Roadrunners vs. Canucks: 2025 Round 1 Calder Cup Playoff Preview

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It took all 72 games in their season, but on Saturday night, the Tucson Roadrunners finally clinched a playoff spot to return to the American Hockey League (AHL) Playoffs for the third straight season. It’s a special season for the Roadrunners as well as it’s their first playoff appearance while being affiliated with the Utah Hockey Club.

However, awaiting them in the first round are the Abbotsford Canucks, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks who only seem to get better season after season. Ever since their inaugural season in 2021-22, the Canucks have made the playoffs every season. 

The Canucks finished second in the Pacific Division with 92 points (44-24-2-2) while the Roadrunners finished seventh with 74 points (34-32-4-2). This is the third straight playoff appearance for both teams. Last season, the Roadrunners were swept by the Calgary Wranglers in the first round while the Canucks were swept by the Ontario Reign in the second round. These two teams have never met in the playoffs before.

The Roadrunners Snuck Into the Playoffs

Thanks to the Pacific Division’s rule of seven out of 10 teams making the playoffs, the Roadrunners were able to sneak into the postseason, but it wasn’t easy. They were extremely inconsistent throughout the regular season. At times, they would win six straight games and look like legit playoff contenders. Then there were other times where they would lose eight straight and look like a team that shouldn’t be anywhere near the playoffs.

Heading towards the final stretch of the season, the Roadrunners had numerous chances to clinch a playoff spot. However, even with a sweep against the Bakersfield Condors that kept them at bay, the Roadrunners choked their lead in the standings, leading the Condors to tie them. It led to a Game 72, where the team needed to win their final game against the Colorado Eagles to make it in.

Thanks to the Eagles resting all of their star players, the Roadrunners beat them 7-4, putting them at 74 points and clinching a playoff spot only because of their number of regulation wins. It overshadows the fact that the Roadrunners won only one of their final five games heading into the playoffs.

Despite this, head coach Steve Potvin was extremely confident in his group this season. Similar to last season, the team had to deal with a bunch of call-ups. However, different from last season, those call-ups went to Salt Lake City, which is obviously further than Phoenix.

“They had to solve a lot of problems this year,” Potvin said. “There are too many to list. I thought they responded well. There are a lot of great humans in that room, and I know, listen, whether we had won or lost, it would have been the same type of dialogue. I would have been proud of our guys either way…They found a way in through all the adversity and call-ups and injuries, young guys learning the game. I’m really proud of the other group.”

Related: Why Utah HC Fans Should Care About AHL Roadrunners’ Playoff Push

As mentioned, this was an entirely new group than last season. There was no big rookie like Dylan Guenther or Michael Kesselring carrying the team. Josh Doan only played 28 games this season before getting a permanent spot with Utah. Yet this team was able to overcome all of their losses and challenges and clinch their third straight playoff spot.

Breaking Down the Team

Leading the way in terms of scoring is Kailer Yamamoto, who was signed to a two-way contract by Utah days before the start of the regular season after having an impressive preseason. He has 56 points in 54 games and was the only point-per-game player on the team. Yamamoto’s season is impressive considering he had two different call-ups to the NHL throughout the season.

Goal-scoring-wise, Cameron Hebig finished out the season as the Roadrunners’ leader in that category. This season was a big one for him, scoring career highs all across the board, ending the season with a stat line of 26-21-47 in 67 games. For the past five seasons, Hebig has been a big piece of the Roadrunners’ locker room. This season, he’s been a massive part of the offense, having a coming-out party on Yamamoto’s line, and earning an AHL All-Star selection and an NHL contract with Utah.

There have been many new additions in the past year for the Roadrunners. Egor Sokolov was a big one after being traded from the Belleville Senators this past summer. He recorded 44 points, including a career high 22 goals. After only 11 points in 30 games with the Iowa Wild, Sammy Walker exploded in Tucson, tallying 22 points in 31 games after being traded to the Roadrunners.

