Supervisor Thomas Galvin
After the heartbreak of losing our beloved Arizona Coyotes in 2024, a beacon of hope has emerged from an unexpected but powerful source: Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin. In the process he is exemplifying exactly the kind of bold, visionary leadership our state needs.
Galvin didn’t just make empty promises; he took decisive action by forming an advisory committee to explore bringing an NHL team back to Arizona, recognizing that “people miss the team.” This isn’t political posturing; it’s genuine leadership responding to the passion of Arizona hockey fans who refuse to let their sport die in the desert.
The chairman’s proactive approach has already yielded results, with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman confirming he met with Galvin via Zoom before Christmas. This direct engagement with the league’s top leadership demonstrates Galvin’s serious commitment and political acumen. He understands that bringing professional hockey back requires more than hope…it demands strategic planning, community support, and sustainable business models.
The recent appointment of Andrea Doan as Chair of the Advisory Panel on Pro Hockey represents another masterstroke, tapping into the hockey community’s deepest roots through the wife of Shane Doan, the beloved face of the Coyotes franchise and the franchise’s most iconic player.
Arizona has always been a state of reinvention and resilience. From our emergence as a hockey market to our passionate fan base that supported the team through decades of challenges, we’ve proven that desert hockey isn’t just viable, it’s vital to our community’s identity.
Chairman Galvin’s leadership gives us something we haven’t had in years: realistic hope grounded in action. His vision for sustainable, smart hockey development could finally deliver the stable franchise Arizona deserves. The ice may have melted, but our dreams haven’t—and with leaders like Thomas Galvin fighting for us, they never will.