A Player-by-Player Look at Tucson’s 2025-26 Season

TUCSON – While the Tucson Roadrunners’ 2025-26 season featured a tightly contested playoff race and plenty of team storylines, one of the defining themes throughout the year was the number of individual milestones, career highs and franchise records reached across nearly every position group.

From veterans climbing the team’s all-time leaderboard to rookies making an immediate impact at the AHL level – and even into the NHL – the 10th anniversary season served as a showcase of development for both Utah’s young prospects and experienced players on AHL and two-way contracts.

BEHIND THE BENCH

Head coach Steve Potvin continued to add to his tenure in Tucson, guiding the Roadrunners through his fourth consecutive season as head coach since 2022-23 and fifth overall, including 2020-21, while also reaching nine total seasons with the organization dating back to his four-year stint as an assistant coach beginning in 2017-18.

With a 34-28-10 record and .542 points percentage in 2025-26, Potvin posted his second-best mark in five seasons at the helm, trailing only the 2023-24 campaign (.639). He also surpassed the 150-win milestone, improving his all-time record to 154-136-34 (.528) and further solidifying his place among the longest-tenured and most successful head coaches in franchise history.

VETERANS REWRITING FRANCHISE HISTORY

Cameron Hebig – Franchise Leader in Nearly Every Category

Cameron Hebig delivered another historic season, continuing his ascent as one of the most accomplished players in Tucson Roadrunners history.

He led the team with 25 goals and five multi-goal games and finished second with 54 points while setting career highs in multiple categories, including points, assists (29), shots (174), points per game (0.79) and hat tricks (2). His production also included a pair of hat tricks and consistent offensive leadership throughout the year. He also served as an assistant captain for the first time in his AHL career.

More significantly, Hebig cemented his legacy in the record book by becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in:

• Goals (88 and counting)
• Points (187 and counting)
• Shots (742 and counting)

He also moved into second all-time in assists (99), placing him within striking distance of Michael Bunting’s record of 106 helpers. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native also achieved several milestones during the season:

• Scored his 100th career AHL goal
• Recorded his 100th career AHL assist
• Tallied his 200th career AHL point
• Played his 400th career AHL game

Austin Poganski – Career Year Across the Board

Captain Austin Poganski delivered one of the strongest seasons of his career in his second year as team captain, setting new personal bests across nearly every offensive category.

He led Tucson with 56 points, adding career highs in goals (23), assists (33), game-winning goals (5), shots (119) and shooting percentage (19.3%) while appearing in a team-high 70 games.

Poganski’s production placed him among the franchise’s all-time leaders as well, moving into:

• Fifth in all-time points (128)
• Sixth in goals (52)
• Seventh in assists (76)
• 10th in games played (204)

His ability to deliver when it mattered the most also stood out, pacing the team in multi-point games (15) and leading the Roadrunners in points during the second half of the season, with 31 points (14g, 17a) in 34 games. Poganski also reached 200 career points and 400 games played in the AHL.

Ben McCartney – Career Highs and Climbing the Record Books

Ben McCartney continued his development with a career year that touched nearly every statistical category.

Serving as an assistant captain for the third consecutive season, he set personal bests in goals (21), assists (30), and points (51), while also posting career highs in shots (134) and points per game (.86). His five-point performance (2g, 3a) on Dec. 13 vs Bakersfield stood as one of the top single-game outputs in the AHL during the season – tied for the second-most points in a single AHL regular season game in 2025-26.

McCartney also made significant movement in franchise history, climbing into:

• Second in penalty minutes (355)
• Tied for first in short-handed goals (5)
• Third all-time in points (161)
• Third in assists (92)
• Third in games played (274)
• Third in power-play goals (22)
• Fourth in goals (69)

Andrew Agozzino – Career Milestones in 14th Pro Season

Andrew Agozzino served as an assistant captain for the second consecutive season in Tucson and once again provided consistent offensive production, while adding one of the more notable league-wide accomplishments of the season.

He earned a spot on Utah’s Opening Night roster for the first time in his 14-year pro career at age 34 — becoming just the seventh player in the last 30 years to make his NHL season-opening lineup for the first time at 34 or older.

