played parts of 10 seasons with the Coyotes, and they were the team that gave me the chance to be a full-time NHL player,” he said.
For the past few years, he has tried to give back by coaching one of the Junior Coyotes teams. “We were fortunate enough to win the national championship and bring the national title back to Arizona, which is very special. This goes to show how far youth hockey has come in Arizona. It will be,” he said.
He's proud of the franchise for growing the sport. “If you look at the number of youth hockey players now compared to when the Coyotes came to town, the numbers are way up,” he said. “So many kids in our program are playing juniors right now, either getting drafted or committing to the NCAA. There's good hockey in Arizona, and there's good coaches.”
Jeff Jakemar's sons are on two of the Coyotes' youth teams. “My kids have grown up watching them since they were six years old, so it's emotional to see them affected,” he said through tears.
He said they both had something in common, having grown up dreaming of one day playing for the Yoats, and that their influence had been a positive influence. It's crazy. They walk through the door and stop and watch our kids.”
They feel the Coyotes' departure will leave a void, but they hope this will inspire these players and future generations to work hard and bring a new franchise to the desert.
“This is going to encourage kids to play more hockey, play harder and continue to push players down the pipeline,” Jakemar said.
But Mr. Z, a former player and youth coach, would like to see hockey continue to have a home in Arizona. “I truly believe Arizona can be a good place for an NHL team. I hope to come back someday.”
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