Roadrunners Report: End of the Line, Super Team Incoming, & More

The Tucson Roadrunners’ 10th season in franchise history is officially over, and it’s one that ended in disappointment and heartbreak. At the beginning of the season, the Utah Mammoth’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate was expected to finish in a playoff spot, especially with top rookies like Dmitri Simashev and Daniil But expected to play a majority of their season in Tucson.

However, despite fighting tooth and nail until the very end, the Roadrunners finished eighth in the Pacific Division with a 34-28-10 record. Last season, they tied with the Bakersfield Condors for the final playoff spot in the division, but won the first tiebreaker to get into the playoffs, regulation wins. Ironically enough, it was the same tiebreaker that eliminated them from playoff contention this season, tied in points with the San Diego Gulls, but with six fewer regulation wins than their divisional opponents.

If you look at the Roadrunners’ final stretch of games in April, you might’ve thought that this team was heading into a playoff spot. Yet, it was a tough start to the month that doomed them. The Roadrunners had a 4-4-1 record over their nine games in April, going 2-4-1 on the road and 2-0-0 at home. Here’s everything you need to know about the team from the final month of the season.

April’s Results

The Roadrunners spent most of April on the road, making up for the number of home games they were given in the first couple of months of the season. Two separate trips to San Diego, a trip to Colorado Springs, and a trip to Henderson littered the first two weeks of April.

The team ended their season at home in front of their fans, playing the Henderson Silver Knights twice. Here are the results from April.

3-0 L @ San Diego, 4-3 L @ Henderson, 5-4 L @ Henderson, 5-2 L @ Bakersfield, 5-2 W @ Colorado, 3-2 L (OT) @ Colorado, 5-1 W @ San Diego, 2-1 W (SO) vs Henderson, 5-4 W vs Henderson

End of the Line

There are many things you can look at across the season that doomed the Roadrunners’ chances of making the playoffs. The sheer amount of injuries and call-ups in December and January, the lackluster number of regulation wins, a bad penalty kill, and some players not taking a bigger step than they were expected to. 

However, the final nail in the coffin of the Roadrunners’ season had to be the horrendous start to April that the team had. April was the month that would ultimately decide who would get the final spot in the playoffs, the Roadrunners or the Gulls. Whoever had the better month would get a matchup with the Colorado Eagles.

When it mattered most, the Roadrunners didn’t show up. They lost their first four games in April while the Gulls won their first three games, including against the Roadrunners. While the team came back later in the month, it was too late. The Gulls racked up four regulation wins, enough to clinch the final playoff spot before the final few games of the season.

It didn’t help that one of those regulation wins for the Gulls came against the Roadrunners in the first game of the month. With everything the Roadrunners went through, it was truly a disappointing ending. It ends their three-year playoff streak. It is also the first time head coach Steve Potvin has failed to make the playoffs during his time as head coach of the team.

Reflecting on everything that transpired this season, as mentioned, there were quite a few things that went wrong. However, after their 3-2 overtime loss to the Eagles, there was nothing they could do to get into the playoffs. Yet, the Roadrunners continued playing good hockey. They beat the Gulls 5-1 and then swept the Silver Knights. 

For Roadrunners fans, that can be frustrating. Where was that play at the beginning of the month? However, you have to remember this is a developmental league. Sure, making the playoffs would be way better than not, but seeing your top prospects and potential bottom-six guys finishing strong and playing good hockey even when it doesn’t matter is good to see.

“We care,” Potvin said. “We’re a committed group. We do want to grow and expand our games…Our expectations are to finish 72 games strong. Our expectations are usually to make the playoffs and to win a championship. The guys want to take the next level in their game, they want to get to the NHL, they want to take the next step. Those are realistic expectations, and we own those expectations. It’s important that we keep following our heart and keep the care and commitment up.”

It’s the same mindset for the players. Obviously, a lot of them are dejected. Even if they made the playoffs and were pitted against one of the best teams in the league, it’s a chance. Last season, they gave the eventual champions Abbotsford Canucks a run for their money. However, finishing out strong gives some of them confidence for next season.

Look at Miko Matikka. It was a slight improvement from last season, but he has yet to produce as he did with the University of Denver. However, he finished the season by putting up two points in his last two games. Who knows? That could be big heading into the final season of his entry-level deal.

