The Tucson Roadrunners are 2-0 in the young season, and they’re buying into winning as a team. Last season, they finished just below .500 with a record of 30-33-0-8 for 69 points and ended up in eighth place in the Pacific Division. The roster has changed quite a bit, and the results, as of now, are paying off.
Roadrunners Finding Early Success
With only two games played thus far, Tucson is outscoring the opposition 5-3, and the four points gained place them tied for the Pacific Division lead. Both games were played on the road, with the home opener coming on Oct. 21 against the Coachella Valley Firebirds at the Tucson Arena. Head coach Steve Potvin has preached a defensive style of hockey and more structure in all three zones, which is paying off.
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One of the keys to turning things around has been the roster. Goaltender Matt Villalta signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Arizona Coyotes on July 2, 2023, and is now the starter between the pipes. He was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings and spent most of his time with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He was expected to compete with Ivan Prosvetov for that role in Tucson, but Prosvetov was claimed off of waivers by the Colorado Avalanche.
Villalta, a 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, has a record of 2-0 this season, with a goals-against-average of 1.51 and a save percentage of .952. His wins are tied for first, and his GAA and SV% are both tied for sixth among goaltenders. He is one of many changes in between the pipes between last season and this season.
Last season, the Roadrunners saw a goaltending carousel of Prosvetov, David Trendeck, Tyler Parks, and Jon Gillies. The rotation of goaltenders was not a promising one, as Prosvetov led the team with 16 wins. This season, the goaltending duo consists of Villalta and Jared Moe, who is on loan from the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL. Last season, Moe played for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers of the NCAA. He posted a record of 10-17 with a GAA of 3.31 and an SV% of .898.
Roadrunners Offense Clicking
Up front, forwards Jan Jenik and Dylan Guenther have supplied the offense. Jenik leads the team with three points on two goals and one assist, while Guenther has one goal and one assist for two points. Jenik was the 65th pick of the 2018 NHL Draft by Arizona and is flourishing offensively with Tucson. Guenther was the ninth overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft and has played two solid games since getting sent down. Both forwards will likely see time with the Arizona Coyotes this season.
While young guns Jenik, Guenther, and Josh Doan are offensively contributing, veteran defenseman Steve Kampfer and Cameron Crotty are cleaning up the defensive end. The Roadrunner’s defensive unit is in the top 10 for penalty killing, operating at an 87.5 percent kill rate. The defensive mindset that coach Potvin has implemented is working on all fronts, even special teams.
While the Tucson Roadrunners are enjoying success early, this team will likely hit some road bumps along the way. Injuries, call-ups, and trades are part of everyday life in the AHL while still trying to provide for the Coyotes. Tucson will likely go through growing pains as they are a young team with an average age of 24.11 years, 11th youngest in the AHL.
This organization is filled with young talent that is coming along nicely. With patience comes winning as this roster continues to develop in both the AHL and NHL. Growing pains are part of the transition, and they will become better players for it. The Arizona Coyotes franchise is on the rise, and the future in Tucson will be ready to make an impact when they arrive in Arizona sooner rather than later.