Hovering around .500 midway through the month, it seemed like March wasn’t going to be a great month for the Tucson Roadrunners. Falling further and further out of the playoffs with teams around them playing their best hockey, the Utah Mammoth’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate’s playoff streak looked like it was coming to an end.
If there’s one thing you should never do, it’s doubt the Roadrunners ability to come back from the dead and make things interesting. A strong second-half push has put the team back within a single point of the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. They ultimately went 7-4-1 over the month with a 3-2-1 record at home and a 4-2-0 record on the road. The Roadrunners now sit eighth in the Pacific Division with an overall record of 30-24-9 and 69 points. Here’s everything you need to know about the team from March.
March’s Results
After spending most of February on the road, March allowed the Roadrunners to play some more games at home despite being on the road for the first couple of games during the month. A trip through California led to a four-game homestand.
After a visit to Winnipeg, the Roadrunners ended the month at home, the final time they will play at the Tucson Convention Center until the last two games of the season. Here are the results from March.
6-4 W @ San Jose, 4-1 L @ Ontario, 3-2 W (OT) @ Bakersfield, 2-0 L @ Bakersfield, 5-0 L vs Henderson, 7-6 L (OT) vs Henderson, 6-4 W vs San Jose, 5-4 W vs San Jose, 4-3 W @ Manitoba, 4-1 W @ Manitoba, 3-2 L vs Ontario, 4-2 W vs Ontario
Sweeping Once Again
It’s been a while since the Roadrunners have swept a series. It was an issue for the team at the beginning of the season. It took them 28 games and an overtime thriller to finally sweep a series. That led to the Roadrunners sweeping back-to-back series to kick off January.
However, that’s the last time the Roadrunners had recorded a sweep before the middle of March. They split series and were swept, but just couldn’t get the four points available. To be a competitive team in the AHL, sweeping is something you have to do. If you split or lose series all the time, you’ll be a .500 team or worse.
With the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division coming down to the wire, points were needed for the Roadrunners, especially with the Henderson Silver Knights rocketing past them in the standings.
Fast forward to the middle of March, the Roadrunners were coming off a series loss to the Silver Knights, where they only got one point while allowing the team they were chasing to get four points. With one of the top teams in the division, the San Jose Barracuda coming to town, a statement performance was needed.
The Roadrunners did exactly that. In Game 1, three goals in the first period and an additional three goals in the third period by the team helped drive them to a 6-4 win. Helped out by multi-goal games by Andrew Agozzino and Daniil But, the Roadrunners snapped a three-game losing streak with the win.
In Game 2, the Roadrunners were once again fueled by some great performances. Maveric Lamoureux’s first multi-goal game of the season couldn’t have come at a better time, scoring the game-winning goal in the third period. But and Agozzino also tallied goals again.
Related: Jack Ricketts Earned AHL Roster Spot with Tucson Through Relentless Work Ethic
It was Matt Villalta who stole the show. On 48 shots, the goaltender made 44 saves, the second most he’s made in a game this season. Some nights have been a shooting gallery this season for both goaltenders, due to injuries or bad giveaways from the team. However, Villalta finds it more fun than anything, especially when the Roadrunners rack up wins.
“Games like this, where you run a little hot, you see a lot of action, it gets you into it really early on,” Villalta said. “Ultimately, it’s just having fun. You play because you love the game. The icing on the cake is getting wins and making saves. When you see the boys play well and score goals, it’s fun to watch and see them go to work every night. It’s a treat.”
Just like the prior sweep, the Roadrunners’ sweep against the Barracuda led to a massive sweep on the road against the Manitoba Moose. The momentum carried into the team’s final series of the month against the current Pacific Division leaders, the Ontario Reign, where they split the series, winning Game 2 by a score of 4-2.
If the results and the points from the sweep weren’t a sign of how big the two wins over the Barracuda were, then you could definitely tell how important the wins were when speaking to the players and staff. Head coach Steve Potvin was energetic as ever when asked about the sweep, especially because of how hard the Roadrunners were playing leading up to the San Jose series.
“When you look back at our games and over the last eight games, I can’t say there are many games that we are disappointed in,” Potvin said. “We just didn’t get the points. I think the leaders and the players in the room who are young guys are buying into whatever it takes to have one more push.”
