GAME #69 PREVIEW: TUCSON ROADRUNNERS at ROCKFORD ICEHOGS

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Game #69: Tucson Roadrunners (32-30-3-2) at Rockford IceHogs (28-30-6-2)

Time: 5 p.m. MST, BMO Center, Rockford, IL

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Referees: #48 Beau Halkidis, #32 Damian Figueira

Linespeople: #97 Devon Gale , #70 Craig Ford

Supervisor: Pierre Racicot

The Tucson Roadrunners (33-30-3-2) hit the road for their final away series of the regular season this weekend, opening a two-game set against the Central Division’s Rockford IceHogs (28-30-6-2) on Friday at 5 p.m. MST at the BMO Center.

Tucson enters the series with momentum after taking three of four games on their recent homestand, including back-to-back wins over the Bakersfield Condors to close it out. Meanwhile, Rockford is trending in the opposite direction, dropping four of their last five contests, including back-to-back losses to the Grand Rapids Griffins last weekend (7-5 and 8-3).

The Roadrunners and IceHogs split their only previous series this season in Tucson. Tucson rolled to a 5-1 win in the opener on Feb. 28 before Rockford responded with a 3-2 overtime victory on Mar. 1. The Roadrunners are 1-0-1 against the IceHogs and 2-3-1 overall versus Central Division opponents this year.

Both teams currently occupy the final playoff spots in their respective divisions. Tucson sits in seventh in the Pacific Division with 71 points—five ahead of eighth-place Bakersfield and four behind the sixth-place Calgary Wranglers. Rockford is fifth in the Central with 64 points, holding a six-point cushion over the Iowa Wild for the last playoff berth and trailing fourth-place Grand Rapids by 10 points.

Three Things:

  • McCartney Making His Mark
    Alternate captain Ben McCartney is heating up at the right time, riding a two-game goal streak and lighting the lamp in three of Tucson’s last four contests. The 23-year-old forward has notched four points (3g, 1a) over his last five games and 10 points (6g, 4a) in his last 11 outings dating back to Mar. 15. McCartney’s been especially productive on the road, collecting four points (1g, 3a) in his last four games away from the TCC.

    The Portage la Prairie, Manitoba native is putting together a standout 2024-25 campaign, ranking in the top five among Roadrunners in several key offensive categories. He sits fifth in total points (32), fourth in goals (16), third in power-play goals (6), fifth in power-play points (11), and leads the team in shorthanded goals (3). No other Roadrunner has scored more special-teams goals this season—whether on the power play or the penalty kill.

    Already at a career-high 59 games played, McCartney is closing in on more milestones: he needs just two goals to tie his personal best of 18 in a season and three points to match his career-high of 35—both set during his 2021-22 rookie campaign.

  • Barron Heating Up
    Alternate captain Travis Barron is on a tear, riding a season-high three-game point streak with six points (3g, 3a) over that span. The gritty forward had a standout performance in Sunday’s 5-2 win over Bakersfield, netting his first multi-goal game of the season—and first since recording his first career hat trick on Dec. 1, 2023, against San Jose.

    It marked the third multi-goal outing of Barron’s career and his first two-goal game since Dec. 14, 2021, against Henderson.

    The veteran winger has found another gear in the second half of the season, with seven of his 10 goals coming since February. Now at 10 goals and 22 points on the year, Barron is closing in on matching his career highs: he needs two more goals to tie his personal best of 12 and three more points to equal his career high of 25—both set during the 2021-22 campaign.

  • Szuber Stays Steady
    Defenseman Max Szuber is quietly putting together one of the most consistent stretches of his season and holds the team’s longest active point streak at four games. The 22-year-old blueliner from Opole, Poland has notched four points (1g, 3a) during that run and has also been a force at home, riding a seven-game point streak at the TCC with nine points (2g, 7a) over that span.

    Szuber has made his presence felt on the road as well, recording two assists in his last three away games.

    Now in his second pro season, Szuber has already hit career highs across the board with 29 points (7g, 22a) in 61 games. He leads all Roadrunner defensemen in goals, ranks second in points from the blue line, and is tied for the team lead in power-play points with 12 (1g, 11a).

What’s the Word?

“He (Travis Barron) does a nice job of managing pucks and keeping the puck moving forward. But, you know, it seems like he’s playing free. I think he’s playing loose and we’re getting to see the results of what it looks like when he can play free.”

Roadrunners coach Steve Potvin on the recent play of forward Travis Barron

Number to Know:

2 – Two rookies joined the Roadrunners this week, as forwards Owen Allard and Noel Nordh were assigned to Tucson following the end of their junior seasons with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, who were eliminated from the playoffs last weekend.

Nordh, 20, returns to the Roadrunners after starting the season in Tucson. The Söderhamn, Sweden native was a third-round pick (72nd overall) by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2023 NHL Draft and was the youngest player on the Roadrunners’ opening-night roster. He led the team in preseason scoring with four points (2g, 2a) in two games and appeared in the first two contests of the regular season against the Colorado Eagles before being reassigned to the OHL. Nordh posted 53 points (21g, 32a) in 47 games with Sault Ste. Marie this year.

Allard, 21, was a fifth-round pick (135th overall) by the Utah Hockey Club in the 2024 NHL Draft. He finished his fourth OHL campaign with 28 points (14g, 14a) in 31 regular-season games, and added four points (2g, 2a) in five playoff games—second-most on the Greyhounds.

Latest Transactions:

  • On Monday, Apr. 7, forward Kailer Yamamoto was recalled to the Utah Hockey Club (NHL) from Tucson.
  • On Monday, Apr. 7, forwards Owen Allard and Noel Nordh were assigned to Tucson from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL).

We’re Doing It Live

Friday’s game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 4:45 p.m. MST with Roadrunners Warm-Up, hosted by “Voice of the Roadrunners” Jonathon Schaffer, who has all of the action from the BMO Center. Fans can catch all the action on AHLtv now on Flo Hockey.