Unexpected news emerge out of Arizona ahead of Coyotes’ home opener

Everyone was making fun of the Arizona Coyotes earlier this week when videos leak of the temporary visiting team spaces (dressing room, training areas, etc.) for the first four NHL games at Mullett Arena.

With the team’s home opener taking place later today, there was a sense that things would be just embarrassing for the club, who will host the Winnipeg Jets in their new 5,000 seat capacity arena in Tempe, Arizona.

However, unexpected news came on Thursday for Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny and players who commented on the ice’s conditions and surprised many with their appreciation for the arena’s setting.

Per team insider Patrick Brown, Tourigny and players were raving about the ice conditions, saying it’s some of the best ice they have ever played on.

That has to be reassuring for the players and, also for visiting teams. Earlier in the season, here were reports from Nick Kypreos that even the setup for the Coyotes’ players was inadequate and that the members of the team were upset with it.

“There are some real rumblings about the boys not being happy down there. Like really upsetting… Even worse (than they were expecting,” Kypreos recently commented.

The Mullett Arena might be brand new, but players didn’t seem impressed, and from what we get from Kypreos, players were really upset with it… However, this new report sounds encouraging as we cannot wait to see the players from the Yotes and Jets in action later tonight on the ice and see with our own eyes if the conditions are really that good - and let’s say better than what was revealed about the visiting team spaces in that viral video earlier this week.

Let’s see Coyotes!