Roadrunners Report: The “Kids” Are Alright, Ingram’s Return to the Desert, & More

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The American Hockey League (AHL) regular season has kicked off. While the Utah Mammoth’s season has begun with a seven-game winning streak, their minor league affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, has had an interesting start to their season as well.

Throughout October, the Roadrunners accumulated a record of 3-4-1. Six of those eight games were at home at the Tucson Convention Center. The team currently sits in fifth place in the Pacific Division. Here’s everything you need to know about the Roadrunners from October.

October’s Results

The Roadrunners started their season off on the road, splitting the two-game series with the Ontario Reign. They then went 2-3-1 at home against the Calgary Wranglers, Manitoba Moose, and Bakersfield Condors. Here are the results from October.

5-4 W (OT) @ Ontario, 4-2 L @ Ontario, 5-4 W (OT) vs Calgary, 4-3 L (OT) vs Calgary, 5-1 W vs Bakersfield, 3-1 L vs Bakersfield, 2-0 L vs Manitoba, 4-3 L vs Manitoba

The “Kids” Are Alright

Last season, offense was at times an issue for the Roadrunners. With a couple of new faces, that hasn’t been a problem this season. Halfway through the six-game homestand, six players were at or above a point per game rate.

While that settled down towards the final game of the month, the offense still has been quite impressive considering the Roadrunners had six new players who had never played with the team before this season.

One of the biggest stories early in the season has been Daniil But. The Russian rookie was drafted 12th overall in 2023 and has been one of the most anticipated prospects in the Mammoth pipeline. After an impressive preseason and camp, it was anticipated that he would be a big part of the Roadrunners this season. That’s exactly what he’s been doing so far.

But scored his first goal during the Roadrunners’ home opener with a brilliant flurry of moves to get to the front of the net. Since then, he’s scored two more goals and tallied five points in eight games.

“He’s had that experience in Russia,” head coach Steve Potvin said. “He’s been a pro player before. He’s really taking advantage of the opportunity to be in those situations. We can obviously see that he’s got that type of upside, and we want to try to maximize his abilities. He’s been doing a real good job being poised and finding the next play.”

Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong has mentioned that But’s stay in the AHL probably won’t be long. Giving him time to develop and getting used to hockey in North America in the AHL is probably the best move for his career. 

Daniil But Tucson Roadrunners
Daniil But, Tucson Roadrunners (Photo credit: Kate Dibildox)

Another newcomer who has made a big impact early on is Kevin Rooney. Signed on the eve of the start of the NHL season, the forward was initially meant to be an addition to provide offense and physicality that was missing from the Roadrunners thanks to the departure of Curtis Douglas. However, he’s been way better than expected.

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Rooney scored in his first game with the Roadrunners. He scored two more times across three more games to have three goals in four games, along with one assist. 

“I’m feeling great,” Rooney said. “I had a really good summer, and I know it was a late signing, but I just kept working hard throughout the summer, and I’m glad things are paying off. A lot of credit goes to the staff here for putting me in positions to succeed. My linemates have been awesome, too. It’s been a good start, so hopefully we can keep it going.”

For Rooney, his production impressed the organization so much that he received a call-up after his fourth game with the Roadrunners. While he has yet to play a game for the Mammoth, seeing him get another shot in the NHL is great for the Roadrunners. Ultimately, that’s the goal of the team. Get as many players as you can into the NHL.

The Usual Suspects

Outside of the newcomers, there are plenty of returnees who have been producing well for the Roadrunners. One of whom is Sammy Walker, who didn’t get an NHL contract over the summer but rather an AHL contract with the Roadrunners.

Walker has been playing in the top six, mainly with But and either Andrew Agozzino or Rooney. He has played exceptionally well with six points in eight games. The best part of his line is that he’s been able to set up But for some great goals, including his great individual effort on a goal against the Condors to help power his team to a 3-1 win.

“I’m just trying to get better every day, trying to contribute as much as I can to the team for wins, whether that’s on the score sheet or just little things to always keep the team moving forward,” Walker said.

Speaking of Walker and his line, they received a new linemate after their fourth game of the season with the call-up of Rooney. In four games since being sent down, Agozzino has produced three points, helping the But and Walker duo continue thriving despite changing up the line.

