The Tucson Roadrunners finished last in their division, so it’s not surprising that some of the biggest moments of their 2021 season either had nothing to do with their on-ice play or came in a loss.
But perhaps no moment this season will hold a candle to an otherwise random Tuesday night in mid-March when the gates at Tucson Arena opened up to fans for the first time in quite-literally more than a year.
“It just didn’t feel right,” first-year Tucson coach Steve Potvin said of playing in an empty barn to start the season. “When we have the fans there, there’s definitely another element of excitement for us. … It was a lot more fun. It was easier to come to the rink and get motivated for it.”
As the Roadrunners turn attention to a mid-October starting date for the 2021-22 season, here’s a brief look back on the shortened, if not strange season that was, and what’s on tap in the club’s sixth year in Southern Arizona to come:
Top moments
Michael Bunting is likely No. 1 on the team’s Mount Rushmore, which is why the longtime Tucson forward’s first NHL hat trick with the Coyotes on April 5 stands out as a key Roadrunners moment, too.
A few weeks later, it was Michael Carcone’s four-goal night in an 8-6 home loss to San Diego, followed up by two goals the next day, that would earn him AHL Player of the Week honors.
But the most important moment for the organization seemingly came on March 16, when a limited number of fans entered Tucson Arena for the first time in more than a year. Attendance was initially capped at 650 fans; by the May 16 regular-season finale, it was 1,650.
Most indispensable players
Three weeks before the start of the 2021 AHL season, Michael Carcone and Kevin Roy didn’t know where they’d be playing this season.
Roy would go on to turn a tryout deal into a full-time gig in no time, rocketing up the AHL’s goals, assists and points charts. Twenty games into the 36-game schedule, he was the only AHL player in the league’s top 10 in all three categories, and finished leading Tucson in assists and with 30 points in 35 games played.
Carcone, who came to Tucson on loan from the NHL’s Nashville Predators, had a month or so for the ages. His four goals in a game is a new franchise record, and his total of 15 on the season was a top-five AHL number.
Top newcomer
On a team with would-be NHL prospects, all Ryan McGregor did was get better and better as the season wore on. Originally a late-round draft pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs, the rookie played four games a year ago for the Toronto Marlies. The Arizona Coyotes scooped him up on a two-year deal and assigned him to Tucson. Fourth on the Roadrunners with 18 points in 36 games, McGregor is, at this moment, the club’s leading scorer among players on contract for next year.
Next to the NHL
Barrett Hayton struggled offensively in 2021 but has shown the talent at multiple levels to breakout at any time. Victor Sodorstrom, a physical two-way defenseman, improved himself, too, as the season went on. But forward Jan Jenik was clearly the Roadrunners’ best offensive weapon down the stretch, notching seven goals in his last six games played. The Swede’s development as the season went on gives credence to the idea that he could make at least a part-time jump to the NHL at some point in 2021-22.
Make or break next season
On contract with the Coyotes for another year, Kyle Capobianco has many miles on the tires with the Roadrunners already — including leading all Tucson defenseman in scoring for the third time in four seasons despite playing in just 20 of the Roadrunners’ 36 games this year.
Key to 2021-22
Whether Tucson contends for its third AHL Pacific Division crown in five years will depend mostly on the stability of the goaltending situation with the NHL’s Coyotes.
Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta have proven to be NHL All-Star caliber goaltenders for the Coyotes when healthy. But, for the third consecutive season, extended injuries to one or both have ultimately impacted the Roadrunners’ plans in goal. Raanta’s free agency, Roadrunner great Adin Hill’s emergence with the Coyotes, and perhaps even the NHL expansion draft could clear things up soon enough. Tucson goalie Ivan Prosvetov never really got his feet settled due to unexpected call-ups. Prosvetov, 22, played just 18 of Tucson’s 36 games — far less than intended at the onset. Expect Prosvetov to be Tucson’s centerpiece in 2021-22.
To-do list
What the Roadrunners do over the summer will usually depend on what’s going on in Glendale. The Coyotes are still on the hunt for a new head coach to replace the departed Rick Tocchet. In Tucson, Potvin’s first year as bench boss came after three as a Roadrunners’ assistant. Potvin said he wants to return.
After that, securing veteran leadership to go with the up-and-coming sophomore talent of Jenik, Sodorstrom, Hayton, McGregor, Nate Sucese and others already on contract is vital.
That’s where Dysin Mayo may come in. Mayo, a restricted free agent, signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Coyotes before this past season. If Mayo and the Coyotes or Roadrunners come to terms, he’ll surpass Bunting’s career games played mark in game 10 this fall.
“He’s definitely the glue,” Potvin said last week of Mayo. “What he brings every day, he’s definitely a model. He’s a pillar. Somebody can just look at him and they know — they can see — that he’s a pro.”
Added Mayo: “I don’t know where I’ll be at yet. Hopefully we’ll be in Arizona. But I think we’re all just excited to get back to a normal year, and hopefully start on time.”
