Former Roadrunner 'Adin Chill' has Las Vegas on cusp of winning Stanley Cup

Throughout his hockey coaching journey, Tucson Roadrunners skipper Steve Potvin heard a phrase from a goalie that has stuck with him ever since: 

"I never lost a game, I just ran out of time."

Potvin unearthed that level of confidence when he first encountered goalie Adin Hill in Tucson nearly seven years ago.

Hill, who has emerged as arguably the top goaltenders in the NHL postseason, and the Las Vegas Golden Knights face the Florida Panthers in the fourth game of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday in Miami; former Roadrunners forward Anthony Duclair is on Florida's roster. The Golden Knights lead the series 2-1.

"Adin was just one of those guys who had a ton of confidence and knew he was going to be in there no matter the circumstances, and he just has a way to battle and compete," Potvin said. "I know he's had some real adversity to face, he's faced them well and has always come out on top." 

About that adversity ...

A Calgary, Alberta, native, Hill was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes 76th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft — the same draft class that produced Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid and Coyotes captain Lawson Crouse. 

Hill alternated time between Tucson, the Coyotes' American Hockey League affiliate, and the Valley. During the 2017-18 season, Hill had a 19-11 record and a .914 save percentage. With Hill in the net, the Roadrunners won their first-ever playoff series, taking down the San Jose Barracuda 3-1, before losing to the Texas Stars. 

Coyotes goaltenders Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta battled injuries in 2019, which allowed Hill to earn time at the NHL level. But he was still on a two-way contract and spent most of his time in the Old Pueblo. He then was traded to the San Jose Sharks in 2021. Then he was dealt once more to Las Vegas in exchange for a fourth-round pick. 

Still, he kept his cocksure approach. Hill didn't get bitter — he got better. 

"I think it was more about information. ... When you rebound, you have to be confident, so you look at the next game as a challenge mentally. For him it was about what he could've improved on and building off it instead of using intensity and motivation to prepare him for the next step," Potvin said. "I think that's what he did: He watched his games, took in the information, (saw) where he can make improvements, and I think that's what he's done. For me, it's maturity." 

Las Vegas lost starting goaltender Logan Thompson to a season-ending lower-body injury suffered against the Minnesota Wild. Since replacing Thompson as Las Vegas' go-to netminder, Hill posted 660 saves with a .915 save percentage and a 16-7 record in 25 regular-season starts. In the postseason, Hill has a .934 save percentage and 394 saves. 

Hill told reporters earlier this week, "It’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing hockey."

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"I’m just enjoying it, cherishing every day. ... I’m just living in the moment, and it’s been fun," Hill said. "It’s been awesome to be part of the journey with this team.

"I feel like it’s more ‘prove it’ to teammates and other people. Stuff I’ve been working on for five, six years that might be finally kind of coming together.”

It's safe to assume Hill has improved since his time as a Roadrunner, but the common denominator for the 27-year-old's career is his relaxed approach. 

"When he makes a save or the play is about to exit their zone, he always leans back against the net and — lack for a better word — chills on the net," Potvin said. "It shows this confidence, his type of attitude. Some coaches might have a problem with it and it impacts how he feels on the bench and it makes them nervous for how casual he is all the time. He's just resting; he doesn't have a reason to be in his stance or hunched over in his pads like most goalies.

"He can do one of two things: He can give you that confidence or make you feel worried that he's too casual. Make no mistake, he's a competitor. ... He's definitely Adin Chill." 

Added Potvin: "The longer you're around him, the more you understand it's not that big of a deal, because he's going to make the next save. The more you're around it, the more it grows on you. It's a game that you need to be intense and hard, so that chill look (might not) sit well with the coaches. But the more you get to know him, the more you understand that it doesn't change how he competes." 

Witnessing a past Roadrunner — let alone two — in the Stanley Cup Final "doesn't happen often, but when we do see our players in the Final, it gives us a little extra edge and a push," Potvin said. 

"It gives you a sense of pride for the player because you get to know them personally and know what their adversity was, what motivates and pushes them, what type of humans they are," he said. "These guys go through so much adversity in the American Hockey League trying to prove themselves as an NHL player.

"Then when they have the opportunity to strike and really open that window as much as they possibly can, it gives us a sense of happiness for the player and a sense of pride in our organization."