Heading into April, the Roadrunners have three series left. They’re not easy ones, either. Two are against the Silver Knights, who, with a strong March, have pushed themselves into firmly securing the sixth playoff spot in the division, barring a horrible final couple of weeks. The other one is against the Colorado Eagles, who are duking it out with the Reign for the Pacific Division crown.
Getting another sweep will be difficult but not impossible. Buying into having that last push, as Potvin said, and getting at least three points out of one of those series could be the final key to getting the final playoff spot. Compared to the San Diego Gulls’ April schedule, the Roadrunners’ month looks tough, but again, as we saw last season, never doubt this team and what they can pull off.
“We showed it last year,” Julian Lutz said. “We can make the playoffs. All the guys on our team, we believe in that we will do everything we can to make the playoffs.”
The Pogo Stick
Most Mammoth fans know of the big players on the Roadrunners. Players like But, Lamoureux, and Dmitri Simashev are big parts of the NHL team in the future. Others like Cameron Hebig, Kevin Connauton, Scott Perunovich, Ben McCartney, and Kevin Rooney have received NHL call-ups, going on the radar of Mammoth fans.
However, other players are fighting in the AHL for that elusive NHL call-up, who are integral parts of the Roadrunners. One of those players is Austin Poganski.
After helping the expansion franchise, the Coachella Valley Firebirds reach the Calder Cup Finals in their first season, Poganski signed a professional tryout agreement with the Arizona Coyotes, which was later converted into a contract with the Roadrunners. In his first season with the team, Poganski tied his career high in points (31), which he had previously set with the San Antonio Rampage.
A season later, Poganski once again broke his career high in points, this time as captain of the Roadrunners with 41. This season, he’s elevated his production to a higher level, now with 48 points in 61 games. Quite impressive, considering he’s having his best season at 30 years old.
Poganski is now second in points on the team, right behind McCartney. He’s also second in goals, once again right behind McCartney. It hasn’t just been his increased production that Poganski has done right for the Roadrunners. His leadership is impeccable, and his physicality is much needed on a team that lost a lot of that in the offseason with Hunter Drew and Curtis Douglas leaving.
Tie game! pic.twitter.com/cyRwjIL96O
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) March 24, 2026
It’s been quite some time since Poganski has seen NHL action. His last appearance was with the Winnipeg Jets back in the 2021-22 season, where he played 16 games. However, perhaps his production down the stretch with the Roadrunners could entice a team to take another shot on him after his current contract ends this summer.
In March alone, Poganski produced 13 points in 12 games, six of which were goals. He’s been the Roadrunners’ best player, especially among all of the injuries and NHL call-ups that the team has gone through. It is a developmental league after all, and players like Poganski, who are on AHL contracts, sometimes have to deal with the effects of that.
Even among all the individual successes Poganski has had this season, it’s been a rough one for the Roadrunners, not just with all the issues they’ve had to deal with, but the losses that have been dealt to the team because of that. Yet, Poganski is confident in the Roadrunners and has liked what he’s seen from newcomers like Jack Ricketts and Jalen Luypen. He knows recalls are bound to happen, and with the Roadrunners slowly adjusting to having key guys out of the lineup, wins are bound to come sooner than later.
“You can’t really control injuries,” Poganski said. “You can’t control call-ups. That’s what this league is about. It’s to develop guys to the next level. This team does a really good job with that…but at the end of the day, we want to win too, so we get some of these guys back. Just keep working with a next-minute mentality. Our young guys have done really well with Ricketts and Luypen stepping in. We just have to keep working. Keep sticking in the process, and we’ll get some wins.”
With the team’s playoff streak on the line, Poganski is playing his best hockey down the stretch. It’s a fantastic story, sure, but the captain wants it to be more than a story. At the end of the day, even though the Roadrunners are battling for the last playoff spot in the division, Poganski’s ultimate goal is to get a championship banner in the rafters of the Tucson Convention Center. Anything can happen once you get into the playoffs, and that’s where the veteran forward wants to be in a couple of weeks.
Andrew A“goal”zzino
Most Mammoth fans will recognize Agozzino’s name from the very beginning of the season when the veteran forward made the opening night roster thanks to a good training camp. It was Agozzino’s first NHL game since the 2022-23 season with the San Jose Sharks. Unfortunately, that’s where the feel-good story ended as he only played two games with the Mammoth before being sent back down to the AHL.
