👋 GOOD MORNING

Happy Friday! We made it through another week — I hope yours was great! I’ll get to Skatin’ For Leighton below, but first, yesterday was a tough day all around, as it was the one-year anniversary on when it was first reported that the Arizona Coyotes would be relocating to Salt Lake City. Memories came flooding back for this former Coyotes employee, but as much as I miss everything about that team — from the job itself, to my amazing colleagues, and all of the Yotes’ amazing fans — I’m struck by something else, too:

Just how resilient this hockey community is in Arizona.

In the coming weeks I’ll have a few posts on the PHNX site about that very element, but today, I wanted to highlight an event that I have come to love over the years: Skatin’ For Leighton. It highlights all that is amazing, and good, about the hockey community here in Arizona, and I truly hope if you’re reading this you consider coming out to Salt River Fields in a few weeks! I’ll be there along with my entire family, and it would be amazing to see you there!

OK, finally, if you need a joke to get you through the weekend, here you go: Why does all the ice melt after a hockey game ends? All the fans leave!

Let’s run it back next week. On to the show!

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Skatin’ For Leighton Highlights Tight-Knit Hockey Community

Leighton Accardo’s legacy will never fade.

The Arizona hockey community is making sure of it.

Accardo captured the hearts of hockey fans across The Valley during her courageous battle against cancer, but tragically passed away from the disease in November 2020. She was ​inducted into the Arizona Coyotes’ Ring of Honor​ during a touching ceremony in 2021, but that was only the beginning. The hockey community has worked tirelessly to honor Accardo’s legacy, starting with Lyndsey Fry, President and co-founder of the Arizona Kachinas, who jump-started the Skatin’ For Leighton movement in Feb. 2021 by skating 96 miles across the state.

The event has grown bigger and more meaningful with each passing year.

Have Fun And Skate Hard

All money raised at the event goes directly to the Leighton Accardo Memorial Fund, which is used to help support girls’ hockey in the state. It’s technically the fifth-annual event — previous iterations have been held at the Phoenix Raceway (2022) and Mountain America Stadium (2023 and 2024) — and this year we’ll be skating/walking/running at Salt River Fields on Sunday, April 27. It will also serve as an end-of-year celebration for the Kachinas, who are continuing to honor Accardo, even after the Arizona Coyotes‘ departure after the 2023-24 season.

Registration is ​49 dollars for skaters / walkers / runners​, 39 of which is tax deductible, while you can also purchase a general admission ticket for 20 dollars, all of which is tax deductible. The event is also looking for volunteers to assist with the various events before, during and after the event, and as well as ​corporate sponsors​.

• It runs from 9 am – 1 pm on April 27 at Salt River Fields.
• Participants will be able to skate the concourse and walk/run the field.
• There will be music, games, food trucks and a silent auction.
• All funds raised will go to supporting girls’ hockey in the state, helping to relieve the financial barrier for families in what is a very expensive sport to play.

I caught up with Carly Accardo, Leighton’s mom, and rather than post “My take” today, I’d like you to hear directly from her on what this event means not only to the Accardo family, but what it would have meant to Leighton, as well:

Carly’s take: There really aren’t any words. This hockey community in Arizona is so fantastic. It’s such a tight-knit group. All of their support means so much to us. I still have families coming up to me saying, ‘I never met [Leighton], I’ve never met you before, but I want you to know we’re always thinking about her and how strong she was.’

It takes my breath away every single time that happens, and it means so much to me that it’s still happening. It’s happening because of groups like the Kachinas, and our amazing community here, continue to talk about her, remember her, speak for her, and have events like this so that people coming into hockey get to learn about her and who she was.

I just know it would bring a huge smile to her face. I hope that she’s proud of herself, the legacy that she left behind and the impact that she made in so many people’s lives. Everyone looks forward to this event every year to get to remember her. I hope she knows how proud of her we are, and I really do think that she’s just watching, smiling, loving it, and obviously wishing she was there every year. I know she would be proud.

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Marking One Year Since the Coyotes’ Heartbreaking Departure

I alluded to it above, but yesterday marked one year since the Coyotes‘ departure was officially announced, and our very own Leah Merrall revisited that fateful day — and the events that followed — as Coyotes fans continue to grapple with the loss of their NHL team.

• The team was sold to Smith Entertainment Group.
• The Coyotes rolled off a string of improbable victories under the weight of that news.
• Any subsequent attempt for the previous ownership group to bring a team back failed.

Make sure you check out Leah’s post. It may be heartbreaking, but it’s also quite therapeutic.

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Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley

Series Brewing: The Diamondbacks close out their six-game home stand with a three-game set against Milwaukee, beginning tonight. Arizona has won two straight, and a series win (or sweep!) against the 7-6 Brewers would go a long way in re-establishing their footing in the NL West. (Yes, they’re only 13 games in, but already three out of first place).

Burnt Out: The Phoenix Suns will wrap up their season this weekend with games against San Antonio (tonight) and Sacramento (Sunday). Make sure to get to the final home game tonight if you want to see the Suns play in-person this year, because the postseason is officially out of the picture, and the team (and fans) will be left to pick up the pieces following a massively disappointing season.

What a Hall: Congrats to Arizona Sports Hall of Fame’s 2025 class, which was inducted yesterday. Honorees included Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill, former Sun Devils swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Melissa Belote Ripley, former Wildcats basketball star Mike Bibby, former Dobson High School star and USWNT member Julie Ertz, former D-backs GM Joe Garagiola Jr., former Wildcats linebacker Ricky Hunley, former Chaparral High star and World Series champ Paul Konerko and former Vice President of Hockey Development for the Arizona Coyotes, Matt Shott (posthumously).

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🧢 Tip of the Hat

Edge rusher Julian Hugo chose ASU over almost half of the Big 12 👀

Arizona State picks up a commitment from class of 2026 edge rusher Julian Hugo!

Hugo chose ASU over Arizona, Baylor, Colorado, Utah and several others 🔱 pic.twitter.com/uu7HCwr88G

— PHNX Sun Devils (@PHNX_SunDevils) April 10, 2025