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Arizona Coyotes aim to bring more LGBTQ+ adults to hockey with learn-to-play programs

Matthew Spang-Marshall’s transformation from a self-proclaimed “hockey mom” to a spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ community in hockey helped lay the foundation for the Arizona Legacy Pride Hockey Association.

Helping start Arizona’s first LGBTQ+ hockey league wasn’t a thought for him at all. But the development of the league that eventually caught the attention of the Arizona Coyotes is something that Spang-Marshall couldn’t have scripted better.

Growing up, he was never into organized sports and wasn’t around hockey until five years ago when he lived in Madison, Wisc. At first, he preferred a background role when his roommates joined the Madison Gay Hockey Association and was content with watching.