Agozzino also led the Roadrunners with seven power-play goals and tied for the team lead in unassisted goals (2), while also pacing the team in goals in the second half of the season with 15 in 34 games. During that time, he recorded a team-season high four-game goal streak from Jan 20–25, totaling four goals and five points in that span.

He also reached multiple AHL career milestones, including his 650th career point and 800th career game.

The Kleinburg, Ontario native was also the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Tucson community during the 2025-26 season, making him one of 32 finalists for the AHL’s 2025-26 Yanick Dupré Memorial Award. It marked Agozzino’s second AHL Man of the Year nomination after previously earning the honor with the San Jose Barracuda during the 2022–23 season. 

ROOKIE CLASS MAKES IMMEDIATE IMPACT

Tucson’s influx of young talent became one of the defining roster features of the season, with nine players making their AHL debuts — including eight skaters and one goaltender.

That group included forwards Daniil But, Owen Allard, Jack Ricketts and Michal Kunc; defensemen Brandon Holt, Max Pšenička, Dmitri Simashev and Terrell Goldsmith; and goaltender Michael Hrabal.

Daniil But – One of the AHL’s Top Rookie Scorers

Daniil But emerged as one of the most productive rookies in the league, finishing with 19 goals and 20 assists for 39 points in just 41 games. He led the team in points per game (0.95), ranking fourth among AHL rookies in that category, and his 19 goals was the fourth most by a Roadrunner rookie in a single season in team history.

His season included:

• A hat trick and overtime winner on Nov. 8 vs Coachella Valley
• Multiple NHL call-ups
• First NHL goal in his 10th game on Dec. 14 at Pittsburgh
• Fourth-highest rookie points-per-game rates in the AHL (0.95)
• Tied for eighth in goals among AHL rookies

Dmitri Simashev — All-Rookie Team Defenseman

On the blue line, Dmitri Simashev delivered one of the strongest rookie defenseman seasons in franchise history.

He was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team and selected to the AHL All-Star Classic after finishing among the league leaders in rookie defenseman scoring, including:

• 35 points in 2025-26 (third among AHL rookie defensemen, second-most by a Roadrunners rookie defenseman in a single season in team history)
• 27 assists (third among AHL rookie defensemen, tied for the fifth most by a Roadrunners rookie in a single season in team history)
• First among rookie defensemen in points per game (0.88)

Simashev also appeared in 24 NHL games with Utah before joining Tucson in December, and finished the year with 28 NHL games under his belt.

Other Rookie Contributions

The depth of Tucson’s rookie class extended throughout the lineup:

• Owen Allard recorded his first AHL goal in his debut, ranked second on the team and 14th among rookies in games played (69) and led Roadrunners rookies in game-winning goals (2) 
• Noel Nordh recorded the second-longest point streak of any Roadrunner this with his five-game point streak from Nov. 29 – Dec. 12, totaling five points (1g, 4a) in that span
• Jack Ricketts made his AHL debut on Jan. 21 vs San Diego and recorded his first career AHL goal, game-winning goal, multi-point game and multi-goal game on Feb. 6 at Calgary
• Michal Kunc scored his first AHL goal in his fifth game and finished tied for fifth on the team in game-winning goals (2) in his first season in North America
• Brandon Holt was one of two Roadrunners players, and the only skater, to play in both the NCAA (Maine) and AHL in 2025-26 and recorded his first AHL goal, assist and multi-point game in his third game on Apr. 15 at San Diego
• Terrell Goldsmith made his AHL debut on Nov. 26 vs San Diego and had his first career fight in his third game on Dec. 12 vs Bakersfield’s Ethan Keppen
• Michael Hrabal notched his first AHL win in his debut on Mar. 28 vs Ontario, becoming one of two Roadrunners players, and the only goaltender, to play in both the NCAA (UMass) and AHL in 2025-26, and finished with a 3-1-1 record, 2.96 goals-against average and .897 save percentage

NHL CALL UPS

The Roadrunners continued to serve as an important step in the development journey for the Mammoth’s prospects, with multiple players seeing time in Utah throughout the season.

