We are past the middle of the 2025-26 hockey season and are rapidly heading towards the postseason. Crunch time is gearing up, and while the Utah Mammoth’s season is pausing as the NHL begins its Olympic break, their American Hockey League (AHL) team, the Tucson Roadrunners are set for a busy February.
Before the break passes us any longer, let’s take a look at the Roadrunners’ January. The team went 7-4-2 across the month. Their home record was 3-3-2 while their road record was 4-1-0. The team now sits seventh in the Pacific Division with a 19-15-8 overall record. Here’s everything you need to know about the Roadrunners from January.
January’s Results
A majority of the Roadrunners’ games were played at home in preparation for February, when the team only plays at the Tucson Convention Center twice. The Roadrunners started on the road in Alberta, taking on the Calgary Wranglers. From there, they played six games at home.
After a series in Henderson and a quick trip to San Diego, the Roadrunners finished out January at home against the Colorado Eagles. Here are the results from January.
5-2 W @ Calgary, 4-0 W @ Calgary, 2-1 W (OT) vs Iowa, 5-4 W (OT) vs Iowa, 4-2 W vs San Jose, 4-3 L (OT) vs San Jose, 3-2 L (OT) vs San Diego, 5-3 L vs San Diego, 4-3 L @ Henderson, 3-2 W (OT) @ Henderson, 4-3 W (SO) @ San Diego, 3-1 L vs Colorado, 3-2 L vs Colorado
A Depleted Team Calls for Reinforcements
Injuries have piled up for the Roadrunners as the season goes on. Of course, every team deals with injuries throughout the season, but sometimes AHL teams have it worse than NHL teams because players will get recalled by the NHL club on top of their already existing injuries. That’s exactly what has happened to the Roadrunners in the month of January.
Get ready for the list of injuries for the Roadrunners. It includes Michal Kunc, Artem Duda, Sam Lipkin, Terrell Goldsmith, Kevin Rooney, Austin Poganski, Julian Lutz, and Ty Tullio. Additionally, Dmitri Simashev didn’t play a game for the team at the end of January after being sent down by the Mammoth due to illness.
On top of all of that, the Mammoth have called up Cameron Hebig and Simashev throughout the month and traded Juuso Välimäki, further depleting the Roadrunners of players. In fact, the injuries and transactions have left only two of the current five top scorers on the team playing consistently for the Roadrunners.
Because of all of the injuries and other issues, the Roadrunners have been forced to recall players from the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies and also sign a player. From the Grizzlies comes Maxim Barbashev and Jack Ricketts. Barbashev had nine points in 21 games while Ricketts had 18 points in 31 games.
On top of that, the Roadrunners also signed Jalen Luypen to an AHL professional tryout agreement (PTO). Before signing, Luypen had 32 points in 33 games with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays and a point in two games with the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
The trio of new players haven’t played that much with Ricketts getting the most games in so far (six). However, each of the three has looked impressive. Barbashev has impressive speed and doesn’t give up on plays. Ricketts is a gritty player who uses his physicality well. Head coach Steve Potvin has deployed the two together frequently on the fourth line. That line, since being formed, has been extremely noticeable every time they’re on the ice.
“I think they’re really trying to do what they can to pour a lot of effort into their game,” Potvin said. “I think if you’re uncomfortable, you’re on the right track. They were willing to put themselves in a position to be uncomfortable. They move their feet, and they’re digging in. Lack of a better word, they were trying to get lines. They’re good on the forecheck. They were good defensively.”
Related: Roadrunners Report: Onyebuchi’s Return, Hell in the Pacific, & More
Luypen has fit in pretty well, too. In his four games, he has a single assist, but Potvin has trusted him with top minutes, sliding him into the second line with Ryan McGregor and Hebig. He’s done a good job at setting those two up. When you’re paired with Hebig, though, it is one of the easiest players to play with on the Roadrunners.
Injuries reached their peak during the Roadrunners’ final game of the season when the top team in the Pacific Division, the Colorado Eagles, came to town. More injuries accumulated when Tullio was injured during the first game. Yet, the Roadrunners stayed competitive. They kept the Eagles within a goal’s reach for most of the two games. With half of their team out, that’s a really good showing from the team.
