When this writer moved to Phoenix in 1974 from hockey tradition Chicago, the only hockey in town was the then WHA Phoenix Roadrunners. Being a big fan of the Chicago Blackhawks, I began to follow the local Roadrunner team. One player who stuck in my memory was Robbie Ftorek. He was nicknamed the "flea" since he was so small and completely irritated opposing players with his constant forechecking skills.
When did it all begin?
The Phoenix Roadrunners began play in the Western Hockey League in 1967 and were the state's first professional sports team. They played their games at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. The Roadrunners were the WHL champions in 1973 and again in 1974.
When the WHL disbanded in 1974, the Roadrunners became a part of the World Hockey Association (WHA), and then went on to play in the Pacific Hockey League (PHL) until 1979. Ten years later, in 1989, the Roadrunners came back as part of the International Hockey League (IHL) and stayed in the Valley until 1997. The Roadrunners returned to Phoenix in 2005 as a member of the ECHL until 2009.
The management/coaching staff is in place
The newest member of the AHL, the Tucson Roadrunners have been busy formulated a management and coaching team to begin play in October. On June 21, 2016, as most new teams, they needed to name a head coach first, by selecting Mark Lamb. Mark Hardy was pegged as an Assistant Coach.
Lamb has NHL experience and Arizona Coyotes' Head Coach/V.P. of Hockey Operations, Dave Tippett had him as an Assistant Coach with the Dallas Stars from 2002-09. He was the GM and Head Coach of the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL for seven seasons, besides his seven years in the NHL coaching ranks.
Hardy also has ties to Tippett with both being on the staff of the Los Angeles Kings from 1999 to 2002. He has 10 years of NHL coaching experience on his resume, putting the Roadrunners in good hands.
Then, nearly a month later on July 20, 2016, the Roadrunners hired a General Manager when they chose Doug Soetaert. His past experience includes serving a Vice President and General Manager of the Everett Silvertips of the WHL from 2002-12.
Soetaert mentioned to the Coyotes' Dave Vest:
“This is a great opportunity for me to work with John Chayka and Dave Tippett in managing our new AHL team in Tucson,” said Soetaert. “Our focus in Tucson will be on development and winning and we are confident that our fans will enjoy watching our exciting and talented team. I also look forward to working alongside Head Coach Mark Lamb and Assistant Coach Mark Hardy who bring vast coaching experience to the organization.”
The Roadrunners also added Brian Sandy as the President on July 18, 2016. His resume is filled with a background in professional and collegiate sports management as President of the ECHL's Stockton Thunder and Associate GM for the University of Arizona Athletics/IMG College. He has consummated millions of dollars in sales, service and marketing revenue including for the U of A Wildcats hockey club.
He knows Tucson.
“Many of the people in Tucson migrated for the sun,” Sandy said. “There are a lot of folks there who are originally from the Chicago area, from Minnesota, from the Dakotas and from Canada, and a lot of those people love hockey. I think they’ll really appreciate the high level of play in the AHL in their own backyard.”
Coyotes President and CEO Anthony LeBlanc considers Sandy a perfect fit for the job. Sandy agrees.
“It’s definitely a great fit for me,” Sandy said. “I love Tucson. I’m excited to get back. I only left it for my love of hockey, and what perfect synchronicity to have an opportunity to return to Tucson in the sport that I love.”
Let's play some hockey!
The fans will get an opportunity to see the new Tucson Roadrunners up close and personal on October 9th at 1 pm when an intra-squad Red and White game will be played at the Tucson Convention Center. The game will feature the NHL Coyotes' players as well as the new AHL Roadrunners' players. The admission will be free, but fans will be asked to donate $5 to aid the University of Arizona Wildcats hockey program.
It seems that the Roadrunners are back again, and the fans in the Ol' Pueblo couldn't be more thrilled to have their first professional sports team.
The Coyotes are also thrilled because if they need a replacement player from their AHL affiliate, he can be just a two-hour drive away compared to a four-hour flight from the east coast. The scouting staff will also enjoy being able to see the Coyotes' prospects development in a much more convenient manner.
It's a win-win situation, and should help the Coyotes get more exposure statewide, as well as continuing the growth of youth hockey in Arizona.