1-On-1: with Jaxson Stauber

Roadrunners Goaltender Jaxson Stauber joined Jonathon Schaffer and Kim Cota-Robles on this week’s Happy Hour Show. For the complete conversation and to hear about Jaxson’s time at the University of Minnesota, download this past week’s show below.

Listen to “Stopping The Puck With Stauber” on Spreaker.

You’re new here to the organization. You had some big games up in Utah and have been playing well in Tucson too. Can you describe your 2024/25 season?

Yeah, I think you go into the year just excited to get going for the opportunity, but you don’t really have any expectations of maybe what’s going to happen, so to get that call up and have some success up there was a lot of fun and it was great. Being with a new organization, and obviously Utah’s new to everyone, it was fun to be a part of that experience and see the fans and the passion that they have. Like you said, being down here in Tucson’s been good. Obviously, we’ve been struggling a bit as of late, but overall I think we’re building. We’ve had a pretty good year.

When did you know you wanted to take steps towards becoming a professional hockey player or just to play hockey at the next level?

I was in skating lessons early. I have an older sister who’s a year and a half older. We were in skating lessons together when we were 4 or 5 and I hated it. I didn’t want to go out there and I would make snow angels on the ice the whole time. My dad was pretty upset with that. So, I didn’t play hockey for probably four or five years, and it wasn’t until I had some cousins that are up in northern Minnesota that were playing, and they were starting to get into it. I decided I wanted to play. So, that was probably when I was 8 or 9. That’s kind of when I started playing and I think both my parents wanted me to play out a little bit at first, not just gravitate towards goalie. They thought, with my dad being a goalie, that’s what I would want to do. But yeah, there was actually a shortage of goalies in our organization, probably after the first year I played. So, of course they came to him and asked if I would play. I did half skater, half goalie that year. Then the next year, I transition to full time. But I’d say probably when I was around high school age, I started to take hockey a little bit more seriously. It was always taken seriously, and I think every kid dreams of playing professionally in the NHL. But I think at that time, I had moved high schools, so that was that was a big commitment, and, to me, that was something that was kind of that first step into to making this something that I felt like I could do hopefully into college, and then after college as well.

You and your older sister are close in age, were you guys competitive going up?

Yeah, we would fight and bicker, and we’d go hang out with our cousins and play, and it would always end up with her and I being on opposite sides, getting into a fight and someone would have to go call mom or whatever. So, I think, especially on my dad’s side, we have very competitive cousins, but I think her and I were probably two of the most competitive, especially when we got put against each other. It was fun, but there’s always some frustration there.

How is it playing with Matty Vilalta? Have you ever met another goalie like him?

No, I have not met another goalie like him. I think he’s one of one. He’s a very unique person in a very good way, super supportive teammate. It’s been great working with him and getting to know him more and more and pushing each other. Yeah, he’s been a fun guy to be around, and we enjoy each other’s company and whatnot. Yeah, it’s been good.

What’s it like having Sammy Walker in the locker room now? He’s grew up not too far from you, right?

Yeah, I played against Sammy growing up. We’re the same age and I think he lived 15 or 20 minutes away from me in the neighboring town, so we saw plenty of each other. But it’s been really good to have him around and I think it kind of brings a little bit of life into the room when you have a new guy come in. I think it pushes everyone to be a little better too. I’m sure he’s been highly motivated, obviously getting traded and coming in to a new team, he’s eager to help out and contribute and show the staff and the team what he can do. It’s been great having him and hopefully he can continue to be a big part of this group and help us win some games here down the stretch.

If you had a door in your house that went to anywhere in the world, where would you want that door to go?

That’s a good question. Probably a beach somewhere. I’m not sure which beach, but probably a beach. I grew up going to the beach a lot in California. I’d say there, like in Hermosa, just outside LA area.