“From coaches to management to players, we got a good culture and good group,” Montana Onyebuchi said. “We have a next guy up mentality, and guys are ready to show up and play.”
It’s been impressive despite three guys joining a new team on a whim, and even someone like Kevin Connauton playing as a forward rather than his usual defenseman position. Everyone has had a good attitude about it, too. It’s a good showing of resilience and coaching from the Roadrunners.
“It shows a lot of resilience,” Potvin said. “It’s impressive what they’re doing. I appreciate the guys who have come up and are looking for an opportunity and playing some significant minutes.”
Luckily, Potvin confirms that guys will start coming back at the beginning of February to prevent the Roadrunners from playing handicapped much longer. Simashev should be one of the first ones back, which is great for the team, considering he’s been one of their best players this season.
Dmitri Simashev Gaining Recognition in the AHL
It’s no surprise that Simashev has been one of the Roadrunners players. He is one of the best prospects in the Mammoth’s system. Yet Simashev has been better than what’s been expected out of him, leading to some impressive achievements for the rookie in only his first season in North America.
Simashev has 20 points in 20 games, which is tied for the most by a defenseman on the Roadrunners. What’s even more impressive is that 11 of those points were scored in January. That’s the second-highest among AHL rookies and the third-highest among all AHL defensemen in that time span.
Dmitri Simashev brings it within one! pic.twitter.com/1xXkmPUGPS
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) January 25, 2026
For his play, Simashev was named the Upper Deck AHL Rookie of the Month for January. On top of that, the defenseman was recently named the Roadrunners representative for the AHL All-Star Weekend. He is the third-ever defenseman and ninth-ever rookie in franchise history to get that nod. The AHL is probably not where Simashev wants to be, especially with him splitting time with the Mammoth throughout the season, but getting an all-star nod is an impressive achievement.
“It’s quite an honor,” Potvin said. “I think everybody would appreciate that honor. It’s great for the players, and it’s great for the AHL. You can see the names and the list of guys that are now, currently in the NHL, or have been a part of the AHL and retired as NHL players. It’s obviously a huge honor, and it’s bright for their future.”
Funny enough, Simashev has played in great leagues all of his life, including the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for three seasons. He has never had as many points as he has accumulated in the AHL in any season he played in the KHL and currently in the NHL. It is sort of out of the ordinary for him, but if he can find a way to continue that same production with the Mammoth, you can definitely say his time in Tucson helped him do that.
It’s been a great stretch for Simashev, but he wants to continue to improve to one day be a permanent NHL player. That will happen in the near future. For now, Simashev is using the AHL and getting top-pairing minutes to his advantage to improve the things he wants and needs to work on.
“I think I need to play more of a physical game,” Simashev said. “Box out, finish checks. Sometimes, maybe I need to fight. That’s what the general manager told me, so I’ll work on my physical game. But of course, I want to get a point. Thank God I have a lot of points now, and I just have to keep going.”
With Simashev being sent back down to the AHL just in time for the Olympic break, it will serve as a great chance for him to potentially get called back up when the Mammoth return to action in late February. Either way, a weekend among the league’s best should be great for Simashev’s development.
Winning Ways Early, a Tough Stretch as of Late
Going into January, the Roadrunners were on a mini hot streak. They had just gotten five points in their past three games, including a sweep against the Wranglers. It was much needed as the team needed any point possible in order to bounce back into playoff contention in the Pacific Division.
Fortunately, the winning ways continued early on in January. The Roadrunners accumulated points in seven straight games to jump teams like the Henderson Silver Knights for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division, which they hold currently.
A huge reason why the Roadrunners managed to catch up in the standings is that they finally managed to find a way to sweep a series. In the first three months of the season, the Roadrunners swept only one series, which came in the final days of December. In January alone, they did it twice. It felt like we were starting to see the team put it all together.
“We’ve been talking a little bit about he you haven’t seen your best self yet,” Potvin said. “It’s about refinement. When you’re able to keep stacking games and shifts and learning from all of the scenarios that we’ve been through…you get to a better self and a better team. We tried to do what we could to keep refining and to stay in the moment and attack the day.”
