Pacific Division First Round Game 1 Preview: Tucson Roadrunners (7) At Abbotsford Canucks (2)

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AHL Tucson Roadrunners

Pacific Division First Round Game 1 Preview: Tucson Roadrunners (7) At Abbotsford Canucks (2)

April 23, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Tucson Roadrunners News Release


The Tucson Roadrunners are heading north of the border to begin their Calder Cup Playoff run. They'll open a best-of-three First Round series against the Abbotsford Canucks on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PT at the Abbotsford Centre in British Columbia.

This year marks Tucson's third consecutive playoff appearance and fifth postseason berth in the team's nine-year history. The Roadrunners clinched the Pacific Division's final playoff spot as the No. 7 seed, finishing the regular season with a 34-32-4-2 record (74 points). The Canucks secured the No. 2 seed after a strong 44-24-2-2 campaign (92 points) and will host all three games of the series on home ice.

Although the Roadrunners enter the series as underdogs, they're familiar with how dangerous a No. 7 seed can be. Just last season, Tucson's own playoff run was cut short by a seventh-seeded Calgary Wranglers squad that pulled off a two-game sweep at Tucson Arena. Now, the Roadrunners are looking to return the favor on the road in Abbotsford - a building where they've played some of their best hockey this season.

Tucson enters the series with a 5-3-0-0 record against the Canucks in the regular season, including a 3-1-0-0 mark at the Abbotsford Centre. The Roadrunners also swept their most recent back-to-back set against Abbotsford with a 3-2 win on February 22 and a 4-3 overtime victory the following night.

Since that series, however, the Canucks have been on fire. Abbotsford closed out the regular season as the AHL's hottest team, posting a 17-2-0-1 record over their final 20 games to surge into second place in the Pacific. Tucson held off a late push from Bakersfield with a gritty finish of their own, going 9-10-2-0 down the stretch.

Three Things:

Yamamoto and Hebig Leading the Charge Up Front

The Roadrunners' offensive engine this season was powered by forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Cameron Hebig. Yamamoto led Tucson in scoring with 56 points (20g, 36a) in 54 games, also pacing the team in assists and multi-point performances (15). The 26-year-old Spokane, Washington native tied for the team lead in power-play production with 16 points (7g, 9a) and finished the regular season on a high note, notching five points (1g, 4a) over the final three games. Hebig followed closely behind with a career-best 47 points (26g, 21a) in 67 games to finish second on the team. The 28-year-old from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan led the Roadrunners in goals, earned his first AHL All-Star selection, signed a two-way NHL contract midseason, and capped the regular season with three goals over the final two contests. The duo also had Abbotsford's number during the regular season. Yamamoto posted a team-high nine points (1g, 8a) in seven games against the Canucks, while Hebig tallied eight points (4g, 4a) in seven contests. His four goals in the season series were tied with forward Hunter Drew for the team lead.

Steady in the Crease

Between the pipes, Tucson is anchored by the steady tandem of Matthew Villalta and Jaxson Stauber. Villalta led the Roadrunners with 43 starts this season-second-most among all AHL goaltenders-and posted an 18-22-3-4 record with a 3.03 goals-against average and .905 save percentage. The 25-year-old from Godfrey, Ontario also recorded a career-high four shutouts, tied for sixth in the league. He capped off his year with his first NHL win, stopping 28 shots in Utah's 6-3 road victory over the Nashville Predators on April 14. Villalta won four of his final six AHL starts to close out the regular season strong. Stauber, meanwhile, split time between Tucson and the NHL. He went 2-1-1 in four appearances with Utah, including a 29-save shutout on Nov. 30 in a 6-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights-the first shutout in Utah franchise history. In Tucson, the 25-year-old Wayzata, Minnesota native posted a 12-7-2 record across 21 starts with a 3.14 GAA and .897 SV%. Stauber went 2-1-0 against the Canucks this season, highlighted by a 38-save effort in a 5-2 Roadrunners win on Oct. 30-his second-highest save total of the season. Villalta also held his own in the season series, going 2-2-0 against Abbotsford and making 30-plus saves in three of those four starts.

Points from the Point

Veteran Robbie Russo and second-year pro Max Szuber led the way on the blue line for Tucson this season, pacing all Roadrunners defensemen in scoring. Russo posted 34 points (4g, 30a) in 72 games, while Szuber was right behind with 32 points (7g, 25a) in 65 appearances. Szuber, a 22-year-old from Opole, Poland, surpassed his 28-point rookie campaign by finishing the season on a tear. He carried a career-high seven-game point streak into the regular-season finale, totaling a goal and six assists in that span and logging four multi-point games on the year. Russo, meanwhile, was a model of consistency and durability. The 32-year-old played in all 72 regular-season games-one of just two Roadrunners to do so, alongside forward Egor Sokolov. His 34-point campaign marked his highest single-season total since 2021-22. Russo ended the regular season with points in each of his last two games and led all Tucson defensemen in power-play points (14) and multi-point outings (five). He also ranked second on the team in assists.

What's the Word?

"Abbotsford is a good team. They have good players. We've had some success against them this season, so we'll look at those clips from playing them, try to build off that, and see how we had success. Obviously they're gonna come ready. They're a good team. They were second place for a reason, so we're looking forward to this challenge. It's exciting."

Roadrunners forward Cameron Hebig on Game 1 against Abbotsford

Numbers to Know:

80 - Quick starts have been a key ingredient in Tucson's success this season, and that trend could be crucial in the opening-round series. The Roadrunners outscored opponents 80-65 in first periods during the regular season, a +15 goal differential that ranks second-best in the Pacific Division. Abbotsford, by comparison, posted a +7 differential (68-61), fifth in the division. Only the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (91) scored more first-period goals than the Roadrunners across the AHL this season.

19.6 - Tucson's power play has been a consistent threat all year, converting at a 19.6 percent clip-ninth-best in the AHL and fourth in the Pacific. Abbotsford's unit ranked 16th in the league with an 18.3 percent success rate, placing sixth in the division. Special teams could prove pivotal in a short best-of-three series.

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We're Doing It Live

Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 6:40 p.m. PT with Roadrunners Warm-Up, hosted by "Voice of the Roadrunners" Jonathon Schaffer, who has all of the action from the Abbotsford Centre. Fans can watch the entire series live on AHLtv now on Flo Hockey.

Check out the Tucson Roadrunners Statistics

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