Roadrunners close out homestand with 'Swiftie Night,' alumni game and other crowd-friendly promos at Tucson Arena

This weekend for the Tucson Roadrunners will feature music, friendship bracelets, throwback uniforms, Wildcats, Coyotes alumni and, of course, a lot of hockey.

The Roadrunners (29-15-2-1) close out their current homestand by hosting the Bakersfield Condors (24-17-2-2) for a pair on Friday and Saturday nights.

Friday will be “Swiftie Night” where the Roadrunners will play Taylor Swift music during the game, sell a ticket package with friendship bracelets, and also have a station to make bracelets — all meant to mimic the phenomenon of Swift’s recent concert tour over the last year or so. The promotional graphics for the game say “2024 Dusty’s Version” — a throw to Swift’s “Taylor’s Version” musical re-recordings.

Roadrunners president Bob Hoffman said the reception for the game has been ahead of expectations. Hoffman and the team expect a big crowd at Tucson Arena Friday.

“I don’t know if any of us has ever seen anything like it as far just how popular Taylor Swift is right now coming out of the Super Bowl,” Hoffman said, “coming out of really just her tour and all those different areas and we have so many fans from all different age groups and we really try to drive that kind of family friendly entrainment piece and it really felt like it was a nice fit.”

Then, on Saturday, the Roadrunners will partner with the Arizona Wildcats hockey program for “Hockey Day in Southern Arizona.” UA will play a team of Arizona Coyotes and Roadrunners alumni at 4:30 p.m.; tickets will be for both games of the doubleheader.

Hoffman said partnering with the Wildcats was a perfect fit.

Although playing Coyotes alumni has become a tradition for the UA, this year they added former Roadrunners.

“The combination with the U of A and their hockey program just made a lot of sense to us,” Hoffman said.

Tucson’s current AHL team will sport Phoenix Roadrunners throwbacks from about 50 years ago. Replicas have been available in the team shop but the organization will auction off the game worn ones after the game.

The Roadrunners previously wore throwback jerseys in 2019 that will mostly blue and silver. This year they are blue and yellow.

“I’m a huge fan of them,” said Tucson forward Josh Doan.

“Obviously it’s something that shows hockey kinda belongs in The Valley,” Doan said, either purposefully or coincidentally, as a tip of the cap to the NHL’s Coyotes’ efforts to build a new arena int he Phoenix area. “It’s shows how far back the sport has gone here and stayed here so It’s something that we’re all looking forward to.”

Doan goals

Entering this week, only one person has mentioned to Doan that he’s in striking distance of the Roadrunners’ single-season goal-scoring record; but that person is an authority on the subject.

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With 21 goals and 25 regular season games left, Doan could have a shot at the team of 31 that Michael Carcone set last year.

“It would be something really cool,” Doan said. “I think the only one who’s said anything so far is to me is about it is Michael Carcone.

“He called the other day and was teasing me about it,” Doan added. “But other than that, it’s something that when you get close, it’s something you’d might like to achieve but right now it’s still (far off).”

Doan has scored a goal in Tucson’s last five games and has six goals over the last eight played. He had three points in the Roadrunners’ win over the Ontario Reign on Saturday.

He has 21 goals and 35 points in his first full season with the Roadrunners and Tucson head coach Steve Potvin said he thinks he can break the record.

“Oh I think there’s always a chance,” Potvin said. “There’s no doubt I think with the type of focus that he has I think there’s for sure a good chance but I think he’s just one of those guys that shows up ready to play because he loves it so much so I think he has a chance for sure.”

As of press time, Doan is the ninth in the league in goals, second in goals among rookies and first in game winning goals with eight.

Goalie shuffle

After the Coyotes recalled goalie Matthew Villalta, the Roadrunners signed Jared Moe to take the second goaltender spot rather than bring back Anson Thornton.

Tucson had sent the 20-year-old Thornton to the ECHL’s Reading Royals the week before Villalta got called up.

Potvin said they didn’t bring back Thornton because they wanted him to get playing time; Thornton is 2-1-0-0 for Tucson this year.