However, since the seven-game point streak, the Roadrunners won only two of their last six games in January. Four of those six games were decided by one goal. The first game against the Eagles included an empty net goal. It’s been a lot of close contests, but that ultimately won’t decide who makes the playoffs. Wins and points do.
The Roadrunners have done a great job at putting pucks in the back of the net, coming in fourth place in the Pacific Division for goals for. However, they’ve done an awful job at keeping them out of their own, landing in eighth place for goals against in the division. Of course, the amount of injuries they’ve suffered has hurt them, but it’s something that needs to be worked on.
It extends to the special teams as well. The Roadrunners have a top 10 power play in the AHL, but their penalty kill is awful, tied for the worst in the entire league. It needs to get better ASAP. Having Simashev and eventually guys like Duda back should help, but even then, it won’t change overnight. It’s something that needs to be worked on each day, and that’s something that goes for everything and everyone. There’s been growth, but it needs to keep going.
“We just need to keep going,” Lutz said. “Grow every day, step up every day. It starts with zero. I think we’ve grown a lot so far this season. But we can do way more damage than we did so far.”
Goaltending needs to keep improving as well, with Matt Villalta rocking a .900 save percentage and Jaxson Stauber recording a .890 save percentage. However, just based on the Eagles series alone, they’ve certainly improved from the beginning of the season.
“They’ve been really solid for the last month,” Potvin said. “If you look at our record and how we’ve been playing, they’re obviously the two biggest factors. They’re starting to find some continuity within their relationship, and that’s positive to see. They’re trying to do what they can to support each other, and honestly, they’re playing some really good hockey, and they’re looking like NHL-type goalies.”
February needs to begin with a bang. The Roadrunners need points to increase their gap over the Silver Knights, Wranglers, and Abbotsford Canucks. While they currently occupy a playoff spot, anything can change with a good run from any of those teams. Remember last season, it all came down to a single win for the Roadrunners to make it into the playoffs. They want to get in comfortably this season. Additionally, challenging for a top spot in the division to get home games in the postseason would be ideal.
“The fight is real in the Pacific,” Potvin said. “It’s going to require that we maintain our composure no matter what happens, and find ways to, when you win, you don’t get too high. It’s like a playoff mentality, and if you lose, well, you have to get right back at it.”
Even guys like Simashev, who have spent time in the NHL this season wants to see the Roadrunners make the playoffs. It’s great development for the players, and at the end of the day, who doesn’t want to play playoff hockey, no matter what level it’s at.
“Everybody wants to play in the playoffs,” Simashev said. “Our team and I talk to our head coach every time before every game, before every practice, talking about the playoffs. How important it is to play well, especially now.”
Tucson Says Goodbye in a Big Way as the Gem Show Comes to Town
It hasn’t just been wins on the ice that the Roadrunners have had. Off the ice, the Roadrunners had one of their most successful games attendance-wise in their final game of January. 6,137 fans watched the team play against the Eagles. It is the highest attended game in franchise history.
Tonight’s Tucson Roadrunners attendance: 6,137 fans.
That is the highest attended game in franchise history.#TusksUp #LetsGoTucson pic.twitter.com/172pxLTqRq
— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) February 1, 2026
Sure, part of the draw was that it was Star Wars night. Star Wars night always does well. However, most of the fans stayed the whole night, which is fantastic to see, especially considering the team’s murky future. The Roadrunners have never sold out a game before, so when Andrew Agozzino scored to open up the game, it was one of the loudest goals ever scored at the Tucson Convention Center.
Andrew AGOALZZINO pic.twitter.com/9RkuosW9xG
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) February 1, 2026
It’s a good send-off for the Roadrunners as they are set to play seven of their nine games in February on the road due to the annual gem show that takes place at their home arena. They’ll still return home to practice and play two games in the middle of the month against the Ontario Reign. There’s also the All-Star break, but it will still be a huge challenge for them.
Potvin says being on the road will be good for the team. It will allow them to bond and connect more. That alone will be super helpful for guys like Barbashev and Ricketts, who just recently joined the Roadrunners.
“You’ve got some time to be back with your family, or at least in your home, and what you’re used to,” Potvin said. “We’ll be able to practice in Chandler and here, and on the road. But being on the road is sometimes where you build the best bonds, and you start to learn a little bit more about each other, and you start to see those relationships just start to really grow. It’s a positive thing for us. It’s good for us to get out there.”