Five players skated in both Tucson and Utah uniforms:

• Daniil But – seven points (3g, 4a) in 29 NHL games
• Dmitri Simashev – one assist in 28 NHL games
• Maveric Lamoureux – one assist in five NHL games
• Andrew Agozzino – appeared in two NHL games in his first NHL stint since 2022-23 with the San Jose Sharks
• Kevin Rooney – one goal in one NHL game

Two Roadrunners (Daniil But and Kevin Rooney) scored an NHL goal and four Roadrunners recorded an NHL point (Daniil But, Dmitri Simashev, Kevin Rooney and Maveric Lamoureux).

BETWEEN THE PIPES

Tucson’s goaltending group took significant steps in their development while keeping the Roadrunners in the playoff race all season long.

Jaxson Stauber led all Roadrunners netminders with career highs in games played (36), minutes (2,112), and saves (861), while matching his career best with two shutouts. He also posted a team-high 3.07 goals-against average and a team-best 30+ saves in nine games and finished among the AHL leaders in workload, ranking tied for 15th in shutouts and 18th in minutes played. His season totals placed him tied for fifth in franchise history in games played by a goaltender, fifth in minutes, and sixth in saves in a single season. Stauber also climbed the organizational record books, moving into fifth all-time in wins (27), shutouts (2) and games played (57) and fourth in minutes (3,372) among Roadrunners goaltenders.

Matthew Villalta anchored the group in wins with 16 and continued his rise on Tucson’s all-time leaderboards, moving into second in franchise history in wins (65) and shutouts (8), while also climbing to second in games played (127) and minutes (7,496) among goaltenders. Villalta’s season included a career-high 49-save performance on Oct. 8 at Manitoba — the fourth-most saves in a single game in the AHL this season — and he tied his career high with two assists, ranking among the league leaders in goaltender scoring and joining a select group of Tucson netminders with multiple career points.

Michael Hrabal made his AHL debut in 2025-26 and immediately made an impact, earning his first career win in his first appearance on Mar. 28 vs. Ontario before adding his first assist and point later in the season on Apr. 15 at San Diego. The rookie goaltender became part of a rare franchise milestone, joining Stauber and Villalta in helping Tucson become the first team in club history to see three different goaltenders record a point in the same season.

Collectively, Villalta, Stauber, and Hrabal combined for four assists, tying the franchise record for goaltender points in a single season (also set in 2018-19).

DEFENSE CORPS DEPTH

Tucson’s blue line was a strength this season. The group included veterans climbing franchise leaderboards, and younger players have immediate success at the AHL level and competing for playing time in the NHL.

Scott Perunovich anchored the group offensively, leading the team in assists (40) and Roadrunners defensemen in points (49). Both set new single-season franchise records for a Roadrunners defenseman, surpassing Jamie McBain’s previous assist mark (35 in 2016–17) and the points record of 43 shared by McBain and Kyle Wood, also set in 2016–17. He also paced the club in power-play production with 16 points and 15 assists on the man advantage, while ranking among the AHL leaders in assists (second among defensemen) and points (third among defensemen). Perunovich added a team-high eight multi-assist games and 11 multi-point outings (most among Roadrunners blueliners), and tied for the league lead among defensemen with two overtime goals.

Max Szuber delivered another standout season, setting career highs across the board with 11 goals, 27 points, and 107 shots while adding a career-best two power-play goals and a 10.3% shooting percentage. He led Tucson defensemen in goals and shots, ranked tied for seventh among all AHL defensemen in goals, and became the franchise’s all-time leader in goals by a defenseman (25), surpassing the previous mark held by Kyle Capobianco. Szuber also climbed into the top five in franchise history among defensemen in goals, assists (62), points (87), games played (200), penalty minutes (162), and shots (288), cementing himself as one of the most productive two-way defensemen in team history.

Robbie Russo continued his historic run in Tucson, becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in assists by a defenseman (92) while also moving into second in points (109), third in games played (251) and fourth in goals (17) among blueliners. He set new franchise benchmarks in career shots by a defenseman (491). Russo scored five goals for the first time since 2022-23 and also appeared in his 700th career AHL game and scored his 50th career AHL goal during the season.

Maveric Lamoureux posted a career year across multiple categories, setting personal bests in games played (65), goals (5), assists (15), points (20), plus-minus (+7), and penalty minutes (75). He tied for the team lead in penalty minutes, ranked tied for first in plus-minus and second in shots among Roadrunners defensemen (105).

