Matthew Knies Takes A Shot At The Coyotes Ahead of Playing His First NHL Game in Arizona

Matthew Knies may have been born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, but even he admits to how sad hockey has become in the desert. Knies, of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will play his first ever NHL game in his home state of Arizona on Wednesday. He didn't mind taking a jab at the Arizona Coyotes when talking about it.

Knies was asked about having family in attendance during what is a bit of a milestone for him. He said there would be family members there, enough to take up an entire section of Mullett Arena.





The Coyotes have been playing at Mullett Arena, which seats 5000 spectators, since 2022 after the team's lease with Gila River Arena expired and wasn't renewed. There have been reports of complaints from both home and away players regarding dressing rooms at the Coyotes' current home. The head of the NHL's players union, the NHLPA, recently slammed the Coyotes ownership for missing deadline after deadline for acquiring land for a new arena. He also said he was concerned that even if undeveloped land was acquired right now, it would take years for an arena to be completely built and function.

While many are calling for the Coyotes to be relocated, it is somewhat interesting that both Knies and teammate Auston Matthews are from Arizona, which could be taken as a sign of hockey's impact in the state.