In the prior season, Agozzino had 43 points in 55 games with the Roadrunners. It was a solid year for the forward who helped play a big role in getting the Roadrunners into the playoffs. In the playoffs, he was one of the few multi-point producers for the team, putting up two points in three games.
This season, it was a slow start in the AHL for Agozzino. In his first 12 games, he only had three points, all of which were assists. While his production picked up entering 2026, it was in March when he really refound his game.
Even with the aforementioned injuries and call-ups dying down from February, the Roadrunners still needed their veterans to step up with the playoffs on the line. Agozzino heard that call and ran with the opportunity. The forward produced 15 points in 12 games across March, including 13 points in his last seven games.
AGOALZZINO CALLS GAME pic.twitter.com/dGB9iQkUMQ
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) March 7, 2026
Sure, the Roadrunners can rely on their rookies and top-end prospects solving their problems. Repeating what Poganski said, the AHL is a developmental league after all. However, it is a benefit and sign of organizational strength when your AHL team makes the playoffs. It allows your prospects to play in meaningful games. If you look around the league, many of these top teams surround their prospects with players who have had stints in the NHL because not only do the younger players learn from them, but those veteran players also help produce and get your team into those meaningful games.
Agozzino is one of those veteran players, along with Rooney, Poganski, Connauton, and Perunovich, who have been great mentors to the Mammoth’s top prospects. However, in March, Agozzino was a big producer for the Roadrunners as well to help them get to the point where they are still playing meaningful games heading into April.
To see Agozzino have a really productive March is big for not just the team and their place in the standings, but also up north in Utah. There’s a reason why Agozzino started the season with the Mammoth. The organization believes in him, not just as a leader but as a player as well. Finishing out the season with a strong April and perhaps even leading the Roadrunners to a postseason appearance could go a long way toward a potential extension this summer.
Getting on the Boat
To begin March, the Roadrunners went 2-3-1. It wasn’t a great stretch for the team. Although some of those games were close, at the end of the day, teams don’t make the playoffs because their games were close. On top of that, it didn’t help that the Roadrunners went two games without scoring a single goal.
Then, the Roadrunners swept the Barracuda. The team went 5-1-0 the rest of the month, and thanks to the Gulls getting swept by the worst team in the Pacific Division, the Abbotsford Canucks, the Roadrunners climbed back into playoff contention.
After that sweep against the Barracuda, Potvin told the media a story about what his team needed to do. To reach the island (a metaphor for the playoffs), the Roadrunners needed to get on the boat and then get that boat all the way to the island to take over the island.
“Every shift you come back to the bench, and you’re getting yourself ready to give one more push,” Potvin said. “You’re seeing it on the ice. They’re willing to do whatever it takes. They’re jumping in the boat.”
You really saw it in the final six games in March that the Roadrunners are buying into what they’re preaching. Call it jumping in the boat or having one final push, the message is working. Everyone has just been clicking.
The veteran’s increased production was mentioned with Agozzino and Poganski. The goaltenders have been overcoming high volumes of shots, as Villalta mentioned. The rookies have been chipping in. Lamoureux’s two-goal night was mentioned, but Simashev had eight points in nine games in March. But had 13 points in 10 games, including a four-point game against the Barracuda.
It’s everyone who has really chipped in ever since the mediocre start to March. Lutz had his first multi-point game of the season against the Silver Knights. Ricketts snapped a point drought with an assist on Luypen’s goal against the Reign. Robbie Russo scored his first goal since the end of January against the Reign as well and now has three points in his past five games.
I’m not saying that this team hasn’t been connected like this in the past. However, what I am saying is that ever since that sweep, the confidence has gone sky high in the locker room, and it’s brought this team closer together. You saw it in the video where Michael Hrabal got his first pro win. This team is a family, and they know the only way to get to the island is in the boat, together.
“We’re a family in that locker room,” Villalta said. “We win together. We lose together. Sweeping weekends like this is obviously huge for us. It brings us together even more than what we are. A lot to build off of and a lot of confidence to get from this weekend.”
There are things that still need to improve. The penalty kill is still at the bottom of the league, tied with the Calgary Wranglers for 32nd. The amount of penalties and the effectiveness of the penalty kill need to change. It’s a flaw that has plagued the Roadrunners all season long. At this point, mentioning it is like beating a dead horse.
