New committee to bring professional hockey back to Arizona

Maricopa County leaders have taken the next step in their efforts to bring professional hockey back to the Valley. Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin announced last Monday that Andrea Doan has been named Chair of the Advisory Panel on Pro Hockey to Arizona.

The panel is made up of local leaders focused on bringing a National Hockey League (NHL) team back to the state after the Arizona Coyotes franchise was relocated to Utah. Doan, a longtime Arizona resident, is the wife of former Coyote Shane Doan.

Thomas Galvin, Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, joined “Arizona Horizon” to talk more about the new effort to bring hockey back to the state.

“Last year when I saw the Coyotes leave town I was really upset by it,” Galvin explained, “…not just as a sports fan, but as a community booster, and an advocate for our valley and for the state. I believe this is a reputational hit for Arizona.”

Galvin discussed how he saw Arizonans gleeful that the team would be leaving, and even politicians taking shots at the Coyotes.

“What i’d like to do is separate the Coyotes that got bad headlines because of the various ownership groups that screwed up over the years, and separate it from the really good fan base that we have here in the valley,” Galvin said. “…and also the welcoming opportunity that we always provide for businesses that want to come here.”

Most of the names on the committee haven’t been announced yet except for one, Andrea Doan. Doan is the wife of Shane Doan who spent his career with the Coyotes, and the mother of Josh Doan, a former Coyotes player and now playing for the Sabres.

“She’s gonna be a terrific partner of mine, and also a great chair of the committee,” Galvin explained, “…she’s gonna really do a good job…of expanding for the valley.”