Preseason Game #1 – Tucson at Ontario
Preseason Game #1 – Tucson at Ontario
2 PM MST, Toyota Sports Performance Center
Referees: Justin Kea (#20), Jordan (#14)
Linesmen: Jacob Fraser (#4), Steve Walsh (#85)
Leading Off
With newly named Head Coach Steve Potvin at the helm, the Roadrunners open their four-game preseason slate over the next 11 days with two games in El Segundo, California the next two afternoons and two home games that will be closed to the public against San Jose on Wednesday, January 27 and Monday, February 1.
Three Things
1) The Roadrunners are familiar with this season’s home for the Ontario Reign having practiced several times over the years at the Toyota Sports Performance Center, the team headquarters for the Los Angeles Kings.
2) The Roadrunners will see the Reign in four of the five months as we begin this 2021 calendar campaign. They will travel back to California for two games in February against Ontario on the 12thand 14th, once in March on the 26th on a trip to also visit the San Diego Gulls and finally to complete the regular season May 13-16 at Tucson Arena.
3) Ontario also has a new coach for the 2021 campaign with John Wroblewski taking over for Mike Stothers who led the team from their AHL inception in 2015 until the end pf last season.
What’s The Word?
Prior to Friday’s Coaching announcement, Arizona Daily Star Roadrunners Writer Brett Fera caught up with current Roadrunners Forwards Michael Bunting and Lane Pederson on now Head Coach Steve Potvin and fourth-year Assistant Coach John Slaney.
Michael Bunting: They’re great teachers of the game. I know a lot of the boys respect both of them tremendously.
Lane Pederson: They come to the rink every day with a great work ethic and a great attitude. That just sets us up for success. Pederson said of both. You come to the rink and you’re banged up, or you’re bruised, and you see them with a smile on their faces and energetic, and they’re ready to pull the rope.
Number to Know
5-3: The score the only other time that Tucson and Ontario met in the preseason on September 29, 2017. Michael Bunting and Jalen Smereck are the two remaining Roadrunners from that contest and Jalen scored the Roadrunners second goal of the game.
We’re Doing It Live
Not yet. We will return to the radio for Wednesday’s Preseason Home Opener for a 5 p.m. Face-Off on Fox Sports 1450 AM and iHeartRadio that will follow Eye on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzales on Tucson’s Sports Station.
