When Kyle Capobianco was quizzed earlier this week about the likelihood he’d again represent the Tucson Roadrunners as an American Hockey League All-Star, the mild-mannered defenseman was, naturally, noncommittal.
He heaped praise on his teammates and deflected credit to the Roadrunners coaching staff.
Capobianco may never admit it, but the Roadrunners most consistent offensive force this season and the only defenseman among the AHL’s 31 teams to lead his team in scoring must have known it would be a formality for any sort of AHL All-Star announcement this week to include his name.
That announcement came Thursday, just as the Roadrunners (17-9-3-1) headed west for matchups Friday at the Stockton Heat (14-15-3-0) and Saturday at the Bakersfield Condors (16-12-1-1). Capobianco and forward Conor Garland will represent the Roadrunners and the Pacific Division at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, Jan. 27-28.
“Our team’s having a lot of success, like last year, and when our team has success, I have success,” Capobianco said. “We’re all moving the puck well and our offense is doing pretty well, and that helps my game. I like joining the rush, and playing with (Robbie) Russo back there has helped me a lot.”
Roadrunners right wing Conor Garland (8) earned his spot at the AHL's All-Star event. The Coyotes called up Garland to the NHL in December.
Garland’s first AHL All-Star nod came a month to the day since he was promoted to the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes.
He hasn’t skated for Tucson since Dec. 2, but despite missing 12 Roadrunners games, Garland is tied for third in both goals (eight) and points (19). With the Coyotes, Garland has two goals and two assists in 13 contests.
“A lot of guys could have gone. We’ve had a great start,” Garland said. “And it’s nice to be in my home state as well.
“It’s a huge honor.”
Garland, 22, hails from Scituate, Massachusetts, located just south of Boston on the state’s Atlantic shore and a little more than a two-hour drive to Springfield.
Capobianco, 21, made his NHL debut for the Coyotes in December 2017, in Boston, with family — parents July and Tony in particular — in the crowd at TD Garden.
His parents were at last year’s All-Star Classic in Utica, New York, and in Tucson last weekend to see Kyle play at Tucson Arena after spending the Christmas holiday with family in the Phoenix-area. They’ll plan later this month to trek the 450 or so miles from their home outside Toronto to Springfield’s MassMutual Center for the All-Star Classic.
The overall Roadrunners contingent in Springfield won’t be as plentiful as 2018’s event.
Capobianco, current forward Nick Merkley, former forward Dylan Strome and former coach Mike Van Ryn were all in Utica a year ago, as was Tucson captain-turned-Coyotes scout Craig Cunningham as an honorary captain.
The AHL’s All-Star Classic is similar to its NHL counterpart. In addition to a skills competition, teams of 12 representing each of the league’s four divisions will compete in a round-robin, 3-on-3 mini-tournament. In 2018, Merkley and Capobianco finished 1-2 in points scored during the event.
“It was an awesome experience. A lot of my family was there, and then sharing it with Merks and Stromer was pretty cool,” Capobianco said.
Andrew Campbell, the Roadrunners’ 2017-18 captain now with the Rockford Ice Hogs, will serve as a captain at this year’s classic.
In the meantime the Roadrunners will try to rebound Friday night after being snakebit last weekend by the same Stockton squad.
After taking the opener at home, 5-2, Tucson blew a two-goal lead Saturday and lost 3-2. Entering this weekend, Tucson sits four points behind the first-place San Jose Barracuda, and four points ahead of Bakersfield, the San Diego Gulls and Colorado Eagles in the Pacific Division race.
