Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs practiced at Mullett Arena on a team trip to Arizona ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season. AZ natives Matthews and Matthew Knies, along with former Coyotes Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Troy Stecher, spoke to the media after practice and discussed the team's trip to the desert, NHL expansion, Arizona as an NHL market, and the team's hospital visit to Matthew Mayich and his family.

0:00 Auston Matthews
7:29 Matthew Knies
10:35 Oliver Ekman-Larsson
14:15 Troy Stecher

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NHL expansion was a headline topic from the Board of Governor's meeting this week, but the tone around the topic was much more cautious than just a few months ago. Both Gary Bettman and Bill Daly stressed that there is no strict timeline, and that there may not even be a formal vote at the December BOG meeting. So what does this "wait and see" approach mean for NHL expansion? And how can it benefit or hurt Arizona's pursuit of bringing a franchise back to the Valley?

Leah Merrall and Steve Peters reunite for a special edition of the PHNX Hockey Podcast to try to make sense of the questions raised around NHL expansion and what it all means for Arizona hockey.

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NHL expansion is heating up. Houston (or Austin) appears to be the frontrunner, and Atlanta is making a strong push. But where does Arizona fit in? Is a return to AZ realistic and how soon can it happen? On this edition of the PHNX Hockey Podcast, Leah Merrall, Steve Peters and Craig Morgan reunite to break it all down, discuss the Valley’s realistic chances for the NHL’s return, and go over what a potential timeline and rollout would look like.

Plus, in other Arizona hockey news, the USHL is expanding to the desert and the Phoenix area is FINALLY getting more ice.

0:00 - Intro

1:30 - What is new?

9:20 - Atlanta NHL Team Update

13:00 - Bill Daly quote on AZ

24:30 - Shane Doan updates

48:00 - USHL Expansion to Arizona

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