Last season was a rough one for the Tucson Roadrunners. The team went through a lot of injuries and had their best players called up repeatedly to the Utah Mammoth. Not to mention some of their biggest free agent additions never panned out.
One bright spot was the play of Owen Allard, who played his first American Hockey League (AHL) games of his career. While his 19 points weren’t anything crazy, it was a good first pro season for the forward as he learned how to play at the AHL level.
As he heads into his second pro season, Allard isn’t content with the level he’s at. He’s ready to take another step forward and keep working on everything he’s learned in the past year and help the Roadrunners get back into the playoffs.
No Stranger to Development Camp
Once the Roadrunners’ season ended after Game 72 against the Bakersfield Condors, most of the players went their separate ways to begin their offseason. However, come the middle of June, it was announced that Allard’s summer would take a pause for a week as he was added to the Mammoth’s development camp roster.
Allard is no stranger to development camps. He attended the Ottawa Senators’ camp in 2023 and was part of the past two Mammoth camps before this summer. However, unlike most of the participants at this summer’s camp, Allard had played a full season of pro hockey. With 69 AHL games under his belt, he was the most experienced player there, too.
Going back to development camp is something the Mammoth organization ultimately wanted for the 22-year-old. Rather than choosing to look at it negatively, Allard saw it as another opportunity to improve in some sort of fashion and to have fun with it.
“I think the coaching staff wanted me here,” Allard said. “Anytime you get invited to development camp, it’s always an honor to put on that jersey. I’m just trying to come here and be an older guy, be a leader for the young guys coming in, and it’s been super fun so far. I’m happy to be here.”
As the oldest player at development camp, that’s exactly what Allard did. Throughout camp, he was constantly talking to the younger players and getting to know them. This year’s camp was arguably the most important one the Mammoth have had. Most of the prospects that attended will more than likely play games in the NHL or the AHL this season.
This was also the first camp at the new Mammoth Ice Center. Last season’s camp was held at the Olympic Oval while the new practice facility was being built. It provided a great chance for all the prospects, including Allard, to get to see and be familiar with the new building. Even outside of that, any time closer to the pro team and in their future home is great for the prospects.
“Coming back to Utah, it’s always special,” Allard said. “You got top-notch facilities and great staff, so to see some new faces and some old faces from previous development camps, it’s awesome.”
Speaking of some of the younger players in the Mammoth’s system, a couple of them will be joining the Roadrunners as they bolster up to get back into the playoffs. Tij Iginla and Caleb Desnoyers will likely play in the AHL next season as they begin their pro careers and fight for an NHL roster spot. They’re two additions Allard is very excited to have on his team next season.
“They’re definitely all world-class players,” Allard said. “They’re going to be young players in that league, but they’ll definitely help us a lot if they’re there. I can’t say enough good things about those guys. They’re younger, but they’re all really mature, and they treat themselves like pros every day. I think if they’re with us next year in Tucson, they’ll definitely help us a lot.”
Ready to Take the Next Step
Allard’s first pro season was one filled with promise. Despite playing exclusively on the fourth line, the forward produced 19 points, the fourth most among Roadrunners rookies. He’s always been a physical player. He has a lot of strength, having been named the fittest player at the Mammoth’s development camp in back-to-back summers.
However, he also exhibited good speed throughout last season, which allowed him to get breakaways and get ahead of defenders. It’s what helped him score his most iconic goal of the season, the goal that unleashed the stuffed animals onto the ice during the team’s teddy bear toss game.
THE GOAL HAS BEEN SCORED
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) December 14, 2025
Owen Allard gives the Buzzer for the Bears! pic.twitter.com/331elq7jno
Getting that AHL experience gave Allard a realization that the AHL is a much bigger monster than the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). It’s more physical, and players are playing to put food on their tables. Especially with the Roadrunners bringing in more talent, Allard wants to do whatever it takes to continue moving up the lineup, being towards the top of the depth chart, and being an overall better player in the league.
“I want to continue to grow my physicality,” Allard said. “I think I’m a guy that can be a real tough player to play against when I’m at my best. Just growing that physicality, that compete, and just trying to be a hard player to play against, so hopefully next year earn some more minutes, and maybe get some more PK time and really having the trust of the coaching staff.”
Roadrunners head coach Steve Potvin noted all season long how much he liked Allard’s improvement since he first met him last season, when the forward came from the OHL. That sentiment was shared by multiple people throughout the organization, including director of player development Lee Stempniak.
Stempniak liked Allard’s first AHL season a lot, noting the improvement in his utilization of his speed and his growth as a leader. Not a lot of fifth-round picks get to play in the NHL, but Stempniak believes that Allard is on the path to beating the odds, one of the many reasons why he’s excited to see the forward’s second pro season.
“In junior hockey, he’s by far the fastest player on the ice,” Stempniak said. “He still might be in the AHL for most games. Learning when to use that and how to use it, he can really make it into an asset for himself. He’s been vocal this year. He’s a naturally outgoing guy, but he’s been more vocal, more in a leadership role with the players. I think his game has evolved. We’re finding a way of what’s going to give him success and allow him to hopefully play in the NHL in terms of a role and an identity and how he can use his tools to get there.”
Allard has certainly adjusted better to the NHL level than other prospects have. Julian Lutz, Sam Lipkin, and Miko Matikka have all struggled at the pro level despite Lutz and Matikka being higher draft picks and having two AHL seasons under their belts. Yet, Allard has had better single-season production than all three of those players despite being stapled to the fourth line. It shows how much the forward has rocketed up the depth chart.
It all starts with Allard’s commitment to go into every single camp, practice, or game acting like there’s something to prove. That attitude helped him remain in the lineup throughout last season and become a staple depth option for the Roadrunners. He’s hoping that by continuing that, he can gain the trust and confidence of his coaches and work his way up the lineup.
Just because development camp is over doesn’t mean that Allard goes dormant in the offseason. He wants to continue working on his movement with the puck, which he believes is something that will continue helping him throughout his time in the AHL.
“I’m a big, strong, fast player, a power forward,” Allard said. “Slowing down with the puck and making the right play, getting my eyes up, that’ll help me a lot at the pro level.”
At the end of the day, Allard is not the next Logan Cooley. He is not the next Dylan Guenther. He will most likely be a bottom-six option for the Mammoth in the next couple of years. However, he will be a good depth option. Allard is a hard worker, always committed to improving. His speed and physicality make him a great fit for the pro level, especially in a power forward role.
Every great NHL team needs great depth, and that’s what the Mammoth will one day have with Allard. He’s the type of character every team wants to have in their locker room. A growing leader, a power forward, and one who always wants to be better. Allard recognizes that a lot of OHL players don’t even get into the position where he is now. He wants to make the most of the opportunity he’s been given by becoming the best at what he’s good at and taking it all the way to Salt Lake City.
“There are really good OHL players that don’t go on and never make the AHL or the NHL,” Allard said. “It’s just having that identity, whether you’re good at knowing your strengths and picking your spots well. Being a pro, we’ve been talking a lot about it here, being that 24-hour man, doing whatever it takes to get better, really freshen up those details in your game. Finding a role, sticking to it, and being the best player you can be in that role.”
The 2026-27 season could be a big one for Allard. If he can continue improving and working his way up the lineup, he could be a fantastic fit on a line alongside top prospects like Iginla and Desnoyers that could provide a massive boost to his offense. It wouldn’t be surprising if Allard finds his way into an NHL spot sooner rather than later. He’s a player who has always been willing to take the next step, and his growth in the past couple of years has shown that.
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