Tucson Roadrunners Sign Defenseman Cal Thomas to One-Year AHL Contract

TUCSON, AZ – The Tucson Roadrunners, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Utah Mammoth, today announced that the club has signed defenseman Cal Thomas to a one-year AHL contract.

“After significant year-over-year improvement with the University of Minnesota Gophers, we look forward to Cal’s defensive contributions as he embarks on his pro career with us in Tucson,” said John Ferguson, general manager of the Tucson Roadrunners.

Thomas, 23, served as captain of the University of Minnesota each of the last two seasons as a junior and senior and recorded five points (1g, 4a) and 10 penalty minutes (PIM) in 31 collegiate games in 2025-26. He also finished second on the team and eighth nationally with 76 blocked shots, including a career-high eight at Ohio State on Dec. 5 in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Buckeyes.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound left-shot defenseman recorded 30 points (3g, 27a) and 30 PIM in 136 games over four seasons with the Golden Gophers and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. As a freshman in 2022-23, he was one of nine Gophers to appear in all 40 games, helping Minnesota win the Big Ten Conference regular-season championship and advance to the championship game of the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four, where the Gophers fell 3-2 in overtime to Quinnipiac.

Prior to his collegiate career, the Maple Grove, Minnesota native played two seasons in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Chicago Steel (2021-22) and Sioux Falls Stampede (2020-22), recording 27 points (5g, 22a) and 65 PIM in 70 games.

Thomas was originally selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the sixth round (171st overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft.