Led by a resurgent goalie Jaxson Stauber, the Tucson Roadrunners swept the Calgary Wranglers, again.
Tucson beat Calgary 5-2 on Friday and then 4-0 on Sunday, with Stauber in goal.
Tucson Roadrunners goalie Jaxson Stauber (30) gets ready for the San Diego Gulls on Dec. 31, 2025.
Tucson head coach Steve Potvin said though he thought the team has been playing well this year, it’s the first time this season all facets of the game came together for the Roadrunners.
“I thought it was really good, I thought we did a lot of really good things that we've been working on and I think all parts of our game, the offensive part, the defensive part, our goaltending, I think, came together and when we did make mistakes we were able to kind of nip it in the bud right away,” Potvin said.
On Friday, the Roadrunners (14-12-5-0) open up a two-game series against the Iowa Wild (10-21-1-1). Iowa is the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.
It’s also the start of a six-game home stand for Tucson.
Stauber recorded his second shutout of the season and fourth in four seasons in the AHL. It came after Tucson blew a 3-0 lead against San Diego on Dec. 31, giving up three third-period goals in a 4-3 overtime loss.
“It's good, I think we learned from that third period and we were much better as a group and and the guys played really well in front of me and I think that can be used as momentum for us, as well,” Stauber said.
Stauber (4-7-4) hasn’t had as many wins this season, but has won two of his last three starts.
“The results haven't been there, which has been a little bit frustrating at times for sure, but if I keep doing the right things, keep working at my game, keep improving that, those things will eventually work themselves out,” Stauber said. “So, yeah, it's been, like I said, it's been a little frustrating at times, but just trying to say positive with it and do whatever I can to help the team.”
Tucson Roadrunners' goalie Jaxson Stauber in action vs. the San Diego Gulls on New Year's Eve.
He had 21 saves on Sunday and won the game’s first star award.
On New Year’s Day, goalie Matthew Villalta returned to Tucson’s roster. Utah called him up on Dec. 29 after placing net minder Karel Vejmelka on the IR.
Villalta served as backup goalie for the Mammoth’s 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators.
Villalta (10-5-1) ended up just missing Tucson’s San Diego loss. Villalta returned to make 18 saves in Tucson’s 5-2 win over Calgary on Friday.
Tullio lights up old teams
Tucson right wing Ty Tullio scored one of the goals against Calgary, continuing his success against his former teams.
Tullio played last season for Calgary. This year, he has clicked with linemates, center Ryan McGregor and forward Sam Lipkin.
Tucson Roadrunners' Ty Tullio (17) takes on the San Diego Gulls Dec. 31, 2025.
“He's been playing very well, he and his line mates,” Potvin said. “The three of them have been really playing a simple brand of hockey and they're buying into what it takes to win shifts and when you do that, those guys have the ability to be productive offensively; if you're forcing teams to always have to go through you, you’re going to be able to get exit kills and then be able to transition into offense and they've been doing that really well.
“The three of them, as soon as they lose possession of the puck, there's automatic strides, they're above, then they can use their skill to attack their defense that's weak, so it's been great and I love to see it continue.”
The first-year Roadrunner also had three points, including a couple goals, against Bakersfield on Dec. 13. He played there for two seasons.
A lasting impression
Defenseman Juuso Välimäki came to Tucson and quickly left, marking one of the more compelling Roadrunners careers.
In four games as a Roadrunner, the 2017 first-round draft pick by the Calgary Flames suffered a torn ACL in his only game for Tucson last year on Feb. 28, and then this season picked up three points in three games.
Last week, he made his season debut on New Year’s Eve after clearing waivers from being sent down by the Mammoth. Then, in two games against his former employer, Calgary, he had a goal and two assists.
On Monday, Utah traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes for future considerations. Carolina assigned him to its AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
“He had a bunch of points and it just kind of cements our thoughts on what it is to be a pro,” Potvin said. “He was pretty positive, he knew exactly what was expected of him, and he asked many questions to make sure that he knew what was expected and he just came down with such a positive attitude and for the love of the game.”
Yoga and wizards weekend
Friday is Health & Wellness Night, featuring a pregame yoga on ice session at 4:30 p.m., led by McKenna Williams.
A ticket package includes the yoga and a Roadrunners-branded towel.
Then Saturday is Wizards & Witches Night, a Harry Potter-type promotion. The Roadrunners are encouraging fans to wear robes and capes and bring wands, while the in-game entertainment will be magical themed.
Labor peace
On Wednesday, the AHL announced it had reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.
The ECHL, a tier below the AHL, experienced a strike in late December that led to 41 games being postponed. The AHL wasn’t close to a work stoppage.
The CBA needs to be ratified by the AHL Board of Governors and by the PHPA’s AHL membership.
