Happy Friday, y’all!

We’re back for round two of this.

I’ll start by saying I was very flattered by the amount of emails I received last week regarding names for the blog, and just folks reaching out to say hello following the first version.  Some of you I’ve had the privilege of meeting at games, and events.  Others I look forward to getting to know when we get back to normalcy.  I’ll take a couple weeks yet to let the name idea settle, but there are some strong frontrunners.

Above all, I’m very grateful to you all for reading.  Our agenda for this is to just stay connected to you as we all go through these uncommon times together.  Hockey is what brings us together as one in the first place, so let’s not let what’s going on come between that. 

We’re Going Virtual

It was slated to be another exciting weekend at Tucson Arena; however, for now a second straight weekend we’ll have to settle for bringing hockey to you through the airwaves and now for the first time, live stream.

FOX Sports 1450 will have coverage for you tonight and Sunday night with two exciting games from the middle of November and sandwiched in between will be an all-new venture for the club, following in the footsteps of our parent organization with the first simulated game for the team, coming through EA Sports NHL 20.

I’ll admit, I’m a 20-something that has been a long-time fan of the NHL’s video game series and I play quite regularly, however, I haven’t taken too much time to watch other teams execute these.  Nevertheless, we’ve heard the requests as fans crave any form of live hockey, so we’re happy to give it a try this weekend.

The game will be live and premiered via the team’s YouTube page on Saturday starting at 7 p.m. and we’ll live-share the game on our Facebook and Twitter with the usual recap coverage on Instagram.  Do us a favor and take a look then.  If you like it, let us know.  Of course, we’ll consider doing more.  If it’s not for you, that’s totally okay as well.  Feedback is always welcome here.

Eating Local

Another hot topic that’s floated around team’s social media platforms and websites is the promotion of local food partners that remain open during this time.  Obviously, the restaurant business is taking a hit during this time, but there are some Tucson entities that we are extremely thankful for and want to ensure that we do our part in assisting them during this time.

Our full list of partners that you can support can be found here.

I know, the encouragement right now is to stay home, however, several of them are also offering contactless delivery, so that might be something to consider.

(I’m eyeing up Panera; Pick two with a Mediterranean veggie sandwich and mac ‘n’ cheese.  Yum.)

This Week In Team History

This week has taught me that this time of year has been really good to this organization.  Year one the team was bouncing back after a tough stretch, year two the club was days away from locking up its first-ever playoff berth and last year the team was in the midst of a strong playoff push attempt.

Here’s a quick glance in case you missed anything over the past few days:

March 23, 2019 – He did it in the first, then the second, then again in OT.  Lane Pederson became the first Roadrunner in team history to score all of the team’s goals in the team’s 3-2 win over the San Jose Barracuda.

March 24, 2019 – The very next day it was Michael Bunting breaking the hearts of the Barracuda, poking home a feed from Michael Chaput with just 9.2 seconds to go in regulation.  A necessary extra point during what was a very enigmatic conclusion to the season.

March 26, 2017 – It’s also been a historical week against San Jose, evidently.  Three years ago, Conor Garland played savior during an inaugural season escape in a shootout to give Tucson a 5-4 win.

What Could Be…

Obviously there are so many questions in regards to the season being resumed, but in thinking about the potential of it, it would be so hard not to be excited about our team.

After watching the NHL’s gathering of the Pacific Division’s captains Friday morning, I found myself thinking about what Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano remarked, suggesting that if the league is able to get back to playing it may be the best playoffs ever because most teams would presumably be at full health.

Despite already being in first place here in Tucson, our team, as suggested above, would only be better if we got back after it.

The team entered the pause having won four of their last five, Adin Hill was smoking hot, Markus Hannikainen was fresh blood and the team’s defensive corps was just about to re-add Aaron Ness to an already tremendous blue line.  Lane Pederson was on the cusp of returning and Brayden Burke was working his way back as well.

Now, should this thing get going again, it would be like Opening Night 2.0.  All pieces to the puzzle would be fully in tact.

It would be a scary, scary lineup looking with all the parts necessary.  Veteran leadership, young talent, depth, very capable goaltending, all the integral pieces you look for in a championship team.

We can only hope this thing gets going again.

The Outro

We’re two weeks into this quarantining phase, and, although there have been some positives to it, I’m already ready for it to be over.  Let’s all make sure we’re doing our part to end this ASAP, and if you’re allowed, just stay inside.  But you don’t need to hear that from me.

Again, if you’ve enjoyed reading, have feedback, suggestions, or just want to say hello, walt.ruff@tucsonroadrunners.com is always open.