Staff Reports | Community Updates
Sun Devil hockey head coach Greg Powers announced that he is the 12th individual to join the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation Advisory Board.
Mr. Powers has 18 years of experience with Arizona State University and has led Sun Devil hockey to national prominence, guiding the team from a club organization to an NCAA Division I program.
The Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation is a charitable organization supporting the growth of hockey and developing community outreach, according to a press release.
“Matt Shott was and will forever be a pillar in our hockey community. I couldn’t be more honored and grateful to serve in his name with other incredible individuals that truly put growing the great game of hockey here in Arizona at the forefront,” Mr. Powers said. “Hockey in Arizona is thriving, will continue to thrive and I’m honored to be a small part of that.”
Mr. Powers joins NHL alumni Greg Adams, Jason Demers, Michael Grabner, Darcy Hordichuk and Zbynek Michalek; Matt Shott’s mother, Shelley, and brother, Trevor; Carly Accardo, mother of Leighton Accardo; Olivia Matos, former executive director of the Arizona Coyotes Foundation; Josh Slepak, creator of Homes for Hockey AZ; and Kevin Erlenbach with USA Ultimate on the nonprofit advisory board.
“We are excited to welcome Greg to the outstanding group of individuals who work tirelessly determining how we can best serve our community with hockey outreach,” Ms. Fry said. “We know the importance of having Powers on our team as his involvement can share our message to a larger audience with his well-known presence in and out of Arizona.”
Mr. Powers is in his 18th season on the Sun Devil coaching staff and his 11th as head coach of ASU’s NCAA Division I hockey program. The 2024-25 season marked a milestone as the Sun Devils competed in their inaugural year as members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
Mr. Powers recently signed a five-year extension with Sun Devil Athletics through 2030, becoming the first athletic head coaching position endowed at ASU.
A Sun Devil alumnus, Mr. Powers graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism in 1999 and was inducted into the ASU ACHA Hockey Player Hall of Fame in 2009. Collegiately, he was a three-time ACHA Division I All-American goaltender while playing for the Sun Devils under Hall of Fame head coach Gene Hammett.
The Sun Devils qualified for three national championships during Powers’ four-season collegiate career, and he was named team MVP for the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons.
With the departure of the Arizona Coyotes and the loss of its community outreach, the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation launched programming to continue growing hockey in Arizona and address areas where additional support is needed.
The nonprofit works to provide accessible opportunities for aspiring players of all ages to develop skills, camaraderie and passion for hockey.
Youth programming runs out of rinks in Tucson, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria and Mesa, as well as adult programming through rinks in Mesa, Peoria and Gilbert. Learn-to-play efforts rotate throughout the Valley, along with local indoor street hockey opportunities hosted at schools or community centers.
School clinics include physical education programming where coaches teach the sport to students over several weeks.
