1-On-1: with Montana Onyebuchi

Roadrunners Defenseman Montana Onyebuchi joined Adrian Denny and Jonathon Schaffer on this week’s Insider Podcast. For the complete conversation and Onyebuchi’s response to the Insider Podcast intro that he has been featured in all year, download this week’s show below. 

Listen to “Talking Pizza With Onyebuchi” on Spreaker.

You played with Andrew Agozzino in San Jose with the Barracuda. What’s your reaction to reuniting with him in the organization after he signed this summer?

He’s a great guy: one of the best captains I’ve ever had. He knows the guys; he works with the guys and he leads by example. He always shows up ready to work so I was super excited when I heard that we signed him.

You stepped up in a big role for the Roadrunners last season with the injuries and callups to the blueline. How was that for you to get so many games under your belt for a new team?

It was big; I think every year you get more comfortable and you want more experience with feeling better out there. Last year was huge for me with getting more games in and experience. That’s what it’s all about so I can just have that confidence going into next year and be ready to go.

Roadrunners Rapid Fire Questions: Montana described the below in one word or one sentence:

Coming off of your plus/minus of +9, how will you continue to implement your aggressive yet strong style of defense into next season?

I take pride in defense; they can’t win if they don’t score any goals. I think that’s a big thing; especially for a defenseman with our plus/minus. I have to give a lot of credit to my D-Partner Patrik Koch: he’s a really good defender and plays the same style I play. We don’t like giving up lines, so I think with both of us together we try to kill the rush before they even get to the red line. That’s going to be the big thing for this year: playing forward and killing plays early.

What was it like from game number one, going out with Patrik (Koch) for the first time and all of the sudden 50 games later, it was still rolling?

He’s not the loudest guy in the room or anything and an older guy, but I really look up to him from the way he approaches the game. He’s a real pro; he takes every single day as a step to get better. He’s a great leader for the younger guys and just knows how to prepare and be ready for every game. I look up to him and I know a lot of other guys on the team look up to him as well. I think from game one playing together to game 50, not much has changed because he is just so solid. You just know what you are going to get from him every day.

We’re bringing Patrik Koch back with the additions of veterans Robbie Russo (AHL Contract) and Kevin Connauton (Two-Way Contract) to the blueline. What is the unit going to look like for this season?

I think it’s going to be really good; we have a lot of older guys with tons of experience. I’ve seen Robbie (Russo) play too and now he is back in Tucson. I’m excited with the group we have this year. I think we can do a lot of good things and hopefully even do better than we did last year with a deep playoff run.

Did you have a teammate last year that you played against that you did not know personally but eventually became friends with?

Yea definitely; there are a lot of guys I can name. That’s how it is coming to a new team; (as an opponent), I’m a guy that’s probably going to chirp the whole bench and get into it with a lot of other guys, but when you join that team it’s different. They get to know you and you get to know them: anybody from Gregs (Ryan McGregor) to Dougie (Curtis Douglas) and even Drewsy (Hunter Drew). A lot of those guys you didn’t know you could really get along with, but once they’re on your team you know they’re just really good guys.

You were a fan favorite in your two seasons in San Jose and now have become one here in Tucson as well. What has it been like for you to become one of the fan favorites for now two professional hockey teams?

It’s nice having the fan support and I am a guy who feeds off the energy from the crowds. I love hearing the fans and seeing them come out. During COVID when there were no fans, it felt dead and didn’t feel right in the rink. I’ve loved being a fan favorite and appreciated it from all of them.

How much fun was the winning last year with second place season and making that run?

There’s nothing better than coming to the rink every day when you’re winning. I’ve been on teams that don’t win games: you’re losing three-out-of-four games and the energy in the room is off with coaches and players getting agitated; it’s no fun. When you’re winning every game it’s different and it just makes everything easier for everybody.