United by Hockey Mobile Museum Highlights Trailblazers in Coyotes, NHL History

Thursday may have been a rainy, blustery day at Mullett Arena, but inside the United by Hockey Mobile Museum the stories and experiences were as warm as ever.

The museum -- which is supported by the Hockey Hall of Fame and ALXMOBILE -- stopped in Tempe on Thursday prior to the Coyotes’ 4-3 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche, and scores of fans visited the 840-square foot exhibit to learn more about diversity in hockey.

It visited Mullett Arena in March last season, traveling over 15,000 miles across North America while hosting more than 20,000 fans in a commitment to highlight diversity in hockey, something that is always at the forefront of the Coyotes’ minds, beginning with Alex Meruelo, the first Latino NHL owner, and Xavier A. Gutierrez, the first Latino NHL President and CEO.

“It’s a powerful, physical example of the importance of bringing diverse voices into our sport and into our league, and celebrating those diverse voices that have been part of the history of the NHL,” Gutierrez said. “It’s important to be here in our community, it’s core of who we are and what we’re about, and I’m so excited that the NHL has this.”

The mobile museum “demonstrates the ongoing commitment from the NHL and National Hockey League Players' Association to raise awareness and provide information about diverse individuals in hockey,” according to an NHL release, and it includes several new exhibits, including a virtual reality experience giving fans the chance to join Team USA paralympic gold medalist Malik Jones in a sled hockey experience; an adaptive hockey display celebrating blind hockey, deaf/hard of hearing hockey, sled hockey, special hockey and standing/amputee hockey; a collection of podcasts compiled by Dean Barnes, an avid hockey card collection and educator; and several new profiles of trailblazers in the sport.

The exhibit has already made stops in Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Colorado, and Dallas, and its next stops include Vegas, Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Jose before traveling to Seattle for the Winter Classic. 

Eric Knight, the ALXMOBILE Tour Staff Manager, said the mobile museum will visit every NHL city throughout the remainder of the season.

“People come through, even the die-hard hockey fans, and they learn so much,” Knight said. “That’s our point, is to bring that to life and reinforce the theme that hockey is for everyone.”

Arizona has spearheaded a number of initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the past few seasons, including a diverse internship program that completed its third year at 2023 rookie development camp.

Previous participants in that program include Nathaniel Brooks (2021), who was later hired by the Coyotes as a development coach, and Kelsey Koelzer (2022), who was the first overall pick in the 2016 NWHL draft and the first Black female head coach in NCAA ice hockey history.

Koelzer has a profile in this year’s exhibit, along with Meruelo, Gutierrez, and Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba.

“It makes you really, really proud,” Gutierrez said. “You’re so excited to be a part of really changing the face of hockey. As an organization we’ve made an intentional effort to bring diverse voices into the sport, into the league, and into our team."

The entire experience adds up to a fun, informative way to learn even more about how the game of hockey – and the NHL – continues to evolve through its Hockey is For Everyone initiative.

“The most rewarding part for me is sharing hockey stories,” Knight said. “Event though some of the players aren’t currently playing, they’re still affiliated with the team, they’re still with alumni, and just being able to share this information with people as they come through, it’s such a great learning experience.”