GENE'S BLOG: Embrace The Mullett

On Saturday night in a huge divisional matchup with first-place implications, the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Vegas Golden Knights. It was a boxing match dressed up as a hockey game. Every time the Knights would land a head shot, the Oilers would counter with their own powerful punch.
It was back and forth all night until the final blow was landed by Vegas and Edmonton didn't have a chance to respond. Match over and the visitors winning it on points 2-1 in overtime. The action unfolding in front of a sellout crowd of 18,437. It would be another sellout crowd to witness the Oilers on Monday. Only this game is on the road and the crowd to witness it totals 4,600 people.
It is considered a capacity crowd when that many people show up to watch a game at Mullett Arena in Tempe. The home of the Arizona Coyotes and Arizona State University hockey teams. The Coyotes lease on the ASU campus runs until 2024-25 with an option for 2025-26.
The name conjures up images of the most famous mullet in Oilers history -- Ryan Smyth. He carried it like a champion. His grit, determination, work ethic and hair style made Smytty one of the most popular ever to wear the Oil drop.
There have been other mullets that became famous outside of the game. Billy Ray Cyrus comes to mind. He sported the haircut during his greatest days while recording the smash hit Achy Breaky Heart. The mullet was hair today and gone tomorrow, but it's made a comeback over the years. Just when you think the style is gone, it pulls you back in. The arena isn't named for hair, but a pair of big supporters of hockey in Arizona named Donald and Barbara Mullett.
Nick Bjugstad certainly knows about a mullet or at least a Mullett Arena. Up until March 1, it was where he played his home games as a member of the Coyotes. For many years, the smallest building in the league was the New York Islanders' Nassau County Coliseum with attendance topping out at 13,900.

The Islanders are now at brand new UBS Arena and, with a conflict arising at Gila River Arena in Glendale, the Coyotes were homeless. In their search for a place to play, up stepped ASU with a spot for the hockey club. Count Bjugstad as one of those who was a little curious to see what it had to offer. Here's what he recently told reporters in Edmonton about Mullett Arena.
"We came in with open minds," Bjugstad said. "It's nothing like it is here in Edmonton or with other (dressing) rooms in the league, but we made do with what we had. Especially the staff with the extra work they did. The smaller arena is kind of a shock (for visiting teams)."
One of two Oilers acquired just before the trade deadline along with Mattias Ekholm, Bjugstad knows a thing or two about playing on a college campus. He's from the State of Hockey. At the end of a successful high school hockey career, he was drafted by the Florida Panthers and stayed close to home for college, becoming a University of Minnesota Golden Gopher for three seasons before turning pro.
He's not the only Oiler who played hockey at an American or Canadian university. Zach Hyman went to Michigan, Devin Shore was a Black Bear at Maine, Warren Foegele spent time at New Hampshire, and Derek Ryan took his skills north and attended the University of Alberta. Not to mention the rest of the Oilers who made their way through junior hockey and played in buildings that would be right in the attendance vicinity of the current Coyotes confines.
It's downright strange that the Oilers are one of the last two NHL teams (Seattle) to play at Mullett Arena. With the Coyotes moving to the Central Division, that cut down their games played versus Edmonton. This season the team has three meetings with two in Edmonton and one in Arizona. It's game 74 for the Oilers and 75 for the Coyotes.
The day has finally arrived. We'll see what the reaction is. Some may know right away. Others may take their time deciding on their feelings about the temporary home of the Desert Dogs.
They'll be sure to Mullett over.