Agozzino made the Mammoth roster right out of training camp, which was surprising but deserved. He appeared in two games before becoming a healthy scratch and eventually being sent down. Despite this, he wasted no time reacclimating to the AHL, calling it an easy transition back.

“All the guys here and the systems are the same, so I’m obviously familiar with everything here,” Agozzino said. “It was not hard at all.”

A lot of the other usual stars for the Roadrunners have been producing decently as well. Ben McCartney scored the first goal of the season for the team and hasn’t looked back since. He’s now up to seven points in eight games. That includes scoring his 50th and 51st goals of his AHL career against the Condors.

Ben McCartney Tucson Roadrunners
Ben McCartney, Tucson Roadrunners (Photo credit: Kate Dibildox)

Austin Poganski hasn’t been a slouch either. He has five points in eight games and has looked solid on a line with McCartney. 

Finally, you have to talk about the mayor of Tucson, Cameron Hebig. At the end of October, he led the Roadrunners in goals (four) and points (eight). Of course, three of those points came in the final game against the Moose. As of right now, it looks like he is poised for another good season in Tucson.

Struggles in Tucson

Unfortunately for the Roadrunners, they’ve never been known for sweeping a series, at least last season. That trend has continued into this season. They’ve split every series so far except for the series against the Moose, which turned into a sweep against them.

Now, most of these teams that the Roadrunners have faced have had former NHL players or big-name prospects on their teams. However, that’s no excuse for the Roadrunners, who have guys like Maveric Lamoureux and But on their team.

Diving deeper into it, the main issue behind the Roadrunners’ struggles has been a lack of discipline. As of right now, the Roadrunners are the fifth most penalized team in the AHL with 42 penalties so far. Their penalty kill currently sits at 81%, the 14th best in the league.

While their penalty kill has been alright, taking that many penalties will keep the Roadrunners from getting on the man advantage themselves or, at the very least, having that many offensive opportunities. 

“I’m keeping an eye on our puck management,” Potvin said. “Are we being disciplined in practice? If we’re not, there has to be consequences. There has to be a solution to not taking penalties.”

Some penalties have been fine to take. Ones that prevent a goal from going in, or even Montana Onyebuchi’s fight in the Wranglers series. However, just because your penalty kill is good doesn’t mean you should take penalties.

“Our penalty kill has been pretty good so far,” Potvin said. “I’d like to see us not take uncharacteristic penalties at the start of a period. It just shows a complete lack of focus. You have to have that focus. That’s something we’re going to continue to strive for.”

Potvin is not scared to make changes if the team isn’t performing. The Roadrunners have plenty of players waiting in the stands for an opportunity. In their final game against the Moose, Potvin did exactly that. Out came Sam Lipkin, Miko Matikka, and Kevin Connauton. In came Tyler Tullio, Ryan McGregor, and Lleyton Moore.

A shakeup was needed. While it didn’t work against the Moose, it sent a message to the locker room. Winning or, at the very least, a good effort needs to happen, especially with the amount of talent on the team. 

“Attitude, behavior,” Potvin said. “They deserve a shot. McGregor’s been around for a while. He’s a player that that’s earned his stripes here. We had lost two in a row, so we inserted some fresh legs & tried to get chemistry & push.”

We’ll see if Potvin continues to roll with this lineup moving forward. The good and bad thing about the AHL is that the roster is always changing due to the NHL teams having to acclimate to injuries or underperforming players. He’ll most likely have more options to choose from if struggles continue.

A Net Divided

The Roadrunners have also been lucky that Matt Villalta has been outstanding for them. He’s currently ninth in the AHL in shots faced with 179. Villalta also has a .916 save percentage and a 2.48 goals against average stat line. 

Perhaps what was the most impressive performance out of any Roadrunner this season came from Villalta against the Moose. He recorded 49 saves on 50 shots to fall just one short of tying Marek Langhamer for the franchise record of most saves in a game. It’s also the most shots an AHL goaltender has faced in a single game this season.

Despite losing the game, Villalta had a more positive look at his incredible performance. He’s doing what he loves most, so how could he not have fun?

“When you’re having fun, you play your best,” Villalta said. “My goal is to enjoy every day, every moment & live in my shoes. Tonight, I felt I was in the moment. When you get hit by pucks, it’s a lot better.”

