Series Preview – Tucson Roadrunners vs Ontario Reign

Game 1: Saturday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. AZT, Tucson Arena
Game 2: Sunday, Feb. 22 at 4 p.m. AZT, Tucson Arena

Officials
Saturday – Referees: # 41 Graedy Hamilton, # 73 Stan Szczurek | Linespeople: #71 Harrison Heyer, #76 Gabe Lomen
Sunday – Referees: # 41 Graedy Hamilton, #9 Sydney Harris | Linespeople: #71 Harrison Heyer, #76 Gabe Lomen

Broadcast Info
Saturday: LISTEN LIVE HERE or on Fox Sports 1450AM | WATCH on AHLtv on Flo Hockey 
Sunday: LISTEN LIVE HERE or Fox Sports 1450AM | WATCH on AHLtv on Flo Hockey 

Tucson, AZ – With 25 games remaining, the Tucson Roadrunners (22-17-8-0) kick off the homestretch of the regular season when they host the first-place Ontario Reign (32-16-1-1) for a two-game weekend set at Tucson Arena on Saturday night and Sunday evening.

Both teams are coming off victories in their last outing and have won three of their last five games. Tucson wrapped up a five-game road trip with a 3-2 victory over Coachella Valley on Sunday. The Roadrunners opened the trip with a 5-1 loss to the Reign at Ontario on Feb. 4, the last meeting between the two clubs, but rebounded to win three of their next four to finish with a winning record on the trip.

The Roadrunners are 1-2-0-0 against the Reign this season, and Saturday’s series opener marks the first meeting in Tucson. Tucson won the season opener against Ontario in overtime in early October, but the Reign have taken the last two matchups.

Ontario leads the Pacific Division with 66 points, while Tucson holds the final playoff spot in seventh with 52 points, two points back of sixth-place San Diego.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

ROONEY ROLLING
Kevin Rooney continues to drive Tucson’s offense at a critical point in the season. The veteran forward is coming off his third multi-point performance of the year after posting a goal and an assist at Coachella Valley on Feb. 15, including his second game-winning goal of the season. Rooney has been especially productive over the past week, recording five points (2g, 3a) in his last three games dating back to Feb. 7 at Calgary. He capped the five-game road trip with three goals and six points, tying Cameron Hebig for the team lead in points and Ben McCartney and Jack Ricketts for the team lead in goals during the trip. Overall, Rooney has seven points (4g, 3a) in his last seven games and enters the weekend playing some of his best hockey of the season.

NEW FACES MAKING AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Tucson’s recent success has also been fueled by contributions from its newest additions. Rookie forward Jack Ricketts, recalled from the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies on Jan. 21, has quickly found his stride at the AHL level, scoring three goals and recording four points over his last four games. Jalen Luypen, signed to a professional tryout on Jan. 26, has also made an early impression. Luypen opened the scoring in Sunday’s win at Coachella Valley, registering his first goal and second point as a Roadrunner in his sixth game with Tucson.

JAXSON STOPPER
Jaxson Stauber anchored Tucson’s bounce-back win at Coachella Valley on Feb. 15, earning first-star honors after turning aside a season-high 39 shots to secure his eighth victory of the season. The performance continued a strong stretch for Stauber, who enters the weekend riding wins in back-to-back starts and three victories in his last five appearances dating back to Jan. 25 at Henderson.

Since the calendar flipped to 2026, Stauber has elevated his game, consistently giving Tucson a chance to win. He recorded at least 33 saves in three consecutive starts from Jan. 17–25, stopping 36 shots against San Jose, 34 versus San Diego, and 33 at Henderson. Stauber is the only Roadrunners goaltender this season to post 30-plus saves in three straight outings, and has been a stabilizing presence during the club’s push toward the postseason as the team has navigated several injuries.

NUMBERS TO KNOW:

.667 – Tucson has earned a point in 16 of its last 21 games (12-5-4-0) dating back to Dec. 27 vs. Calgary, a stretch that ranks tied for the second-best winning percentage (.667) in the Pacific Division and fifth-best in the AHL. The run has helped the Roadrunners stay firmly in playoff position as they head into the final 25 games of the regular season.

WE’RE DOING IT LIVE
Both games this weekend will be streamed on AHLtv on FloHockey and broadcast on FOX Sports 1450 AM and the iHeartRadio app. Saturday’s coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. AZT with Roadrunners Warm-Up hosted by David Mooradian. Sunday’s broadcast starts at 3:45 p.m. AZT ahead of puck drop.