“I feel like the whole year has been ups and downs, and we’d stick to the same plan, and everyone you know knew their role,” Matikka said. “There’s no point in going out there to lose, and we all want to win. In this league, there are no days off. That’s the whole point of why we’re here.”

It would’ve been great to see guys like Simashev, But, and Owen Allard get some playoff experience, but they now know what it’s like playing meaningful games down the stretch. It wasn’t a season many were hoping to have, but the Roadrunners finished strong and with their heads held high. That’s all you can ask for after a crazy season like the one they just had.

Rookie Reinforcements

The Roadrunners got a couple of new players towards the end of the season. Two of which are expected to be big parts of the Mammoth in the future, and one that might surprise many.

The first player is Michael Hrabal, the Mammoth’s expected goalie of the future, who was drafted in the second round back in 2023. He joined the Roadrunners in March, playing and winning his first AHL game.

Since then, he’s made four other starts as the Roadrunners rotated between him, Jaxson Stauber, and Matt Villalta. Hrabal finished the season with a 3-1-1 record, a .897 save percentage, and a 2.96 goals against average (GAA) stat line. Hrabal also recorded his first pro point, an assist on Michal Kunc’s goal against the Gulls. He’s had to come up big multiple times for the Roadrunners already, including making 44 saves against the Eagles. 

The early glimpse of Hrabal looks promising, as expected. He can play in big games and has adjusted well on the fly to AHL hockey. He’s very athletic, and his height gives him an advantage over others. Hrabal is expected to play at the very least the next two seasons with the Roadrunners, with maybe a cameo or two with the Mammoth.

Goal WAVED OFF – What a save by HRABAL pic.twitter.com/wCUFmCUovE

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) April 12, 2026

Again, it was impressive for Hrabal to jump straight from college hockey to the AHL, especially as a goalie. With time to settle in, next season should be a true look at how he can perform at the pro level.

After the Portland Winterhawks’ season concluded, Max Pšenička signed a tryout agreement to play some games with the Roadrunners. The Mammoth’s second-round pick from last summer, Pšenička, played two games in the AHL this season, scoring a point in his very first contest.

Against the Gulls, Pšenička assisted on Owen Allard’s goal. The adjustment from the Western Hockey League (WHL) seemed to have been a little tricky, though, as he had a bad giveaway that might’ve gotten him healthy scratched in the Roadrunners’ next game. 

However, Pšenička bounced back and had a really good outing in the team’s last game of the season. Although he didn’t record a point, he had four shots on net, the second most among all skaters during the game. He looked more comfortable defensively and played well, paired alongside Scott Perunovich.

Don’t be surprised if Pšenička returns to the Winterhawks to begin next season. It sounds like that’s where he’s going to end up, but he expressed his desire to play more games in the AHL next season. It’s all going to depend on how his training camp turns out. Even if he gets sent back to the WHL, he’ll more than likely return to the AHL at some point next season. The Mammoth have quite a few promising prospects on the blueline, and Pšenička might be one of the most underrated ones.

Brandon Holt could be a very intriguing name next season. The Roadrunners signed him to a tryout agreement this season on top of an AHL contract next season. This comes after four seasons at the University of Maine, the most recent of which he had 32 points in 35 games as a defenseman and captain of the team.

Holt had two points in five games with the Roadrunners. He looked very good, especially coming straight out of college, not going a game without a shot on goal, and ending the season as a plus-five. 

Brandon Holt scores his first AHL goal! pic.twitter.com/eOAu75tDj5

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) April 16, 2026

Maine wasn’t a powerhouse hockey program this past season, being blown out in the first game of the Hockey East tournament 5-0. Perhaps that’s why Holt flew under the radar of most teams. However, it will be intriguing to see Holt at training camp and with the Roadrunners next season. He very well could be a guy who earns an NHL contract because of strong play in the AHL. We’ve seen college free agents thrive in the NHL, and the defenseman might be the next one.

One Final Goodbye

With all the rookies coming in, changes are coming to the Roadrunners roster, especially after missing the playoffs. There are quite a few unrestricted free agents (UFA) who spent a majority of their time with the team this season: Kevin Rooney, Kevin Connauton, Andrew Agozzino, Villalta, Scott Perunovich, Robbie Russo, Austin Poganski, Ryan McGregor, Ty Tullio, Sammy Walker, Lleyton Moore, Jack Ricketts, Dylan Wells, and Maxim Barbashev. There are also a couple of restricted free agents: Max Szuber, Anson Thornton, and Kunc.

