On the last day of September 2021, the Arizona Coyotes announced ten cuts from their main training camp.
Amongst the players reassigned to the Tucson Roadrunners was Liam Kirk.
Frankly, I found it disappointing that Kirk (and other promising rookies) weren’t given a taste of the NHL before being dispatched elsewhere.
The realisation of what is expected from you to make the NHL plus that valuable experience is an intangible that cannot be measured in statistics but is worth its weight in gold.
For example, Ben McCartney showed during rookie and main camp the value of five AHL games he played last season with impressive performances.
The organisation saw differently, however.
Joining Kirk in Tucson will be Cole Hults, Ty Emberson, Matias Maccello, David Tendick, Ben McCartney and Cameron Crotty.
Tucson’s training camp officially starts the week beginning Monday, October 4, 2021.
The Roadrunners have three pre-season games on the docket, the first as early as next Wednesday.
A home game against Henderson is followed by a pair on the road against the Silver Knights.
They are scheduled for October 10 and 11, 2021.
At the time of writing, Tucson’s roster has a very youthful look in keeping with Arizona’s rebuild plan.
The older player currently on the roster is highly experienced forward Liam O’Brien who will be a strong candidate to wear the ‘C’ this season.
Five of the ten forwards currently listed are aged 20-22, including Kirk.
Two of the ‘older’ forwards, Blake Spears and Hudson Fasching will have to clear waivers – something Arizona will hope happens to ensure Tucson isn’t left bereft of their offensive and leadership qualities.
As per Elite Prospects, the average age of the listed roster without players on tryouts is under 23 years of age.
Arizona’s training camp roster remains jam-packed with 39 players battling to make the final cut. I expect that more players will be heading to Tucson before the American League gets underway.
That might result in several players being filtered down to Tucson’s ECHL affiliate in Rapid City.
The Roadrunners season officially begins two weeks today on October 15, 2021.
It’s a tough start with a back-to-back weekend in Stockton but Tucson will return home for a four-game homestand played in eight days.
Tucson has enjoyed highs and lows since its inception into the AHL in 2015.
Two divisional titles sandwiched between finishing 5th and 6th respectively.
The return of Jay Varady as head coach will bring a much-needed winning track record and the experience required to succeed.
The most recent truncated campaign was a disaster results-wise as Tucson lost twenty of 36 games.
Reading too much into that would be folly as rosters were lopsided and players bounced between taxi squads.
The 2021-22 season is a fresh start for the Roadrunners with Arizona in rebuild mode.
For Liam Kirk, this is the next chapter of his career.
Not so much a fresh beginning as an opportunity to develop, grow and show that he can cut it in North America at the professional level.
Bet against him at your peril.
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