“Players have to accept the responsibility of making that promise to themselves that you’re going to play as hard as you can, but you’re not going to let emotions take over or be able to look at the penalties, just be able to skate through checks, skate, and check with your skates, instead of using your stick,” Potvin said. “We’ve got to be mindful of it.”
The Roadrunners also have to keep improving their defensive game. The team is in the top 10 in goals allowed. It’s not a spot you want to be in.
This late into the season, every game is a critical one for every team. You see it in the NHL. Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness told his team that every game is a playoff game. Mammoth head coach André Tourigny agreed with him. That message is the same even in the AHL.
“Every game is a playoff game already,” Lutz said. “We have a good group of guys. Everyone wants to make the playoffs. Everyone wants to play longer. We’ll try our best to make that happen.”
The Roadrunners, combined with good luck, have put themselves in a good spot to make the playoffs. It’s all up to their play in April to finish the job.
Big Headlines, Quick Thoughts
There was quite a bit of big news surrounding the Roadrunners in March. Here’s a quick overview of them.
The biggest news on the ice has to be Hrabal signing an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the Roadrunners. The goaltender also signed his entry-level contract (ELC), which will kick in next season. Coming over from UMass, where he was named Hockey East Player of the Year and nominated for the Mike Richter Award, Hrabal is expected to be the Mammoth’s goaltender of the future.
Hrabal made his pro debut against the Reign in Game 2 of the series. Making 22 saves on 24 shots, he got his first pro win in that same game. It wouldn’t be surprising if Hrabal gets most of the starts heading down the stretch to start his development in the AHL, especially if he continues winning. I got to speak to the goaltender a little bit. More on that in a forthcoming article.
Caleb Desnoyers also signed his ELC. While this news isn’t exactly Roadrunners news, it very well could be. The 2025 fourth overall pick is currently playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Moncton Wildcats, who are expected to make a deep run in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) playoffs. That means Desnoyers won’t turn pro next season.
However, next season, Desnoyers will more than likely be within Utah’s system. That means he very well could be playing in the AHL with the Roadrunners if he doesn’t make the NHL. Starting in the AHL could be a very smart move made by the Mammoth organization. You look at guys like Simashev and But and how much they’ve grown because of their time in the league. To develop with top minutes in a competitive league rather than playing bottom six minutes could make Desnoyers a much better player.
This is something Tourigny has noticed over his years of coaching. With Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan, and now But. The AHL is a perfect place for most prospects to start.
“If you look at Dylan Guenther, he was capable of playing, but he was not capable of contributing on a regular basis,” Tourigny said. “He went to Tucson, and some got his confidence, came back with us, and he was not just playing. He was contributing to us, to our success. Josh Doan, same thing last year. Started the season with us, had a good start, and then his confidence dropped a little bit. He went back to Tucson, got his confidence back, came back at the end of the year, and it was really successful and helped our team. But is in the same pattern. He had a good start in Tucson. NHL is a different animal. You get some adversity, and for some, it’s tougher to get your shot, get your opportunity, get your goal. At some point, you’re a competitive guy getting into your head. He went back to get his confidence back. Now this time, he knows way more about what to expect. He has a better understanding of what’s in front of him, what he has to expect, and what will happen. Now he’s more ready. He’s more confident. He’s more ready.”
The interesting thing is that top prospects Tij Iginla and Cole Beaudoin have their ELCs signed as well. If things line up and Simashev and But aren’t ready for the NHL either, the Roadrunners could be stacked next season. Your main core would be Iginla, Beaudoin, Desnoyers, Simashev, But, Lamoureux, and Hrabal. You would have a solid supporting cast, too, like Hebig, McCartney, Lutz, Owen Allard, Gabe Smith, Max Szuber, and Artem Duda. That’s a pretty insane roster that realistically could very well happen. Of course, that’s still some time away, so until everything is in place, it’s nothing more than a possibility.
Let’s talk about injuries. Towards the end of the month, McCartney and Sammy Walker returned to the lineup, almost getting the Roadrunners to 100% health. Guys like Ryan McGregor and Terrell Goldsmith are still out. However, there is no update on them as we approach the end of the season.
What we do know 100% is that Duda will be out officially for the rest of the season. The defenseman was injured during the Jan. 25 game against the Silver Knights and had 13 points in 27 games before being sidelined. We now know that Duda has a lower-body injury, for which he got surgery, which will keep him out for the rest of the season. He still is in Tucson, watching every game, so that is great for the locker room.