One of the players who will be leaving the Roadrunners this offseason is Connauton, who originally signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Mammoth. This also might’ve been his last pro hockey season. It sure felt like it in the final game of the season, with Poganski intentionally getting kicked out of the opening faceoff so Connauton could take it. The defenseman was also named the first star of the game and took photos on the ice postgame with his family, visibly emotional. 

Kevin Connauton is named first star of the game and does the postgame interview with daughter in hand. His whole family came out to take photos with him as well before heading into the locker room. #TusksUp #LetsGoTucson pic.twitter.com/LHoRqJY882

— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) April 19, 2026

Connauton was a massive leader in the Roadrunners’ locker room for the past couple of seasons. He was also big in mentoring the younger guys on the blueline. As someone who has gone through retirement and leaving pro hockey himself, Potvin was happy to see Connauton go out with a win in his final game in Tucson.

“Seeing players go through it in the past and having gone through it myself, it’s an interesting feeling when you’re in your last game because you still feel like you can play,” Potvin said. “Maybe he does play a little bit more. We don’t know. Maybe it just ends in North America, but it’s what you’ve done your whole life, and that’s what you’ve thought about when you wake up and the last thing you think about when you go to sleep.”

Before Connauton left the ice that night, he told the crowd in Tucson how much he loved playing in Southern Arizona. After two separate stints with the Roadrunners, you could tell that he loved playing in the organization.

The other player we know isn’t returning is Kunc. Signed in the offseason on a one-year, two-way deal, the Czech forward had a disappointing season with the Roadrunners. Kunc only produced 16 points in 43 games. He had injury issues and was also healthy-scratched throughout the season.

It was announced shortly after the Mammoth’s season ended that Kunc would be leaving North America and signing a two-year deal with HC Kometa Brno of the Czech League. In an interview, Kunc expressed how hard it would be to get the NHL within the Mammoth’s system due to the number of rookies and the ECHL guys expected to join the team next season. However, he expressed his gratitude to the organization, calling it a dream come true to play in North America.

Let’s get some of the other names out of the way. It would be very surprising if Szuber and Poganski don’t return. Szuber had a very good AHL season and honestly could be one of the best prospects on the blueline for the Mammoth behind Simashev, Maveric Lamoureux, and Pšenička. He had an extended call-up with the Mammoth this season as well, albeit with no NHL games. 

Poganski was the Roadrunners’ captain for the past two seasons and had a career season in the AHL with 56 points in 70 AHL games. While he probably won’t get an NHL contract or anything crazy, his leadership and offense are critical to the Roadrunners’ success. Unless they’re okay with parting with their captain and top-six forward, likely, Poganski is back in Tucson.

Kunc hinted at some of the ECHL guys returning next season. It’s more than likely that Ricketts and Tullio return. They both played really well in depth roles. Tullio, in particular, played most of the season, producing 23 points. Barbashev might come back, but he wasn’t as good as the aforementioned two. There might not be enough space for him next season.

McGregor, Moore, and Russo are general manager John Ferguson’s guys. McGregor has played for the Roadrunners for six seasons, Moore for three, and Russo for four. While I thought the ECHL guys outplayed each of them for most of the season, it wouldn’t be surprising if all of those guys return.

Walker has become one of Ferguson’s guys as well after being acquired from the Minnesota Wild last season. It was somewhat of a disappointing season for him with 28 points in 57 games. However, he was a clutch player, leading the team in overtime winning goals with three. He was also third on the team in game-winning goals with three.

Rooney, Agozzino, and Perunovich all might leave to pursue an opportunity that might get them an NHL job. Rooney did a good job filling Kailer Yamamoto’s role as a player who gets called up to the NHL and gets sent back down on a routine basis. He dealt with injuries all season and only appeared in one NHL game. At 32, I’m sure the forward wants a more stable opportunity.

Agozzino is in the same boat. He only appeared in two NHL games during his two-year stint in the Mammoth organization. The forward played better down the stretch, ending the season with 39 points in 56 games, but at 35, he, like Rooney, is probably going to be looking for something with NHL stability.

Perunovich is an interesting case. If he were taller, he’d already have an NHL contract. He broke the Roadrunners’ franchise record for most points in a single season by a defenseman with 49. He also did a good job mentoring the younger defensemen throughout the season. Perunovich deserves an NHL contract, but if he doesn’t get any offers, the Roadrunners should really consider bringing him back.

