All roads lead home: Arizona natives Logan Morell and Ty Nash begin Sun Devil journey
By Jonah Broos, Cronkite PR Lab
TEMPE -- Sun Devil Hockey brought two familiar faces back to the Valley this year, as Ty Nash and Logan Morrell joined coach Greg Powers' promising squad. The two Arizona natives played on the same line on the Phoenix Junior Coyotes and have found that same chemistry again as linemates in Tempe.
Nash and Morrell had different experiences from many of their teammates as hockey players in Arizona. Much of the Sun Devil roster competed in the Midwest, East Coast or Canada, where there are far more local opportunities to hit the ice. Pursuing hockey in Arizona means facing limited local competition, which results in heavy travel and a rigorous training schedule.
“For me, hockey was always first, but for a lot of kids around here, it’s not even anything on their minds,” explained Nash. “I think just having to travel for tournaments and not having a lot of teams to play around you is definitely different.”
Morrell echoed the statement: “I had to do online school basically my whole high school career, even when I was playing here for the Junior Coyotes because we were traveling so much,” he explained. “I would say hockey’s always been first for me as well, probably for most guys here that play Junior Coyotes.”
“Places like Minnesota or the Midwest, you can play high school hockey and it’s really good competition,” Morrell said of regional differences in local hockey competition. “Here, it’s a little different. You kind of have to move away at a young age instead of living at home.”
How do a couple of kids living in the desert get into ice hockey?
“My dad grew up playing hockey,” explained Morrell. “He’s from out east in New England, so he kind of just got me into a young age out here, and I just fell in love with it.”
For Nash, it was also his father who introduced him to the sport.
“My dad played, and he was doing radio for the Coyotes as well at the time,” he explained. “For me, it was kind of built in. I was skating by the time I was four, and I’ve always loved it.”
Nash’s dad, Tyson Nash, a Canadian left-winger, played seasons with the St. Louis Blues, followed by two with the Phoenix Coyotes, where he played his last NHL game in 2006 before retiring from hockey in 2008. Tyson remains a prominent figure in hockey media, appearing on NHL Network, ESPN, and Spittin’ Chiclets.
Nash and Morrell have reconnected thanks to a recent rule change granting major junior hockey players NCAA eligibility. Nash was playing for the University of Alberta after a stint in the WHL, while Morrell was with Michigan Tech after a tenure in the BCHL.
For both players, Sun Devil Hockey was the obvious choice
“As soon as that rule changed, Coach Powers reached out,” said Nash. “I was super lucky to get an opportunity to play here. I toured when I was 15, and it was something that was definitely on my mind. To be able to come here now is just an unreal experience, and I’m super lucky.”
“For me, ASU is kind of the place I always wanted to be,” said Morrell. “I didn’t get that opportunity when I was younger. Playing at a school like Michigan Tech, it was a great spot, but watching ASU just get better and better, I knew it was something I would be a part of.”
Morrell and Nash have made up for lost time, living together and playing on the same line of a promising Sun Devil team.
Ty Nash and Morgan Morell Feature
“We've been playing together since we were 10 years old, just playing Junior Coyotes together,” Morrell explained. “We played on a line together growing up. I didn't know if we'd ever be able to play together again after we went to major junior. Thankful for the rule change. We got the opportunity to do it again.”
“I remember when the portal opened, and obviously, I saw that Mo was having a great year. I knew I was going to be at ASU, and I just wasn't sure where he was going to go,” recalled Nash. “I knew he was going to hit the portal somewhere and definitely was thinking that maybe he'd go to ASU. When I found that out, I was super pumped. We live together now and, we do everything together. So it's been a lot of fun to reunite.”
With the Coyotes having left for Salt Lake City, Sun Devil hockey is the Valley’s only
representation on the ice.
“Losing the Coyotes, it was tough. But I think it just really provided an opportunity for this program to grow even more,” Nash noted. “A lot of Coyotes fans moved over to ASU hockey, and they're cheering for us now. I think for us that's really big to have a supportive fan base night in and night out. They bring it every game.”
Nash and Morrell urge young players growing up in the Valley to continue to pursue hockey and to work hard to do so.
“Players from Arizona, Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews, they really just continue to motivate kids and show that no matter where you're from, you can make it,” said Nash.
“Just work your bag off,” stated Morrell. “I grew up playing at Easy Ice Gilbert. I played AHU growing up. I don't know if any other elite players from there are playing at a high level. It's kind of just putting your head down, working, and not listening to anyone. It doesn't really matter where you play. If you're good enough, they're going to find you.”
With the stars aligning for Nash and Morrell to rebuild their chemistry, the sky’s the limit for the 2025-26 Sun Devil Hockey team.