COYOTES ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP WITH BANNER HEALTH

BANNER ESTRELLA MEDICAL CENTER TO BE NEW MEDICAL SERVICES
PROVIDER FOR THE PHOENIX COYOTES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, October 7, 2003

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA --- Phoenix Coyotes President and Chief Operating Officer Douglas Moss announced today that the Coyotes and Banner Health have agreed to a three-year partnership. As part of the deal, Banner Estrella Medical Center, a new 172-bed hospital under construction in the West Valley, will be the new medical services provider for the Phoenix Coyotes. In addition, the Phoenix Coyotes and Glendale Arena will use Banner Estrella Medical Center, upon completion, for all of the team’s medical needs.

“We are very proud to align ourselves with an organization like Banner Health and a project like Banner Estrella Medical Center,” said Moss. “Together, the Coyotes and Banner Estrella look forward to making a positive contribution in our community by continuing to make a difference in people’s lives.”

“We’re thrilled that the Phoenix Coyotes chose Banner Health and its new West Valley hospital, Banner Estrella Medical Center, as its preferred provider of medical services,” said Connie Harmsen, chief executive officer for Banner Estrella. “Professional sports teams want the best medical care available for their players and employees, and that’s what they will get from our hospital.”

Banner Estrella is scheduled toin November 2004. Until then, players will be cared for at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale.

At a “topping off” ceremony this morning, invited guests and media representatives witnessed the final steel beam of the medical center being lifted into place atop the massive six-story structure, which is located on the southeast corner of Thomas Road and the Loop 101 Freeway (about a 20-minute drive from downtown Phoenix). The 45-minute ceremony culminated with the Coyotes/Banner Health partnership announcement.

Banner Estrella is a full-service acute care hospital that will include all private rooms with living space for family and friends; wall-mounted flat-screen monitors in every patient room where patients and family can order room service, access the internet and receive patient education; and state-of-the-art electronic systems, including a system that will allow physicians to place medication orders and other instructions electronically.

The medical campus will also include a 130,000-square-foot, five-story medical office building and a 16,000-square-foot outpatient surgery center. A fully enclosed, air-conditioned pedestrian bridge will connect the medical office and hospital over 93rd Avenue. The medical office building willwith the new hospital in November 2004.

The hospital will be owned and operated by Banner Health, the leading health care provider in the Valley with eight hospitals, including Banner Estrella.