Unless the Mammoth trade Stauber, it’s hard to see Villalta returning to the Roadrunners. Hrabal will be the starter next season, and Stauber is on a two-year contract. The Mammoth did recall Villalta as their third goalie, perhaps showing they have more faith in him than their other goalies. However, as of right now, it looks like he has started his last game in Southern Arizona.

Wells and Thornton, flip a coin on these two. One of them will more than likely come back to serve as the Roadrunners’ third goaltender, who primarily plays in the ECHL. I’m leaning towards Wells because Thornton keeps getting injured, only playing one game with the Utah Grizzlies this season.

There’s Still Hockey to Watch

With the Roadrunners’ season over and the Mammoth’s playoff run coming to an end in Round 1 at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights, it seems like there isn’t anyone active on the Roadrunners roster that fans can watch. However, that isn’t true.

Barbashev and Wells’ seasons are still ongoing. In fact, they’ll see each other in Round 2 of the ECHL playoffs. Barbashev is with the Allen Americans after being moved from the Grizzlies in March. The Americans dispatched the Idaho Steelheads in the first round in five games, with the forward producing a single assist.

Wells is with the Kansas City Mavericks and has started two playoff games. He helped the Mavericks sweep the Tahoe Knight Monsters with a .962 save percentage. 

Other than Wells and Barbashev, some notable Roadrunners alumni are participating in playoff hockey. Dakota Mermis, who played three seasons with the team, is with the Toronto Marlies, facing off against the Laval Rocket. Bokondji Imama is playing for the aforementioned Penguins after two seasons in Tucson. John Leonard spent a season with the organization and is now playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Hudson Fasching, who spent four seasons in Southern Arizona, and Dysin Mayo, who was a part of the organization for seven seasons, are both with the Cleveland Monsters in the division finals. Juuso Välimäki played four games with the Roadrunners (including three this season) and is now with the Chicago Wolves in the division finals. Finally, Jan Jeník played four seasons with the team and is now with the Ontario Reign. 

In the NHL, there aren’t that many former Roadrunners left playing. Josh Doan, Michael Kesslering, and Connor Timmins are all on the Buffalo Sabres as they battle the Montreal Canadiens. Christian Dvorak is on the Philadelphia Flyers, playing against the Carolina Hurricanes. Finally, Adin Hill is backing up Carter Hart on the Golden Knights in their series against the Anaheim Ducks.

Super Team Incoming?

Despite finishing outside of the playoffs this season, a lot of eyes will be on the Roadrunners next season. There are quite a few top prospects that will more than likely be joining the team. Cole Beaudoin, Tij Iginla, and Gabe Smith are the biggest names who will probably play in Southern Arizona next season as they leave juniors.

Caleb Desnoyers, the fourth overall pick last summer, also might be joining the Roadrunners with the new rule that allows each NHL team to assign one 19-year-old junior player to the AHL. Desnoyers has arguably outgrown the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and should benefit from playing alongside other top prospects.

Add on the fact that Hrabal, Lamoureux, Szuber, and Artem Duda will all be with the team next season, and Simashev and But might make appearances as well, the Roadrunners could be a super team next season. If all the aforementioned players are on the team, the Roadrunners will have six former first-round picks on the roster.

Since Potvin’s primary focus is the Roadrunners throughout the season, he doesn’t get a lot of time to watch those players. However, he is a big part of the Mammoth’s development camp during the summer, where he gets to see glimpses of how they play. While Potvin didn’t offer much when asked about the opportunity of potentially coaching these prospects, he is excited to see how they all improved this season.

“I wish we had more time to watch them play, but we get reports on them,” Potvin said. “We get feedback from our development staff and our general managers, and we’ve been with them in development camps and rookie tournaments, so we have an idea of what they bring. You know their history, and you’re excited about what the future looks like. That’s what our job is. We look forward to grooming young prospects and helping them achieve their next step and their level of play.”

The Roadrunners will have a good mix of older players as well, like Ben McCartney and Cameron Hebig, as well to help the rookies adjust and grow. When NHL teams load their AHL teams up like this, you often see them rocket to the top of the standings. The Rocket, Penguins, Griffins, and Wolves all had top prospects on their team this season. All of those teams were near the top of the standings and are still in the playoffs.

