Roadrunners and alternate captain Andrew Agozzino hit hot streak at home

Tucson Roadrunners center Andrew Agozzino is on a hot streak just as a familiar foe comes to town.

With a goal and an assist in Tucson’s 3-0 win over the Henderson Silver Knights on Saturday, Agozzino has points in 7 of his last 8 games, getting 4 goals and 4 assists. He has a point streak of three games.

“Agozzino was great (Saturday),” said Tucson head coach Steve Potvin about the Kleinberg, Ontario native’s second game of the Henderson series. “I like this track and I like this defensive structure, I like this leadership on the bench, he was always this poised and calm under pressure and let some of the frustration go the other night and finished the game pretty strongly, both nights.”

Agozzino credits his run of good form from working well with teammates like right wing Egor Sokolov, forward Josh Doan, forward Kailer Yamamoto and defenseman Robbie Russo.

“I think it’s good chemistry with Soko and Doaner, we read off each other really well,” Agozzino said. “I played with Soko a few years ago, so we’re still familiar with one another but those guys make it real easy to play and obviously our special teams, our power play has been doing really well and obviously having those guys, plus Yamo and Russo on there, we’ve found a great chemistry on the power play so that definitely helps.”

The Tucson Roadrunners (12-10) host their I-8 Border Cup rivals the San Diego Gulls (8-12-1-2) on Monday and Wednesday this week in a rare home series not on consecutive days. The Gulls are the Anaheim Ducks’ affiliate.

Agozzino played for San Diego last season and in 2021.

“It’s funny in that there’s relationships from previous years that you catch up with guys and, you know, chat, but kind of once the puck drops all that kind of goes away and it’s just honestly another game,” Agozzino said about playing against former teams.

Agozzino, who is a three-time AHL all-star, has played for 10 different teams in the AHL, starting in 2009-10. Two of those teams aren’t in the league anymore, the Peoria Rivermen and San Antonio Rampage. And the Lake Erie Monsters are now the Cleveland Monsters.

Agozzino led the San Diego in scoring last season and was fifth in the league in power-play goals (13). An alternate captain for Tucson, Agozzino has been captain or alternate captain for nine of his AHL seasons.

“Once you notice that the stat lines and the experience that he has, you’re always curious about the leadership qualities and those leadership qualities we really care about and he’s done an excellent job,” Potvin said.

Agozzino is second on the team in scoring with 18 points, including 7 goals. He’s played 775 AHL games, racking up 598 points.

Additionally, Agozzino has played 51 games in the NHL, for the Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ducks, Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks.

“He’s a core guy,” said Tucson captain Austin Poganski. “He’s been around for a long time, he’s a vet, you can see that how he carries himself, how he makes everyone around him better.

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“He’s so dynamic on the power play there, we’ve had good success with that unit with Sokolov and Yamamoto and Russo and Doaner there, they’re getting big goals for us on the power play and that’s helping us win games.”

As of Sunday morning, the Roadrunners are third in the league in power play percentage, 23.4 percent. Tucson is 27th out of 32 in power play chances but have scored 18 PP goals, ninth best in the league.

Although Tucson is his fourth new home in four years and his eighth in nine seasons, he said it wasn’t a hard adjustment.

“I think it was honesty super easy to get acclimated and get settled, family’s enjoying it and obviously the team,” Agozzino said. “It’s most of the same guys from last year, so it was kind of easy to slide in and the culture here is great, just kind of find my way and fit in.

“It’s getting pretty easy.”

It’s Agozzino’s seventh season in the Pacific Division since it was added in 2015-16.

“There’s always a familiarity,” Agozzino said. “You play the same teams over years, you get to know a lot of guys in the league and just the routines and stuff like that, so yeah, it definitely helps.”

Slap shots

On Thursday, Utah Hockey Club claimed former Roadrunners captain Dakota Mermis off waivers. The defenseman served as Tucson’s second captain, in the 2018-19 season and played for the Roadrunners from 2016-17 to 2018-19.

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Mermis to a one-year deal in the offseason but he broke his jaw in training camp. Then he played three games for their AHL team, the Toronto Marlies, on a conditioning loan before they waived him.

Utah sent defenseman Kevin Connauton back to Tucson on Saturday.

Sokolov recorded his 200th point of his career on Friday night. He had a couple points including a goal for the 200th, an empty-net score to clinch the 4-2 win.

The Roadrunners have won seven of their last 10 and five of their last six at home.

The Roadrunners are giving away Christmas tree ornaments at the Wednesday, Dec. 18 game while supplies last.