The Tucson Roadrunners lost 7-3 on Tuesday to the Henderson Silver Knights but their new “juggernaut line” continued to shine, scoring all three goals.
Tucson right wing Austin Poganski scored the game’s opening goal 59 seconds in, and forward Kailer Yamamoto scored a pair in the third period to tie it 3-3. Their other line mate, Cameron Hebig, tallied three assists.
Tucson’s previous “juggernaut line” of left wing Travis Barron, center Curtis Douglas and right wing Hunter Drew was more known for their toughness than scoring.
“They’ve been our quote unquote juggernaut line now,” said Tucson head coach Steve Potvin about Yamamoto/Hebig/Poganski. “That line’s doing a lot of really good things and they’re capitalizing and being very productive and we’re lucky to have them and we want them to take the next step.”
Tucson (19-16-2-0) is on a four-game winless streak after losing 5-4 in overtime to the Henderson Silver Knights on Monday and then 7-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights’ affiliate on Tuesday.
The Tucson Roadrunners lost to the Henderson Silver Knights 7-3 at the Tucson Convention Center on Tuesday. Austin Poganski (27) and Kailer Yamamoto, not pictured, scored for the Roadrunners.
They look to get off the schneid when they host the Abbotsford Canucks (20-15-1-1) on Friday and Saturday nights. The Canucks are the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.
Yamamoto has five points in his last five games.
“It’s been good, but it doesn’t matter about our own,” Yamamoto said about how his line has played. “We’re not winning games, it doesn’t really matter how good we’ve been to be completely honest.”
Hebig has 12 points in nine games in 2025 and has a points streak of six games, the second-longest streak by a Roadrunner this season.
Yamamoto said Hebig has grown more confident since he first got into the league and sees the ice a lot better.
“It’s awesome to see him have a breakout year,” Yamamoto said. “I played with him in Bakersfield when I was younger, so just to see him have a break out like this it’s awesome and I hope he really keeps it up.”
Hebig has also moved into third place on the most regular games played list for the Roadrunners with 254. With 35 games left in the season, he could move past the record of 279 this year.
“He’s been working so hard and doing the right things and showing up every day with the real intent to get better, it’s a hard thing to do that,” Potvin said. “It takes a lot of courage to stand in there and literally be focused every single day in this type of environment and make sure that you’re trying to do the best you can to ignore distractions. No matter how the team is playing or what’s happening in the standings or call ups or contracts or who he’s playing with. He’s just showing up every single day the same person and it takes a lot of courage to do that.”
Chasing the Canucks
Although Tucson lost both games to the Silver Knights, they earned a point from the overtime defeat and remain in the seventh and final playoff spot in the division.
The Roadrunners are three points ahead of the eighth-place Bakersfield Condors and two points behind sixth-place Abbotsford.
The Roadrunners are 3-1 against the Canucks this season, having swept them in Canada on Dec. 20-21.
“It’s gonna be a tough series, there’s no doubt, obviously the last time we played them, we beat them twice at home, I don’t think they’re very impressed with that,” Potvin said Tuesday. “So we’ve got to be on our toes and prepare well for it. I mean, we’ve got two days here to regroup.
“We plan on doing that and gotta be ready to get back some of the points we just lost this week.”
After going 2-2 against Abbotsford last season, Tucson plays them eight times this year. They play again Feb. 22-23 north of the border.
Tucson is eight points behind the second-place Coachella Valley Firebirds and six points behind the fourth-place Ontario Reign, who hold the last home-ice advantage spot in the first round of the playoffs.
Hold the Mayo
Former Roadrunner Dysin Mayo had a chance to get a point on Tuesday but missed on a penalty shot.
Mayo, who the Arizona Coyotes traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in February 2023 for defenseman Shea Weber and a 2023 fifth-round pick, played in Tucson from the inaugural 2016-17 year to then.
Mayo tops the Roadrunners’ most regular season games list with 279. Current Roadrunners Travis Barron (214 games, fifth) and Ben McCartney (184 games, eighth) are also in the top 10 along with Hebig.
Mayo has one point (an assist) in four games against Tucson this season.
With the pick, Arizona selected defenseman Justin Kipkie, who is playing juniors in the Western Hockey League for the Victoria Royals.
Sibling rivalry
Second-year Roadrunners right wing Aku Räty (38) has 14 points in 36 games this season.
With Abbotsford coming to town, it means brothers Aku Räty and Aatu Räty will face off again.
Canucks center Aatu Räty won Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 19 after tallying nine points over four games last week.
This is Aatu Räty’s fifth season in the AHL, and he has 20 points in 21 games.
Second-year Roadrunners right wing Aku Räty has 14 points in 36 games this season after getting 44 points in 57 in his rookie campaign, but he has three points (including 2 goals) against Abbotsford, while Aatu Räty has two points (both assists) against Tucson the last two years.
