Grand Canyon College Hockey Classic brings sport back to puck-craving fans in Prescott Valley

PRESCOTT VALLEY – In 2014, the sports scene in the Valley was on fire. The Phoenix Suns recorded one of the best winning percentages of a team that missed the playoffs, the Arizona Cardinals went 11-5 and the Phoenix Coyotes officially changed its name to the Arizona Coyotes.

However, up north in Prescott Valley, a different kind of sports scene was making waves. The Arizona Sundogs, a minor league professional hockey team, slipped into the Central Hockey League playoffs as the eighth seed with a 32-27-7 record.

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The Sundogs upset the top-seeded Missouri Mavericks in the first round, winning in six games. Despite losing in the second round to the Denver Cutthroats, it seemed like the Sundogs were on the precipice of having a breakout season in 2015 and could challenge for the franchise’s second Ray Miron President’s Cup, their first since 2008.

Then everything changed over the offseason. The Sundogs’ ownership decided to suspend operations for the 2014-15 season, citing league issues and slower-than-expected offseason revenue. The Sundogs were the third team in the CHL to go dark for the upcoming season. A month later, the CHL collapsed and the remaining seven teams in the league were transferred to the East Coast Hockey League.

Even though the Sundogs hoped to join the ECHL to try to keep pro hockey in Prescott Valley, as time went on, the Sundogs remained dormant. Despite hosting the 2016 Desert Hockey Classic and a Northern Arizona University club hockey game, the Findlay Toyota Center’s ice was put into storage, and hockey in Prescott Valley was put on a pause.

GCU and Arizona’s ACHA D1 hockey teams battle it out at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. (Photo by Chase Beardsley/Cronkite News)

Then, an idea from Grand Canyon University hockey coach Daniel Roy opened up the possibility of hockey returning annually to Prescott Valley. Roy and his staff created the Grand Canyon College Hockey Classic: a yearly game that would pit two Arizona Division 1 men’s teams against each other in a bigger arena. When it came to picking a location, there were no other options than the Findlay Toyota Center and the starved hockey community of Prescott Valley for GCU’s coach.

“I love that facility,” Roy said. “I love the staff up there. They treat us first class when we’re in that building. The hockey population up there, the people who love the Sundogs and showed up to those games full force and stuff there, they’re really excited about hockey being out there again. We’re excited to just get to play in front of a crowd that just wants hockey in their area.”

To pull it off, the team made sure to get as many people excited for the event as possible. The November game was scheduled against the University of Arizona, a fellow ranked team that Roy has called the Lopes’ main rival in recent memory. Shuttles were scheduled to bring students to the arena from the Valley, advertisements were handed out, and a meet-and-greet with the players was scheduled. The hype and excitement for the game reached the players quickly.

“Prescott has a sick arena, from what I’ve heard,” said GCU defenseman Jack Thomas. “It’ll be really cool to play there in front of a lot of fans. We’ve been handing out tickets around school and to other students. We’re actually shuttling GCU students to the game, so I’m hoping for a really big turnout and a really fun atmosphere.”

The interest surrounding the game spoke volumes about the Prescott Valley hockey community and Arizona’s hockey community as a whole. A decade after the departure of the Sundogs, Arizona lost another hockey team as the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes were relocated to Salt Lake City.

To the Lopes players, the game in Prescott Valley was a massive deal. It was a showcase of Arizona’s hockey fanbase.

“All the marketing and stuff that’s going into it, I think is a huge deal,” said GCU forward Caden Surchik. “It’s about showing around the Valley that there is still a big fan base here, and that people love the sport.”

When the Sundogs suspended operations in 2014, many of the Lopes players were still in elementary or middle school. Yet, a decade later, the players knew the history and significance of the first Grand Canyon College Hockey Classic game.

“We’re playing in basically an old East Coast (ECHL) arena,” forward Jack Reilly said. “We’re going to fill it. It looks like we’re getting about 4,000-5,000 in there. That’s going to be really fun. It’s going to be electric.”

As the players and staff predicted, Prescott Valley showed up. The game was sold out, with 3,792 fans lining up around the arena to get into what was once the home of their own team for nine years.