March will also begin with four straight games on the road. This is a critical stretch for the Roadrunners. They’ll have their best team on paper with Daniil But and Simashev down from the NHL. On top of that, Potvin said that a lot of their injured players will return over the next couple of weeks. If they drop games, they’ll find their lead over the bottom three teams diminishes. If they can start winning, by the time the Olympic break is over, they could be in the middle of the division.
Goal of the Month
There were quite a few highlight reel goals from January for the Roadrunners. A lot of them were clutch as well. A couple of candidates include Sammy Walker’s goal against the Silver Knights to force overtime with 55 seconds remaining in the game, Ben McCartney’s overtime winner from the same game, Lleyton Moore’s shootout winner against the San Diego Gulls, McCartney’s backhanded goal with a defender on his back against the Eagles, and Rooney’s overtime winner against the Iowa Wild are the most notable ones.
However, the goal of the month has to go to the Roadrunners’ first goal during the Jan. 17 game against the San Jose Barracuda. After receiving a pass from Hebig, Maksymilian Szuber turned on the jets, making a Barracuda defenseman lose their balance, giving him a clear path to the otherside of the ice.
After getting close to the net, Szuber quickly turned around and managed to get a pass to Poganski, who, in turn, quickly passed it to his left to Noel Nordh, who shot it home. It was a great display of how good the Roadrunners power play has been. The passing on the play was fantastic, along with the incredible speed by Szuber, Poganski, and Nordh. That is the exact type of play you want to see on the man advantage.
What a setup, what a goal, what a MASTERPIECE pic.twitter.com/3W4e5QCDiw
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) January 18, 2026
Roadrunner Records and Transactions From Tucson
There were a few records and achievements set by the Roadrunners during January. Here are all the notable ones from the month.
- Hebig recorded his 200th career point on Jan. 12 against the Wild.
- McCartney either tied or broke all of his prior season highs in the three main offensive categories. He tied the 18 goals he scored back in the 2021-22 season, his 23 assists surpassed the 17 he produced last season, and his 41 points easily passed the 35 he previously had in the 2021-22 season.
- McCartney also passed Michael Carcone for third all-time in franchise history for points. He trails Hebig for second all-time by 18 points.
- Poganski enters the top 10 for points in franchise history with 100 points, beating out Brayden Burke for the spot. He needs four more points to tie with Laurent Daulphin for ninth all-time.
- Ricketts made his AHL debut on Jan. 21 against the Gulls.
- Simashev was nominated for his first AHL All-Star Game.
- Simashev was named Upper Deck AHL Rookie of the Month.
With injuries hitting the Roadrunners along with a couple concerning the Mammoth, January was busy when it came to transactions for the team. Here are the transactions from the month.
- Villalta was returned to the Roadrunners on Jan. 1.
- Dylan Wells was returned to the Grizzlies on Jan. 2.
- Juuso Välimäki was recalled by the Mammoth on Jan. 5.
- Rooney was recalled by the Mammoth on Jan. 11, then was returned to the Roadrunners on Jan. 19.
- Ricketts was recalled by the Roadrunners on Jan. 21.
- Hebig was recalled by the Mammoth on Jan. 21, then was returned to the Roadrunners on Jan. 27.
- Barbashev was recalled by the Roadrunners on Jan. 24.
- Luypen was signed to a PTO on Jan. 26.
- Simashev was returned to the Roadrunners on Jan. 29.
What’s Up Next?
As mentioned, the Roadrunners play seven of their nine games on the road in February. They have already started their month with a loss to the Reign and then swept the Wranglers this past weekend.
The Roadrunners will have most of the upcoming week off as the AHL pauses for the All-Star Game. They’ll next play the Coachella Valley Firebirds this upcoming weekend on Friday and Sunday. After that, the Roadrunners will host the Reign in their lone home series of the month. The Feb. 21 game will be youth sports night, while the Feb. 22 game is Dusty’s birthday.
The final two games in February will be played in California. The Roadrunners will first play their I-10 rivals, the Gulls, on Feb. 25, before going up north to play the first game of a series against the Barracuda on Feb. 28 to cap off the month.