On the blue line, Maveric Lamoureux impressed during his first stint with the Roadrunners, scoring in his very first game. He was later recalled to Utah, where he played 15 games before being injured. After recovering and being sent back down to the Roadrunners, he didn’t look the same, producing 13 points across 42 games. 

Tucson Roadrunners Celebration
Tucson Roadrunners celebrate a goal (Photo credit: Bennett Silvyn)

Artem Duda has helped shore up some of the issues on the blue line, ending the season with 29 points and becoming one of the top defensemen on the team. Max Szuber, in his first season with the Roadrunners, also impressed, leading the entire blue line in points with 32.

When it comes to veterans, there have been a lot of them who have made an impact with the team. In his second stint with the Roadrunners, Robbie Russo was second on the team in assists, producing 30 of them. However, his main asset has been his physicality, and he’s been near the top of the team in hits. Austin Poganski, in his second season with the team and his first as captain, thrived, having his best season in the AHL with 41 points. The addition of longtime AHL forward Andrew Agozzino has also helped the offense and the locker room.

The formation of the juggernaut line has also helped the Roadrunners make their way into a playoff spot. The line consisting of Hunter Drew, Curtis Douglas, and Travis Barron has produced 75 points this season, but has also provided a much-needed physical presence to protect the smaller and younger players on this team.

In net, Matt Villalta has been the usual starter outside of his call-up to the NHL a couple of weeks ago. While his record is below .500, his stats, which include a .905 save percentage, are pretty good, considering that fact. 

“Matty has been a backbone for us all year,” Hebig said. “He has a great attitude. He’s fun to be around. He’s a great teammate, obviously a great goalie. It’s great to get him back and have him back there. We have a lot of confidence in him.”

Jaxson Stauber and Dylan Wells have been reliable backups when needed, making up 15 of the Roadrunners’ 34 wins. If needed, Stauber can easily jump into the starting role, especially with his recent NHL experience. 

How Do the Roadrunners Stack Up to the Canucks?

Similar to the Roadrunners, the Canucks have a good mix of prospects and veterans. Their NHL team is also out of the playoffs, meaning they’ll have every single one of their players in the lineup for Game 1.

After spending 13 games in the NHL, Arshdeep Bains led the Canucks in points with 43 in 50 games. Right behind him was one of the organization’s best prospects in Aatu Räty, who had 40 points in 43 games. In net, after a fantastic 2024 NHL Playoffs, Artūrs Šilovs started 21 games, winning 14 of them. Other top rookies include Linus Karlsson and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The Canucks also have a bunch of former NHLers in their lineup including Sammy Blais, Jujhar Khaira, and Christian Wolanin. 

Comparing the two teams, the Canucks allowed the second fewest amount of goals in the division with only 204. Meanwhile, the Roadrunners allowed 237 goals, which was the second most among the Pacific Division playoff teams. They were also the only team in the Pacific Division to make it into the playoffs with a negative number in the goal differential category.

When it comes to special teams, the Roadrunners are actually the better team on the power play, operating at a 19.6% success rate while the Canucks power play is currently at a 18.3% success rate. On the penalty kill, the Canucks have the better number with a 82.4% success rate while their opponents have a 81% success rate. 

Interestingly enough, the Roadrunners are one of the most penalized teams in the league. They’ll have to find a way to reduce the amount of penalties they take before the Canucks exploit that weakness.

When it comes to head-to-head matchups, the Roadrunners surprisingly won the series against the Canucks, boasting a 5-3-0-0 record against them. That includes a 3-1-0-0 at Abbotsford Centre. The teams tied each other in scoring in the season series, both scoring 20 goals. The Roadrunners beat the Canucks in their most recent game back in February by a score of 4-3 in overtime.

The Roadrunners are aware of their prior success against the Canucks. However, the playoffs are a completely different animal. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past. It’s why the Roadrunners are going to study how the Canucks usually play and try to figure out how to beat them.