The Roadrunners’ best season in franchise history came in 2023-24 when the team had Doan, Kesselring, and Dylan Guenther. They finished second in their division but were dispatched in the first round. Their second-best season in history was in 2017-18 when they finished first in their division and won their first and only playoff series. Dylan Strome, Michael Bunting, Lawson Crouse, Conor Garland, and Hill were all on that team.

A team with six first-round picks and one of the top goaltender prospects could easily beat either of those teams. It could win the Roadrunners a round for the first time since 2018. Next season should be an exciting time for fans to keep an eye on the Roadrunners. It might just make history.

Goal of the Month

Even with a shorter list of candidates, there were some really nice goals in April. But actually scored two of them against the Silver Knights that could’ve easily made this list.

However, the final goal of the month for this season has to be awarded to Walker’s first goal in the April 4 game against the Silver Knights. After receiving the puck in the offensive zone, McCartney made a nice move to stop the defender from stealing the puck from him. He then fed the puck to Moore, who immediately slid it to Walker in front of the net.

Sammy Walker TIES IT UP pic.twitter.com/j2u6CGQ0an

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) April 5, 2026

Before receiving the puck, Walker fell to his knees but was able to collect the puck anyway. He tried shoving the puck in on his backhand, but the goalie made the save at first. One more backhanded shot got it into the back of the net to tie the game at three. It was a great effort by Walker to get his 11th of the season. The Silver Knights ended up winning that game 5-4.

Roadrunner Records and Transactions From Tucson

The final month of the Roadrunners season might’ve been short, but there were quite a few records and achievements that were set in April. Here are the notable ones.

• Hebig passed Russo for second all-time in franchise history for assists with 99. He trails Bunting for first place by seven assists.
• Hebig passed Bunting for most points all-time in franchise history with 187.
• McCartney tied Russo for third all-time in franchise history for assists with 92.
• Villalta passed Hill for most saves all-time in franchise history with 3,386.
• Hebig scored his 100th career goal.
• Russo played his 700th career game.
• Szuber played his 200th career game.
• Perunovich broke the franchise record for most points (49) and assists by a defenseman (40) in a single season.
• Holt played his first pro game on April 4 against the Silver Knights. He also produced his first pro goal, assist, and point on April 15 against the Gulls.
• Pšenička played his first pro game on April 15 against the Gulls. He also produced his first pro assist and point in that game as well.
• Simashev was named to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team. He is the first Roadrunners player to do so since Doan in 2023-24.
• Agozzino was named the Roadrunners’ American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. He was also named one of the 32 finalists for the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award.

With the NHL playoffs coming around, there were a lot of transactions for the Roadrunners. Here are the ones that happened.

• Holt was signed to a professional tryout (PTO) and a one-year AHL contract starting next season on April 1.
• Rooney was recalled by the Mammoth on April 3.
• Simashev was recalled by the Mammoth on April 3 and returned to the Roadrunners on April 4.
• Rooney was returned to the Roadrunners on April 4.
• Simashev was recalled and returned on April 7 and April 9.
• Rooney was recalled and returned on April 9.
• Villalta was recalled by the Mammoth on April 12.
• Rooney was recalled by the Mammoth on April 12.
• Villalta was returned to the Roadrunners on April 13.
• Pšenička was signed to an amateur tryout (ATO) on April 14.
• Jalen Luypen was released from his PTO on April 15.
• But was recalled by the Mammoth on April 17.
• Villalta, Szuber, Hebig, Lamoureux, McCartney, Perunovich, Stauber, and Agozzino were recalled by the Mammoth on April 19 to serve as black aces.
• Szuber received a two-game AHL suspension as a consequence of his slashing incident in the final game of the season.

What’s Up Next?

It will be a longer offseason than normal for the Roadrunners. However, there is quite a bit to look forward to. The NHL Draft will take place on June 26-27, where the Mammoth will draft potential future Roadrunners players. Development camp will take place at the beginning of July alongside free agency, where Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong and Ferguson will add players who could be on the team next season.

The Roadrunners’ schedule will also be released sometime this summer. Rookie camp/tournament and training camp will come in September. Blink, and you might miss it all. Until then, there are a lot of positives that came from the 10th season in franchise history. There’s also a lot to look forward to next season. The NHL’s top developmental league saw some really good prospects in Tucson in the past year. The next one will only be better.