Game Preview – Tucson Roadrunners vs San Diego Gulls

Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. AZT, Tucson Arena
Broadcast Info
LISTEN LIVE HERE or on Fox Sports 1450AM | WATCH on AHLtv on Flo Hockey 

Officials
Referees: #24 Jack Young, #73 Stan Szczurek | Linespeople: #33 Andrew Gaggin, #54 Anthony Caruso

Tucson, AZ – Fresh off their first sweep of the season, the Tucson Roadrunners (12-12-4-0) look to close out 2025 on a high note when they host their I-8 rivals, the San Diego Gulls (13-8-6-1), on Wednesday at Tucson Arena.

Wednesday’s matchup wraps up a brief three-game homestand that saw Tucson go 2-0 against the Calgary Wranglers, highlighted by a 5-2 win Saturday and a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory Sunday sealed by Sammy Walker.

The meeting marks the second and final matchup of 2025 between the Pacific Division foes. The teams last met Nov. 26 in Tucson, where San Diego edged the Roadrunners 5-3. Tucson forward Kevin Rooney scored twice in his 250th career AHL game in that contest.

San Diego enters the game riding a two-game winning streak and is 3-2 over its last five games after weekend victories over Bakersfield and Abbotsford.

Tucson currently sits ninth in the Pacific Division with 28 points, three points back of Henderson and Bakersfield. San Diego holds sixth place with 33 points, one point behind Coachella Valley and two back of Calgary.

The rivals will meet three more times in January, including a two-game midweek series in San Diego on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21, before returning to Tucson Arena on Jan. 28.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

ROSTER MOVES
Tucson’s lineup will look slightly different Wednesday, though a pair of familiar faces remain in the mix.

Goaltender Matthew Villalta was recalled by the Utah Mammoth on Monday, marking his first NHL call-up of the season and his first since last March. During that stint, Villalta stopped 28 shots to earn his first NHL victory in his lone career start, a 7-3 Mammoth win over Nashville on April 14.

In a corresponding move, the Roadrunners recalled Dylan Wells from the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL). Wells has split time between Tucson and the ECHL in each of the past two seasons. He appeared in 10 games with the Roadrunners last season, posting a 3-3-1 record with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.

Additionally, defenseman Juuso Välimäki cleared waivers and was assigned to Tucson on Monday. Välimäki has yet to appear in a game this season while recovering from an injury sustained in late February. He appeared in one game with the Roadrunners during the 2024–25 season. Last year with Utah, Välimäki recorded five points (2g, 3a) in 43 games, along with a minus-5 rating, 14 penalty minutes and an average ice time of 16:33.

MCCARTNEY MAKING NOISE
Ben McCartney enters Wednesday with a team-high 12 points (5g, 7a) in his last eight games dating back to Dec. 5 at San Jose. His 12 points over that span rank second in the AHL, trailing only Bakersfield’s Isaac Howard (13). McCartney has totaled 27 points (11g, 16a) in 28 games, marking the third time he has reached the 25-point plateau in a season. He is one assist, seven goals and eight points shy of matching his career highs from the 2021-22 season (18g, 17a, 35 points). He carries a three-game point streak dating back to Dec. 20 at Abbotsford, recording three points (1g, 2a) during that stretch.

WALKER WALKS IT OFF
Sammy Walker leads Tucson with two overtime goals, including Sunday’s winning tally, and shares the team lead in game-winning goals (2) with Owen Allard. He’s been heating up since the calendar turned to December and has recorded points in five of his last six games and six of his last eight dating back to Dec. 5 at San Jose. Walker has totaled six points (2g, 4a) over his last six games and eight points (3g, 5a) in his last eight.

Numbers to Know:

100% — The Roadrunners’ penalty kill is perfect over the last three games (8-for-8) dating back to Dec. 21 at Abbotsford. Tucson went 6-for-6 on the penalty kill in its two-game weekend series vs. Calgary.

23% — Tucson has scored a power-play goal in three consecutive games dating back to Dec. 21 at Abbotsford, converting at a 23% clip (3-for-13) during that stretch.

WE’RE DOING IT LIVE
Wednesday’s game will be streamed on AHLtv on FloHockey. Fans can also listen live on FOX Sports 1450 AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. AZT with Roadrunners Warm-Up hosted by James Mackey.

Fans can secure their seats online at Ticketmaster.com.