“Abbotsford is a good team,” Hebig said. “They got some good players. We have had success against them this season. We’ll look at the clips from playing them and try to build off that and see how we had success. Obviously, they’re gonna come ready. They’re a good team. They’re second place for a reason, so we’re looking forward to this challenge. We’re looking forward to playing them.”

Potvin says the Roadrunners have to stick to their style of hockey and not stray away from it. Physicality will be a big part of the Roadrunners’ potential success and it’s something they’ll have to utilize, especially against the Canucks’ smaller and faster players.

“We have to play our type of style,” Potvin said. “Our style is going north and trying to do what we can to manage pucks and make sure that we initiate contact. We have to try to go after their spirit. That’s one of our strengths. We have guys who can handle themselves and enjoy the physical aspect of the game. We have to play that type of game, and we have to go after their team spirit.”

A number seven seed upsetting the number two seed in the Pacific Division actually isn’t unheard of. Funny enough, it happened last season to the Roadrunners when the Wranglers swept them in Tucson.

However, it took the Wranglers an All-Star-like performance from Dustin Wolf to make that happen. In order for history to repeat itself, the Roadrunners need Villalta to play out of his mind along with their physiclality and offense going in order to have a chance against the Canucks. Offense was a huge issue for the Roadrunners last playoffs, with their main scorers being shut down by the Wranglers. They’ll need Yamamoto, Hebig, Walker, and Sokolov to continue their offense in the playoffs; otherwise, they’ll be doomed.

Artem Duda Tucson Roadrunners
Artem Duda, Tucson Roadrunners (Photo credit: Bennett Silvyn)

If you look at these two teams matched up together, the Roadrunners stack up pretty decently against the Canucks. The Canucks have the better defense but Utah’s physicality and offense edges them out. Goaltending will be the true wild card. However, the Roadrunners’ playoff history is not positive. The team has only been past the first round once back in 2017-18 when they got a bye into the second round, beating the San Jose Barracuda in four games, then losing in the Division Finals to the Texas Stars. 

Regardless of the lack of playoff success, the team wants to end that narrative by building off of their past two early playoff eliminations. After all, the goal of the AHL is to make the playoffs and continue growing season after season after elimination.

“You want to make the playoffs, and that’s an important part of development in this league,” Hebig said. “We’re looking to build off those previous years and hopefully make a bigger push here, get past the first round, and see what we can do. We’re looking forward to making the most of these playoff experiences.”

The consistent success over the past three seasons bodes well for Tucson. Out of the three teams in the Utah organization, the Roadrunners were the only team to make the playoffs. With the Roadrunners carrying most of the team’s top prospects both on the ice and on the coaching staff, and the amount of success that has come out of the team this season, from Hebig’s NHL contract to Villalta’s first NHL win, it speaks volumes about the strong culture the team has built.

“It shows that we have a good management group and scouts,” Potvin said. “Each year, they go out on a recruiting trip to find not only good draft picks, but they’ve got to look for players who can insulate the young players. Our culture is strong because of the people, and that’s just how you build good cultures. Cultures are built on people’s standards and what they value and believe…It helps you get to the playoffs.”

In the AHL, clinching a playoff spot is big for the players. Even for guys like Yamamoto, who arguably deserve to be in the NHL, success in the AHL is a good feeling. Playoffs at any level are an exciting time, and clinching a spot is a reward for a successful season. Don’t be confused, though. Hebig plans on the team being ready for their biggest challenge of the season.

“We’re gonna enjoy clinching, and we’ll get to work,” Hebig said. “We’re excited. We’re looking forward to it. I know the boys will be ready and are excited to play.”

Game 1 of the series starts at 7 pm PST on Wednesday. All games will be played at Abbotsford Centre. If the Roadrunners win the series, they’ll move on to face the Colorado Eagles in a five-game series.

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