Matt Villalta Tucson Roadrunners
Matt Villalta, Tucson Roadrunners (Photo credit: Kate Dibildox)

On the flip side, his partner, Jaxson Stauber, is still looking for his first win this season. After a fantastic performance in the AHL playoffs last season against the Abbotsford Canucks, Stauber has struggled this season with a record of 0-3-1. He also has an .851 save percentage. 

Similar to the actual lineup, Potvin won’t be afraid to mix up the goaltending either. Villalta will most likely get more games going forward, given his strong effort. Perhaps even Dylan Wells will get a call-up after he was named the ECHL’s goalie of the week. Either way, Stauber needs to find a way to get a win quickly.

Connor Ingram’s Return to the Desert

The biggest story from southern Arizona in October was arguably Connor Ingram’s return to the desert with the Condors. While Ingram only played one game for the Roadrunners in his career, he spent two seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, including his final year, where he won the Masterton Trophy.

Most of the Roadrunners players know him well. One of them is McCartney, who has known him ever since the Coyotes era. 

“He’s a great guy,” McCartney said. “I have nothing but respect for Ingy. He’s been awesome to me throughout the Coyotes days and last year in Utah. I wish him all the best. I have only good things to say about him.”

Ingram was traded to the Edmonton Oilers franchise this past summer when both the Mammoth and the goaltender agreed to part ways. He was assigned to the Condors when he was flipped.

Agozzino has spent a considerable amount of time with Ingram as well. Just like McCartney, he wishes Ingram nothing but the best and is glad the goaltender is back doing what he loves.

“It’s great to see him back playing, doing what he loves, and I’m really happy for him,” Agozzino said. “It was great to see him out there.”

Unfortunately for Ingram, it wasn’t a great return to the desert for him. He made 24 saves on 29 shots, losing his second game back. He currently has a 1-2-1 record with a .848 save percentage.

It’ll take some time for Ingram to get used to pro hockey again. Before this season, he hadn’t played hockey since Feb. 22 in a game against the LA Kings. Luckily, the AHL doesn’t provide as much stress as the NHL does. Especially in a small market like Bakersfield that doesn’t have a lot of media attention, he’ll be given every opportunity to get back to his winning ways.

“Anytime you see anybody, whether they’re a teammate or somebody that goes through any type of adversity like that, you’re always rooting for them,” Potvin said. “You hope that they’re doing well, and they get back into the game. We’re happy to see him back. He’s a top goalie. We’re happy to see that he’s got some wind under his sails now.”

Roadrunner Records and Transactions From Tucson

October provided quite a bit of action in the record category for the Roadrunners. Here are all the notable achievements made by Roadrunner players this month.

  • Hebig tied Jan Jeník for fifth all-time in franchise history for assists (74). When he passes him, he’ll need six more to pass Robbie Russo for fourth place and seven more to pass Michael Carcone for third.
  • Villalta made 49 saves against the Moose to record the second-most saves in a single game in franchise history. He only needed one more save to tie Marek Langhamer for the record (50).
  • Maksymilian Szuber produced his 50th AHL career assist off a Poganski goal against the Moose. He is currently in 15th place in Roadrunners franchise history in that category.
  • McCartney passed Hudson Fasching for fifth all-time in franchise history for goals with his second goal of the season. McCartney now has 52 goals and trails fourth-place Lane Pederson by six.
  • McCartney also passed Kyle Capobianco for sixth all-time in franchise history for points. He now has 119 points and trails fifth-place Jeník by one point.

On the flip side, there weren’t many transactions or call-ups made by the Mammoth/Roadrunners since the beginning of the season. Here are the transactions from October.

  • Rooney was recalled by the Mammoth. In a corresponding move, Agozzino was sent down to the Roadrunners.

What’s Up Next?

The Roadrunners have already kicked off November with a trip to Iowa to play the Iowa Wild. The two teams split that series, with the Roadrunners winning Game 1 3-0 and losing Game 2 5-4.

The Roadrunners will play a total of 11 games in November. Seven of those games will be at home. One to watch out for is a series against the defending Calder Cup champions and the team that knocked the Roadrunners out of the playoffs last season, the Canucks.

Other notable games include Nov. 8 against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, which is when the Roadrunners will debut their new black alternates, Nov. 22-23, when the team hosts the defending Pacific Division champions Colorado Eagles, and Nov. 26, as the Roadrunners take on the San Diego Gulls in the first I-8 border battle of the season.

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