Set a goal to join the NHL in Tempe

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Your favourite National Hockey League team is going to do something different this season.

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When it has a road game against the Arizona Coyotes, the bus ride from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport (skyharbor.com) won’t go to distant Glendale, and a half-empty rink.

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Instead, it will be a short trip to Tempe, where the Coyotes are playing their home games in 5,000-seat Mullett Arena for the next three or four seasons. In May, a municipal referendum will determine whether an NHL-size venue will be constructed in Tempe.

Mullett Arena (mullettarena.com) was built for the Arizona State University hockey team — yes, Tempe is a university town, and more on that later — and the rink’s intimacy will be an adjustment for those who are used to watching, or playing, games in an 18,000-seat arena.

When the fans (and Coyotes drumline) are quiet, you can hear the puck hitting a stick blade after a successful pass. When it’s loud, the low roof prevents fans’ cheers from being lost in the rafters.

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Now that NHL teams are going to Tempe, it’s safe to say that many more Canadians will want to do the same.

With a nod to the progression of a hockey game, here are some of the experiences my wife Ruth and I had in Tempe during our recent visit there, which came with an assist from Tempe Tourism (tempetourism.com):

PREGAME

A visit to the Arizona Heritage Center (arizonahistoricalsociety.org/museum/arizona-heritage-center) will help you appreciate the relatively short history of the state of Arizona. How short? A 1909 Model T Runabout is in a transportation exhibit. The car is three years older than Arizona’s statehood (1912).

An exhibit on the state’s mining history includes the state seal, which incorporates what are referred to as the state’s 5 C’s: Copper, cattle, cotton, citrus, and climate.

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There are two storeys of permanent and temporary exhibits on display in the centre, which is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.

Note that the centre is open limited hours (Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

FIRST PERIOD

A lake in the middle of the desert? Yes and no. Tempe Town Lake was created in the late 1990s by building a dam at the dry Salt River (“Rio Salado” in Spanish, which is the name of a parkway south of Tempe Town Lake) and adding water diverted from the Colorado River.

Today, in addition to flood control, Tempe Town Lake and the area around it act as a recreation area. At a booth on the south side of the water (boats4rent.com), you can rent a kayak, paddle board, pedal boat, or donut boat (donuts not included, but there are cup holders). A 3-km trail around the water beckons walkers, joggers and cyclists, and surrey bikes are available for rent at the booth.

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Reclamation of the land on both sides of Tempe Town Lake has resulted in plenty of modern development, including hotels and office buildings.

On the south side of Tempe Town Lake is the Tempe Center for the Arts (tempecenterforthearts.com). The exterior concrete walls keep out both the summer heat and noise from planes flying above. Go inside, and you will be struck by how beautiful the TCA facility is. Even the lobby’s carpet, designed by indigenous creator Ramona Sakiestewa, is a work of art.

The facility houses a 600-seat theatre (with acoustics approved by Natalie Cole, the venue’s opening-night star), 220-seat “black box” studio, art gallery, and sculpture garden. In addition, the “Lakeside” room, with windows looking out onto a reflecting pool and mirrors on one wall, is used for anything from wedding receptions to dance rehearsals.

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Even when there are no events scheduled, the facility is open for visitors to appreciate the view from the rooftop terrace or enjoy the public art pieces in the lobby.

TCA is supported in part by a local sales tax of one-tenth of one per cent, which residents approved in two referenda. “Tempe is a college town. It’s pretty forward-thinking,” said Michelle Nichols-Dock, the TCA’s senior visual arts curator.

FIRST INTERMISSION

Time to visit the restroom — but not just any restroom.

The building which houses Four Peaks Brewing Co. (fourpeaks.com) was constructed in 1892, and originally was a dairy creamery. For the past 25 years, it has been home to Four Peaks, which serves award-winning beers accompanied by light meals (burgers, sandwiches, pizza, etc.) inside and on its all-season patio.

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“People who are into beers, they come from out of town” to enjoy their beverages, general manager Sean Snelling proudly exclaimed.

And that restroom: Local band Gin Blossoms used one of the building’s areas as its recording studio. Four Peaks now labels that area as the Studio Room. A back room inside it, now used for storage, used to be a restroom, and visiting musicians filled the walls with their signatures.

Another Tempe bar/resto which is proud of its award-winning beers is Pedal Haus Brewery (pedalhausbrewery.com/tempe-location), which was named Best Brewery in the U.S. by Copa Cervezas de America in 2019.

At their convenient downtown location, you can see the brewing process first-hand, with bags of malt from Germany piled high.

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Also piled high are the chips on their accurately named Piled High Nachos, suitable for many people to enjoy together.

If you like a view with your brew, go to the downtown Westin Tempe and take the elevator to the Skysill Rooftop Lounge (skysillrooftop.com). From 18 storeys above the ground (the highest open-air rooftop bar in the area), you can enjoy views of the city, Camelback Mountain, Hayden Butte, and spectacular sunsets. (You also will get to watch plane after plane approaching Sky Harbor airport.)

SECOND PERIOD

Arizona State University (ASU) is a significant part of Tempe, from the large amount of downtown real estate it occupies to the thousands of students, faculty and staff in the city. The Tempe climate has its effect on the ASU campus: Students get around with e-scooters or skateboards, and the Palm Walk (yes, walking under century-old palm trees) is a major pedestrian thoroughfare.

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While nobody is suggesting you take part in classes, some parts of Tempe’s ASU campus welcome members of the public — and are quite educational.

The ASU Art Museum (asuartmuseum.asu.edu) aims at “reinventing the university art museum” through a social justice lens. Admission is free.

