The Tucson Roadrunners’ week in Texas was about as bad as it gets in any sport, any year. The Roadrunners went 0-3 and were eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs, negating potential games at the Tucson Arena on Sunday and Monday. The American Hockey League is so difficult, filled with 30 NHL affiliates, that you never know when the Roadrunners will again go as deep into the playoffs as they did this year. Yet coach Mike Van Ryn’s team established a winning identity this season, and the franchise slowly but surely made a mark on the Tucson sports landscape. The Roadrunners won’t see the Texas Stars as often next year; the AHL is adding the Colorado Eagles to the Pacific Division in 2018-19, which means the Stars will move to the Central Division.