The Lopes had one more surprise for the faithful. As they skated onto the ice in their usual white and purple jerseys, the Sundogs’ bright red and black logo was stitched onto their shoulders, marking the first time since 2014 that the logo appeared under the lights of Findlay Toyota Center. It was announced that the jerseys would be later raffled off via silent auction to the fans in the area.

“It’s really cool to have that part of history on our jerseys and to be able to auction them off to people that want them and enjoy that part of history of this arena,” said GCU defenseman Gavin Uckele.

Fans, dressed in an array of throw-back jerseys, didn’t stop arriving until the middle of the first period. Lopes jerseys, Coyotes jerseys, and even Carolina Hurricanes jerseys were sported by hockey fans in the building, but the Sundog jerseys were the most prominent.

It didn’t take long for fans to get loud. Uckele scored the first hockey goal in the arena in nearly a decade just 4:40 into the game. Two more first-period goals made it 3-1 in favor of the Lopes.

While the Wildcats staged a comeback late in the second period, GCU forward Benjamin Oakland sealed the deal late in the second with his second goal of the game. The Lopes held on to win, 4-3.

“It was so awesome being able to play in front of fans like that,” Oakland said. “Then obviously to win the game against a rival like U of A, I don’t think it could have been any better.”

While the actual game on the ice was tight, the environment and atmosphere were unforgettable. The arena grew so loud, Roy couldn’t even hear his players during the game.

“At times, I couldn’t even hear what was going on,” Roy said. “I was trying to yell to the players. I’m sure when I wake up tomorrow, my voice is going to be pretty sore and gone.”

For the Sundogs’ fans, the game didn’t just provide the return of hockey to Prescott Valley. It also provided closure for the sudden loss of their beloved CHL team. During the second intermission, a highlight montage of old Sundogs games played on the two screens in the arena, followed by messages from former Sundogs Karl Sellan and Jason Morgan thanking the fans for their support throughout the team’s nine years in Northern Arizona.

A montage featuring Green Day’s “Good Riddance” played over one final message from the former hockey team that read, “Thank you fans. We miss you too. Love your Arizona Sundogs.” A decade after the team departed Prescott Valley, they were finally able to say goodbye to their passionate fanbase.

The first annual Grand Canyon College Hockey Classic brought together a community that had been hurting for the past 10 years, and it left the players wanting more. Thomas grew up halfway around the country in Missouri but he understands the importance of continuing their relationship with the hockey fans of Prescott Valley who lost both the Sundogs and the Coyotes.

“It’d be awesome for us to continue playing games there, so that way we can build a bigger community in the Prescott area,” Thomas said. “They lost the Coyotes there, so having us there will help produce more fans.”

The environment alone for the players was incredible. Most college club hockey programs like the Lopes play out of a small community ice rink. There are only so many opportunities players have to play in a bigger rink in front of a big group of fans.

GCU’s ACHA Division I hockey team acknowledges the energetic crowd in Prescott Valley following their hard-fought 4-3 win over Arizona. (Photo by Chase Beardsley/Cronkite News)

“The environment was insane,” said GCU defenseman Gabe Tritschler. “I’ve never played in front of that many people. To have that many people out here was a blast. I think we’re going to continue to do it in the future, which is really amazing.”

While the story of the Sundogs came to a premature end, they will always be a part of hockey lore in Prescott Valley. The Lopes might not have the Sundogs’ logos on their uniforms every year but jerseys, pictures and hockey sticks are still displayed throughout the arena a decade removed from the team’s last game, including the team’s championship banner on the concourse. GCU hockey is set to be played at least once in Findlay Toyota Center every year, ensuring the Sundogs will always remain part of the community’s DNA even as a new chapter in the town’s hockey story begins.

GCU defenseman Jack Thomas celebrates with fans after the Lopes’ thrilling 4-3 victory over Arizona in Prescott Valley. (Photo by Chase Beardsley/Cronkite News)

“The fans here in the community love hockey,” Roy said. “They want it badly. They want physical and full-time hockey back. Walking out right before the first period and hearing how loud the crowd was right away was incredible. This building was so loud throughout most of the night and all the way up until the end, and they kept it an exciting game. Right now, I can’t wait to get back here again and do this again.”