More than 5,000 were howlin’ for NHL hockey Saturday in Southern Arizona, and not just because the Tucson Arena speaker system told them to do so over and over (and over) again.
The National Hockey League’s Arizona Coyotes wrapped up their 2023 preseason schedule with a demonstrative 7-1 blowout of the Anaheim Ducks in front of an announced Tucson Arena crowd of 5,180. The Tempe-based Coyotes held a preseason game in Tucson for the second consecutive season, this go-round before opening regular-season play Friday at New Jersey.
Every time the de facto “home” team — the Coyotes, of course, borrowing the home rink of their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, for the afternoon — scored a goal, the arena loudspeakers roared a rendition of “Howlin’ for you” by rock band The Black Keys. It’s the same tune played when the Coyotes score a goal at Mullett Arena, their home rink up in Tempe.
And it blasted all seven times Saturday, with Coyotes goals coming off the sticks of Nick Bjugstad, former Roadrunner Lawson Crouse, Jack McBain, Liam O’Brien, Matt Dumba and Sean Durzi each notching one goal. Rookie Logan Cooley scored, too, potting a second-period penalty shot to grow an already wide Arizona lead even further.
Arizona Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) stones Anaheim Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov (34) on a breakaway in the third period of the clubs' NHL preseason game Saturday at Tucson Arena.
While the game featured likely NHLers for both teams, the Coyotes’ lineup certainly carried a bit of a Tucson flare.
Forward Michael Carcone, the American Hockey League’s leading scorer last year and owner of a multitude of Roadrunners’ scoring records set during his three-year tenure in Tucson, had a pair of assists Saturday in his former home building.
“That was a special one,” Carcone said postgame. “Everyone, including the guys in that room made it special for me. You know, they’re giving it to me before the game, but just in good fun. It was definitely special. It was nice to be back.”
Other current or former Roadrunners rostered for Arizona include goaltender Ivan Prosvetov, who didn’t play but served as backup to starter Karel Vejmelka (Vejmelka stopped 29 of 30 Anaheim shots against only losing the shutout when the Ducks scored midway through the third period).
Forward Matias Maccelli, the wunderkind Finnish forward who wowed Tucson fans in 2021-22 before quickly earning a permanent spot with the Coyotes, was also dressed in Arizona’s black Kachina home jersey. He picked up an assist.
Arizona Coyotes center Nick Bjugstad (17) gets tied up trying to scoop the puck over Anahaim Ducks goaltender Alex Stalock (32) in the second period of the clubs’ NHL preseason matchup at Tucson Arena Saturday. It was the second consecutive year the NHL’s Coyotes have held a preseason game in Tucson, with more than 5,100 on hand this go-round.
Former Roadrunners forward Barrett Hayton and defenseman JJ Moser were also in the lineup, while Victor Soderstrom, a stalwart on Tucson’s blueline in recent seasons, played Saturday as well. One way or the other, Soderstrom will likely be one of the last decisions Coyotes management has to make a call on in terms of whether to keep him in Tempe or have the defenseman start the year in Tucson again.
“I said to the group in our first meeting: their job was to earn not just a spot on the team (but) a role on the team,” Coyotes coach André Tourigny said postgame, “and to make it extremely tough on us, and they did.
“The good thing,” he added, “is we can not go wrong. Whatever direction we are going these guys are really good players and they will help us moving forward. There’s nobody in the camp where I say, ‘meh, he didn’t have the camp I was hoping for.’ So we’re really happy about that. Tough decisions are a good problem.”
On playing a game in Tucson for the second straight year, Tourigny was impressed with the crowd and its obvious connection to the “home” Coyotes in particular.
“It’s cool to see. You play a game not in your own building but you see a lot of jerseys, people who know your players — especially the players who played here in the past,” Tourigny said. “It’s a familiar environment. You can see the feeling of belonging around the community here for the ’Yotes, so that’s fun.”