An exhibit there until May 7, 2023, is “Lucha Libre: Beyond the Arenas.” It has artifacts from Mexican professional wrestling, such as masks and capes, but there also are paintings, photos and mixed media in which the artists use the trappings of lucha libre to make social and political statements.

ASU Gammage (asugammage.com) is a 3,000-seat on-campus home to Broadway-style shows, the ASU Symphony Orchestra, and other campus musical groups. The building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

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If you want to supplement your sports fandom while in Tempe for a Coyotes game, the ASU Sun Devils compete in dozens of NCAA sports. (Tip: Make a “pitchfork” hand sign to show your support for the Sun Devils. Use a thumb to hold that hand’s ring finger down, leaving the other three fingers extended.)

Our visit was during football season, so we were able to go to 53,000-seat Sun Devil Stadium for a game — and also to experience all the pregame activities, such as multiple tailgating areas, the team walk to the stadium, and the marching band’s performance.

Connected to Sun Devil Stadium is the Carson Student Athletic Centre, which hosts a large display honouring former ASU sports stars (although some may not be comfortable honouring disgraced baseball player Barry Bonds or LIV Golf participant Phil Mickelson).

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SECOND INTERMISSION

Getting hungry?

On Mill St. in the downtown area, Caffe Boa (cafeboa.com … and yes, the restaurant’s name and its URL are spelled differently) offers all-natural, organic dishes, such as coniglio (a pasta dish with pulled rabbit) and fettuccine bianca with wild Alaskan salmon, along with an impressive wine list. The restaurant is located in one of Tempe’s oldest buildings, which used to be a hotel.

For Mexican food (without the three-hour drive from Tempe to the Mexican border), head to Barrio Queen (barrioqueen.com) at the immense Tempe Marketplace outdoor mall. Meals created in the open kitchen using traditional recipes, and Dia de los Muertos imagery throughout the restaurant, ensure an enjoyable evening.

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THIRD PERIOD

Ah, yes, Tempe Marketplace (tempemarketplace.com). This gigantic outdoor mall opened in 2007, and has more than 100 retailers. There also are dozens of food options in addition to Barrio Queen.

On Fridays and Saturdays at Tempe Marketplace, free live concerts are presented on The District Stage. Scheduled acts in January 2023 cover musical genres of funk, alternative, rock, punk, “party” and pop.

On days when you just want to stay indoors, consider a visit to the also-gigantic Arizona Mills mall (simon.com/mall/arizona-mills). There are more than 150 stores, from A (adidas, American Eagle, Aeropostale, etc.) to Z (Zales, Zapateria Rigo y Marcela, and Zumiez), and many are of the “outlet” style. Bring comfortable shoes — or visit one of the mall’s many shoe stores to purchase a pair.

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Entertainment options at Arizona Mills range from a multi-screen movie house (including IMAX), the SEA LIFE Arizona aquarium (best enjoyed by children 5 to 12 years old), LEGOLAND, the Tilt Studio entertainment centre, and an old-fashioned carousel. You also might be humming the old song “(How much is) That Doggie in the Window?” after visiting Animal Kingdom, where puppies are for sale.

There are 32 options for food and drinks, including Rainforest Cafe.

OVERTIME

Just north of Tempe Town Lake, in an area that is officially part of Phoenix, is Papago Park — an area where you easily could spend a full day refreshing your spirit and expanding your mind (and body).

Start the day by going to the Desert Botanical Garden (dbg.org), and bring your reusable water bottle and sunscreen. By arriving early, you avoid the midday heat and the midday crowds.

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More than 80 years ago, environmentalists of the day began to gather various plants of the desert into the area, such as giant Mexican cardon, a type of cactus. Today, more than 50,000 plants are on display, with quail, hummingbirds and rabbits also visiting.

“Gardens provide a place to relax, meditate and rejuvenate from the bustle of our daily lives,” a sign in the garden says.

In the autumn and spring, visitors are able to go inside a small butterfly pavilion. The pavilion’s spring 2023 dates are March 4-May 14.

If your hiking preference is more vertical than horizontal, head to the Hole in the Rock Trail, a rock formation in which erosion produced a hole near the top. It takes about 15 minutes to go from bottom to top — but pack your patience once you get to the top, because it’s a popular place for social media stars to pose as they enjoy the unobstructed view.

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After all that walking, visit the Papago Golf Course for a meal at their restaurant, Lou’s Bar & Grill (lousbarandgrill.com). We enjoyed their pizzas and salad while learning about the course from general manager Daryl Crawford. The course is the home venue for the ASU golf team, which includes Breyana Matthews, sister of Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs forward has played the course, as have Jon Rahm (one of the best golfers in the world) and Charles Barkley (one of the worst).

Also in Papago Park is the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting (hallofflame.org), the largest historical firefighting museum in the world.

The four large galleries house past and present firefighting equipment, from a 1725 Newsham (a manual pumper) to some of today’s fire trucks. Mark Moorhead, the hall’s curator of education, pointed out that while the vehicles had their practical purpose, they also served as works of art, suitable “to show off” at parades. There also are tributes to those who died while on duty, such as those who were killed as a result of the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

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POSTGAME

Final thoughts on the NHL game we attended in Tempe: As with other warm-weather NHL cities, don’t forget to dress appropriately to be sitting in a cold building for hours. How the Coyotes cheerleaders, wearing skimpy costumes, stand it remains a mystery … With the laws of supply and demand, tickets for Coyotes home games are now both scarce and relatively expensive, a huge difference from the team’s Glendale era … Three sections between the team benches come with club access (complimentary food and drink, including beer and wine) … And a final note: While the NHL has arrived in Tempe, it wasn’t the first winter sport to set up there. The Coyotes Curling Club (coyotescurling.com) has existed for almost 20 years, with four sheets of ice at a facility west of the ASU campus.