“At this point, it doesn’t look promising that he’ll be able to play games,” Potvin said. “He’s one of those guys who takes his recovery seriously, but there’s no thought of him being able to play again this season.”
Finally, the biggest news off the ice came earlier this week when The Hockey Writers found out that the Tucson Convention Center and the Roadrunners extended their lease for the 2027-28 season. This had been in the works for months now. Sources tell The Hockey Writers that Roadrunners President Bob Hoffman first told the team’s season ticket advisory board about the lease a couple of weeks ago.
The original lease agreement was set to expire after the 2026-27 season. More to come on this in a forthcoming article.
Goal of the Month
There were a couple of nice goals coming out of Tucson, like always. Let’s start with two honorable mentions. The first came from the Mar. 6 game against the Bakersfield Condors. Down 2-1, Allard won a puck battle on the boards right outside the offensive zone, getting the puck to Noel Nordh. Nordh then made a nice backhanded pass, setting up Allard for a forehand-backhand goal that went in after the forward confused the goaltender, allowing the puck to slide past him.
The other honorable mention goes to Agozzino’s overtime winner from the same game. Perunovich sprung the forward, who skated into the offensive zone. Agozzino was patient, making some nice moves while calmly moving closer to the goaltender. Then, the veteran unleashed a quick shot that went in for the game-winning goal.
However, the goal of the month undoubtedly has to go to the first third Roadrunners goal from the Mar. 14 game against the Barracuda. Jaxson Stauber retrieved the puck from behind the net and passed it to Agozzino, who then quickly passed it to But for an easy breakaway. All alone, But cruised towards the net, put on some nice moves, and shoveled the puck on his backhand into the net.
What a goal by BUT! pic.twitter.com/VdmI73XoR7
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) March 15, 2026
In his past five games, But has four goals and nine points. Coincidentally, the Barracuda game where he scored the nice breakaway goal was one of his last with the Roadrunners before his most recent call-up. He has since then returned to the AHL.
Roadrunner Records and Transactions From Tucson
As always, March was filled with records and achievements by Roadrunners players. Here are the notable ones from the month.
- Hebig tied Michael Bunting for first all-time in franchise history in points with 180.
- McCartney passed Russo for fourth all-time in franchise history in assists with 90. He trails Kyle Capobianco for third all-time by one assist.
- Stauber passed Hunter Miska for fourth all-time in franchise history in saves with 1,352. He trails Villalta for third all-time by 1,986 saves.
- Villalta tied Ivan Prosvetov for second all-time in franchise history in games played by a goaltender with 125. He trails Adin Hill for first all-time by nine games.
- Hrabal made his pro debut and recorded his first pro win on Mar. 28 against the Reign.
With the trade deadline coming and going, there weren’t a lot of transactions going on for the Roadrunners. Here are the ones that happened.
- Dylan Wells was recalled from the Kansas City Mavericks on Mar. 1.
- Simashev was returned to and then recalled from the Roadrunners on Mar. 5 and Mar. 6. This was in order to make Simashev eligible for AHL play for the rest of the season since he was playing for the Mammoth at this time.
- Wells was returned to the Mavericks on Mar. 7.
- Simashev was returned to the Roadrunners on Mar. 7.
- Szuber was recalled by the Mammoth on Mar. 9.
- Szuber was returned to the Roadrunners on Mar. 14.
- Maxim Barbashev was recalled from the Utah Grizzlies on Mar. 18.
- Barbashev was sent down to the Allen Americans on Mar. 19.
- But was recalled by the Mammoth on Mar. 25.
- Hrabal was signed to a PTO on Mar. 26.
- But was returned to the Roadrunners on Mar. 31.
What’s Up Next?
April marks the final month of the AHL regular season, which means it will be do or die for the Roadrunners and their playoff chances. Out of their nine games, only two will be played at the Tucson Convention Center.
The Roadrunners begin the month with a big game against the Gulls. They’ll then play a series against the Silver Knights before returning to Southern California for a game against the Condors. From there, they’ll play their final road series of the season against the Eagles before once again traveling back to Southern California for another big game against the Gulls. Finally, to round out the season, the Roadrunners will play their final two games at home against the Silver Knights.
