Of all the partnerships the first-year Tucson Roadrunners have landed this season, perhaps none is as important as this weekend’s: The Roadrunners are hosting their first “Wildcat Weekend” at Tucson Arena.
Friday’s game included $2 beer offerings; Saturday’s concessions, including hot dogs, popcorn and soda, are $1 each.
The Roadrunners are wearing UA-themed jerseys, which are planned to be auctioned off after Saturday’s game, with the proceeds going to the Arizona club hockey team.
The two organizations have worked together for months to navigate a sometimes-awkward relationship. The Wildcats have played their home games at the arena for decades. This year’s arrival of the Rodrunners, however, forced the club to set its schedule around the American Hockey League team.
The result: A half-dozen afternoon games at TCC. The Wildcats beat Missouri State 8-2 Friday in a game that started at 2 p.m. The Roadrunners beat the Texas Stars 5-3 on Friday night.
Roadrunners president Bob Hoffman has made the partnership with the UA a priority.
“Coming in, we knew that a partner we wanted, someone we wanted to embrace and wanted to embrace us, was the university,” he said. “We always want to have that connection. They were really supportive, the coach has embraced us and is someone who understands the big picture of how helping his team can help our team. We want hockey to be an option for kids.”
More than anyone, Julie Edwards knows how valuable this partnership can be. The Roadrunners senior account executive of ticket sales and service is a 2013 UA graduate who fully understands what this town can be for sports fans. Edwards called UA “pretty much the life-blood of Tucson,” and added, “Having gone there, I feel like the whole town kind of centers around it. That feeling when you’re in McKale for a basketball game, with the entire community together supporting a team.”
The Roadrunners have offered theme nights and promotions throughout the community in the team’s introductory season. They’ll host a Cancer Awareness Night in March, partnering with the UA Cancer Center, and they are planning a Hispanic Heritage Night for late-March. The team is working with SACA, a Southern Arizona arts group, for a group outing.
“These are critical,” he said. “Whether it’s a part of town, a group of people, whatever – they might never think to come to a hockey game. Then we’re just dealing with die-hard hockey fans. One of the things we want to convey: if you’re a hockey fan or not, you’re going to have a good time.”
The ultimate goal is not just to create hockey fans, Hoffman said, but future hockey players. Recent Arizona Coyotes initiatives have helped grow the local youth hockey community from a “couple hundred players to a couple thousand,” Hoffman said.
“Most people in Tucson aren’t maybe familiar with hockey, so it’s about going out and learning it’s not just about the game, it’s about getting the players involved in the community, it’s about the society in Tucson, and showing them we’re more than hockey,” Edwards said. “I’m still learning the rules myself.”
