Coyotes plan for Cinco de Mayo party
In 25 years playing as an NHL franchise, and even going back to their days as the original NHL Winnipeg Jets, the Arizona Coyotes have never played a game on May 5.
That will change Wednesday night when the Coyotes play their home finale of the 2021 regular season on Cin- co de Mayo, against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Coyotes certainly hope they’re still in playoff contention that night. Either way, it’s Fan Appreciation Night that happens to fall on Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican-inspired occasion to honor a momentous military battle victory in Mexico’s history, and the Coyotes are going to celebrate it in ways never seen before with the franchise.
Coyotes President and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez only wishes he could have a much bigger crowd, but attendance is still limited due to COVID-19 safety protocols. That said, this isn’t just a Gila River Arena event. The businesses at the Westgate Entertainment District have also been invited to take part.
“The concept is, what better way to show appreciation for our fans during this very challenging year than to throw a Cinco de May party?” Gutierrez said. “It’s a celebration of this community’s resiliency and their support and their passion, and also an opportunity for us to again do what we’ve been doing, which is to open our doors, extend our hands out to new fans. To folks, especially young people, that may or may never had exposure to hockey, to the Coyotes, to a game. We’re going to run with it.”
Aside from live music inside and outside of the arena, food and drink specials and fan activities, the team’s corporate partners are involved in fan giveaways. The first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a certificate for a player-autographed mystery puck. Fans can redeem the pucks upon exiting the arena. The Coyotes will also distribute 5,000 team yearbooks to fans, and 1,000 fans will receive a black Kachina hat.
But fan appreciation on Cinco de Mayo goes beyond the festivities, in keeping with the new level of outreach the Coyotes have done in diverse communities all season. The organization donated 1,000 tickets to Chicanos Por La Causa as well as local schools from Glendale, Avondale, Tolleson and Buckeye.
“Very big excitement around having, especially kids that have been very challenged during COVID, to do anything that they can really celebrate with, to have them be there.” Gutierrez said. “It’s a small token of our appreciation but also our effort to reach out to fans in waiting.”
Board members from the Arizona State Legislative Latino Caucus have been invited to the game, and the Coyotes have partnered with the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and PepsiCo to host a business summit prior to the game to discuss financial and operational strategies current business environment.
“It’s been kind of putting your money where your mouth is. I think the Mitchell Miller incident was a really good example of that,” said Monica Villalobos, president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber, in reference to the former Coyotes draft pick from last year with whom the team cut ties with after details of his racist behavior and bullying from earlier in his youth were brought to light.
“We all kind of held our breath a little bit to see what would come of that. To see them really walk that talk was amazing. And so now as they reach out in the community, they are addressing a really key issue with this wealth building panel and conference.”
Gutierrez was asked if having a player of Latino background would do more to draw those fans to the game and the arena. Vinnie Hinostroza, until he moved on in free agency, was the most recent Coyote of such heritage, with roots in Ecuador.
“I think that it certainly would help, but I don’t think it will determine that,” Gutierrez said. “What will determine that will be our actions as an organization. That we are going to be intentional about outreach to the Latino community, that we’re going to be authentic.”
Gutierrez has made it a point to be as visible as he can on behalf of the Coyotes in his first year as top executive. The efforts to introduce more people to hockey are paying off; the recent feedback he’s gotten from Latino community leaders told him that the Coyotes are “onto something.”
“Latinos are everywhere. We like everything, just like everybody else,” Villalobos said.
The Coyotes’ approach has had an effect on the operations of their American Hockey League club, the Tucson Roadrunners. Both Gutierrez and Roadrunners president Bob Hoffman spoke glowingly of the collaboration between the business sides of each team.
Tucson has had success with its “El Lazo” Spanish-language branding and jerseys to honor the Latino community of the city.
“It’s great to see just a different representation at our games and we are noticing it,” Hoffman said. “This will be an annual thing with us, this is now a part of the fabric of the Roadrunners.
“They (the Coyotes) set the way for us in numerous different things. We are totally piggybacking off that and we want to follow their lead,” Hoffman added.
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