As for the Roadrunners, the regular season is what’s next, too. Tucson is two weeks away from opening up the home portion of its 2023-24 AHL schedule at Tucson Arena; that will be Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
Before that, the Roadrunners open up on the road this coming Friday in Cedar Park, Texas, just outside Austin, when they take on the Texas Stars at 5 p.m.
VIDEO: Arizona Coyotes forward Logan Cooley scores via a penalty shot in the second period of the Coyotes' 7-1 blowout win over the Anaheim Ducks during an NHL preseason game at Tucson Arena, home of the Tucson Roadrunners, the Coyotes' AHL affiliate. (Brett Fera/Arizona Daily Star)
VIDEO: Arizona Coyotes forward Logan Cooley scores via a penalty shot in the second period of the Coyotes' 7-1 blowout win over the Anaheim Ducks during an NHL preseason game at Tucson Arena, home of the Tucson Roadrunners, the Coyotes' AHL affiliate. (Brett Fera/Arizona Daily Star)
VIDEO: Arizona Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez discusses the NHL’s Coyotes playing an annual preseason game in Tucson, the club’s new TV deal and more. (Video courtesy Tucson Roadrunners)
VIDEO: Former Tucson Roadrunners scoring champion and current Arizona Coyotes forward Michael Carcone discusses Arizona's 7-1 preseason blowout win over the Anaheim Ducks Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 in Tucson. For the second consecutive season the Coyotes played a preseason game in Tucson, home of the club's AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. (Video courtesy Tucson Roadrunners)
VIDEO: Arizona Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny discusses his team's 7-1 preseason blowout win over the Anaheim Ducks Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 in Tucson. For the second consecutive season the Coyotes played a preseason game in Tucson, home of the club's AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. (Video courtesy Tucson Roadrunners)
Photos: Coyotes dismantle the Ducks 7-1 at Tucson Arena, NHL preseason
Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) stones Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov (34) on a breakaway in the third period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov (34) holds Coyotes center Logan Cooley (92), saves the goal, gives up a penalty shot that Cooley converted in the second period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Coyotes forward Sean Durzi (50) goes down under the pressure from Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) scrapping along the boards in the third period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Ducks defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (46) goes head-to-head with Coyotes center Barrett Hayton (29) as Ducks goaltender Alex Stalock (32) stuffs his shot in the third period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Coyotes forward Zach Sanford (12) hits the ice fighting for the puck with Ducks defenseman Lassi Thomson (29), left, and Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe (60) in the third period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Ducks goaltender Alex Stalock (32) dives to poke the puck from Coyotes center Logan Cooley (92) in the third period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Ducks goaltender Alex Stalock (32) sprawls out to block a shot from Coyotes defenseman Sean Durzi (50) in the second period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Coyotes center Nick Bjugstad (17) gets tied up trying to scoop the puck over Ducks goaltender Alex Stalock (32) in the second period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba (24) shoots just wide past Ducks goaltender Alex Stalock (32) in the first period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Ducks left wing Brock McGinn (26) is surrounded by Coyotes chasing a loose puck in front of the Arizona crease in the first period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) dives on the puck with defenseman Juuso Valimaki (4) trying to fend off Ducks center Benoit-Olivier Groulx (50) in the first period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz (8) tries to pick his way through Ducks center Adam Henrique (14), left, right wing Troy Terry (19) and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (46) at mid-ice in the third period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz (8) keeps the puck from the long stab of Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov in the third period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Coyotes center Jack McBain (22), left, grabs center Liam O'Brien (38) after O’Brien poked home a goal in the second period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba (24) elbows his way past Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) along the boards in the second period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Ducks defenseman Urho Vaakanainen (5), left, and goaltender Alex Stalock (32) force Coyotes center Alexander Kerfoot (15) wide of the target in the first period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) stops a shot through traffic including Ducks left wing Brock McGinn (26) in the first period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Coyotes left wing Michael Carcone (53) out-skates two Ducks defenders on a break in the first period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
Ducks center Mason McTavish (23) fires a shot into the stick of Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) in the first period of their NHL pre-season game at Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz., October 7, 2023.
