TEMPE, Ariz. – In theory, Arizona State having a Division 1 hockey program is something that sells itself.

Most junior and high-school hockey players in the U.S. play where winters are long, cold, and not all that fun. Temperatures on both days of the Desert Hockey Classic – an on-again, off-again tournament the Sun Devils have hosted since 2016 – were in the 60s and 70s, offering visiting teams, fans, and (let's be honest) media alike a welcome respite from those tough northern winters.

This is a brand-new rink, just opened in November, specifically built to house the future of Sun Devils hockey. Along one of the walls is a lengthy timeline of Arizona State's hockey history, starting with club hockey decades ago, running through 2015, when the program formally elevated from club to the Div.