The AHL’s All-Star Weekend allowed most of the Tucson Roadrunners to take a few much-needed days off. Now, they’re back — and hitting the road. Tucson will take on the Ontario Reign Friday night in the first game of their longest road trip of the season.
The Roadrunners will spend the next two weeks traveling to California, Texas, then back to California for a total of six games. The team won’t return to Tucson, even to practice, until Feb. 16. The team’s next home game is Feb. 17.
For a handful of Roadrunners players and coach Mike Van Ryn, there is no break at all.
Players Dylan Strome, Nick Merkley, and Kyle Capobianco all took part in Sunday’s skills challenge and Monday’s All-Star Game in Utica, New York. Van Ryn was part of the Pacific Division’s coaching staff, and former Roadrunner Craig Cunningham served as an honorary captain.
Tucson’s trio combined for 11 of the Western Conference’s 13 goals in the round-robin competition. Merkley and Capobianco led all scorers with six points each, while Strome added another four points.
The Pacific Division fell 1-0 to the Northern Division in the championship game.
Capobianco said last week that representing the team was “an honor.” And the accolades kept coming: He was recalled to the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday.
Friday’s game marks the latest showdown in a budding rivalry with the Reign. Ontario scored four second-period goals and won 6-4 when the teams met earlier last month. A game against San Diego had the same feel — Tucson led 3-0 before falling 5-3.
Tucson must be on its game to stay atop the Pacific Division. All eight teams are .500 or better. Twenty three of the Roadrunners’ final 29 games come against division foes.