Dmitri Simashev provided one of the most dynamic rookie seasons in the league, especially on special teams. He added 12 power-play points (3g, 9a), ranking tied for second in power-play goals, tied for third in power-play points, and tied for fourth in power-play assists among rookie blueliners. He was named to both the AHL All-Rookie Team and the AHL All-Star Classic. Simashev also recorded a team-high six-game point streak (eight points) and a five-game assist streak.

Brandon Holt and Max Pšenička each made their AHL debuts after the conclusion of their college and junior seasons, and contributed quickly. Holt had the best plus-minus among Roadrunners rookies (+5), albeit in just five games played, while Pšenička registered his first AHL point in his debut after joining the team on an amateur tryout agreement following the conclusion of the Portland Winterhawks’ season (WHL).

Other notes:

• Kevin Connauton served as an assistant captain for the second consecutive season with Tucsonplayed his 450th career AHL  game and has now played over 831 games between the AHL and NHL (360 NHL)
• Lleyton Moore set career highs in assists (10), points (11), shootout goals (1) and shots (36) and was one of eight AHL defensemen to score in a shootout this season and tied for the second-most among AHL blueliners (1)
• Montana Onyebuchi set career highs in assists (9), matched career highs in points (10), recorded the fewest PIM of his career (67), led the team in fighting majors (7), and played his 200th career AHl game

NEXT-MAN-UP MINDSET

Nearly 20 skaters (19) cycled through Tucson’s forward group over the course of the season, the result of constant NHL call-ups and injuries that reshaped the lineup on a nightly basis.

That group even included defenseman Kevin Connauton, who was deployed at forward multiple times, along with midseason reinforcements from the ECHL in Jack Ricketts, Jalen Luypen and Maxim Barbashev, all of whom stepped into key roles when needed.

Despite the revolving door, Tucson maintained offensive consistency (13th in the AHL in goals), a compliment to the organization’s depth and the coaching staff’s ability to develop and integrate talent on the fly.

Ryan McGregor was one of three Roadrunners to appear in their sixth consecutive season with the franchise, alongside Ben McCartney and Cameron Hebig, and moved into seventh all-time in games played in team history (232).

Ty Tullio set career highs in assists (14) and penalty minutes (38) in his first season in the desert. During the campaign, he recorded his 50th career AHL assist and played in his 200th career AHL game.

Kevin Rooney was one of three Roadrunners to rally a shorthanded goal and one of two to record multiple points (1g, 1a) on the penalty kill. He finished fourth on the team in shooting percentage (15.6%).

Sammy Walker led the team with a career-high three overtime goals, tied for the second most in the AHL. He has now hit double-digit goals in each of the first four seasons of his career. The Edina, Minnesota native appeared in his 200th AHL game and finished third on the team in game-winning goals (3) and fourth in shots (124).

Julian Lutz set career highs in goals (5), games played (55), penalty minutes (58), shots (38) and shooting percentage (13.2%) in his sophomore AHL season. He ranked fifth on the team in penalty minutes (58) and tied for fifth in game-opening goals (2).

Sam Lipkin led the team in plus-minus (+13) and set career highs in assists (7), plus-minus and penalty minutes (31).

Jalen Luypen set career highs in plus-minus (+9) and was the only Roadrunner to score a goal for two separate AHL teams (also Hershey Bears) in 2025-26. He was tied for third on the team in game-opening goals (3).

Miko Matikka ranked second on the team in game-opening goals (4) and had his first career AHL fight against Ontario’s Koehn Ziemmer on Mar. 4. He also set career highs in goals (5), assists (7), points (12), power-play goals (2), games played (51) and shots (63).

A SEASON DEFINED BY DEVELOPMENT

No matter where you looked in the lineup, one theme kept showing up all season long: development.

Records fell, rookies made their mark, veterans hit new career highs, and opportunities at the NHL level continued to open up. In its 10th anniversary season, Tucson gave a clear look at the depth building across the Mammoth organization.

The playoff push may have come up short, but the individual breakthroughs across the roster made this one of the most memorable – and record-filled – seasons in franchise history.