After NHL exit, W. P. Carey alums advocate for the future of Arizona hockey

Olympian Lyndsey Fry (MBA '18) and Garrett Niederkorn (BS Management Entrepreneurship '15, MBA '19) are supporting the Valley's hockey community through the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation.

When the Arizona Coyotes were sold at the end of the 2023 National Hockey League season and subsequently relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, the sport's future in the Valley was uncertain.

"There was a big question mark about what was going to happen to the hockey community here, and in particular, the pipeline for the youth hockey ecosystem," says Lyndsey Fry (MBA '18), co-founder and board member of the nonprofit the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation (MSAHSF) and an Olympian who won a silver medal competing on the USA hockey team during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Fry knew the team's departure from Arizona was possible and had already considered starting a foundation to keep the sport growing in the Valley. When the news came earlier than expected — and shocked the hockey community — she had the MSAHLF incorporated within the week.

Since its founding, the MSAHLF has become a critical supporter of Arizona's hockey community. Fry named the nonprofit after her friend and colleague, Matt Shott, who worked for the Coyotes for over 10 years and pioneered the organization's amateur hockey development, including street hockey programming, elementary school street hockey curriculum, and the Learn to Play ice hockey programs for kids and adults. Shott passed away in 2021 at the age of 34.

Growing up in Arizona, Fry was one of the few girls playing ice hockey. By high school, she was commuting to Colorado for practices since Arizona didn't have a girls' team. So, when Fry joined the Arizona Coyotes in 2018 as a hockey ambassador and advisor to the president and CEO, advocating for girls' hockey programs was a priority, and she spearheaded the creation of two: Small Frys and the Arizona Kachinas

After a whirlwind 18 months of progress, MSAHLF reached another milestone this September, when Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Tom Galvin announced it as the official community partner of the NHL to Arizona advisory panel. In this role, the organization will work to identify opportunities for ownership and areas of growth to bring an NHL team back to Arizona, while expanding the hockey community through programming, partnerships, and media presence.

"There are three pillars that drive the success of an NHL team: ownership, arena, and community," says Fry. "Our pitch was to let MSAHLF own the community pillar."

MSAHLF is doing just that through a range of programs dedicated to fostering the love of hockey in players and fans of all ages and abilities. Shott's Learn to Play program continues as Shott's Tots for kids ages 5 to 11, and Little Leighton's — named in honor of local hockey player Leighton Accardo, who passed away from cancer in 2019 at 9 years old — for girls ages 5 to 11. The organization also offers the Arizona Ball Hockey League, a 10-session street hockey program for kids of all skill levels, as well as the Women's Beginner Hockey League and the KWHL, both of which are leagues for women 18 and older.

"Our mission has always remained the same: Preserve the growth of hockey in Arizona, not only to keep it going after the Coyotes left but to make sure Matt's legacy, and all the programs he built, don't dissipate," Fry says.

Classmates to community champions

Fry and MSAHLF board member Garrett Niederkorn (BS Management Entrepreneurship '15, MBA '19) first met as children before reconnecting as W. P. Carey students.

"I grew up playing ice hockey and was fortunate to share a locker room with Lyndsey once or twice," says Niederkorn. "Fast forward, 10, 15 years of being an Arizona Coyotes fan, and I ran into Lyndsey on campus in the full-time MBA program."

When Fry initially discussed her ideas for the foundation with Niederkorn, he was enthusiastic about the idea, being a hockey fan himself. However, when the Arizona Coyotes relocated to Utah in 2024, Niederkorn contacted Fry to inquire about how he could support the community.

"I wanted to help move the needle and help this community and fan base recover in this time of crisis," Niederkorn says, "and now I'm fortunate enough to sit on the board to help oversee programming and operations, and to provide guidance and insight."

Niederkorn and Fry agree that their shared experience at W. P. Carey prepared them to build and expand MSAHSF in one of the most important ways: by learning to connect with others.

"You learn a lot of great technical skills, but it's the intangible things that shape you: the network, becoming a problem solver, refining your work ethic," Niederkorn says.

For Fry, a hugely helpful experience was meeting and hearing the stories of other entrepreneurs, whether they were instructors, guest lecturers, or fellow students.

"For someone like me, who is very entrepreneurial, there's only so much you can teach. What I took away from the program is a mindset of believing in yourself and refusing to let anyone, or anything, get in your way or tell you that you're incapable," says Fry.

Fry's passion for entrepreneurship is vital to growing the hockey community, especially in a transplant market like Phoenix.

"Garrett and I are direct products of the NHL coming to Arizona in 1996. And honestly, everything good I've ever had in my life has come from this game," Fry says. "Doing that for another generation of kids is ultimate success."

Learn more about the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation's hockey programs and how to support the organization's mission to conserve the hockey ecosystem in Arizona. Follow the MSAHLF on Facebook, X, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on program news.