When it comes to minor league professional sports, the only constant is, well, constant change.
Coaches move on. Players are called up. And, with each new season, expectations often reset.
OK, so maybe not always that last part.
With a deep lineup of skaters and a formidable goaltending tandem back from the team鈥檚 breakout 2017-18 American Hockey League campaign, the Tucson Roadrunners drop the puck on their third season in the Old Pueblo on Saturday night. They鈥檒l host the San Diego Gulls at 7:05.
The team will debut its third head coach in as many seasons and must replace a top scorer who is now in the NHL. Despite that, Tucson鈥檚 coaches and players don鈥檛 question whether they will meet 鈥 or perhaps even surpass 鈥 the 40-win, 90-point season from a year ago that saw them finish atop the AHL鈥檚 Pacific Division.
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鈥淟ast year, they had an unbelievable season with the group they had here, and we鈥檙e going to build on that momentum and build from those experiences,鈥 said Jay Varady, Tucson鈥檚 first-year coach who spent last season atop the Ontario Hockey League鈥檚 Kingston Frontenacs. 鈥淲e鈥檒l still come to the rink every day with a plan on how to win.鈥
Jay Varady is the Roadrunners鈥 third coach in three years. His coaching stops include France, Canada and Pennsylvania.
The Roadrunners will unveil a regular-season Western Conference Champions banner just after 7 p.m. Saturday, following a fan-friendly season kickoff that includes players, a red-carpet arrival, music, food and more.
Five minutes later, Varady鈥檚 charges will officially put last year in the rear-view mirror.
In most respects, that鈥檚 already happened.
Varady replaces Mike Van Ryn, who鈥檚 now an assistant coach with the NHL鈥檚 Blues. Tucson is without 2017-18 leading scorer Dylan Strome, who solidified at least an early-season spot with the NHL鈥檚 Coyotes, the Roadrunners鈥 parent club.
But the 2018-19 Roadrunners still return a number of players who have been with the franchise for its entire Southern Arizona existence, including blueliner Dakota Mermis and leading offensive returner Michael Bunting (22 goals, 20 assists). Third-year Roadrunner Adin Hill and second-year pro Hunter Miska 鈥 both primary goaltenders from a year ago 鈥 are back, too.
鈥淲e have a great group of guys in the room. Everyone loves each other,鈥 noted Hill, who finished with a 2.28 goals-against-average, .914 save percentage and five shutouts in 36 appearances in the net last year. 鈥淭he guys who have been here the longest, Mermis and Bunting, they have big roles on this team. We鈥檙e going to be looking to them for leadership.鈥
Offensive-minded defensemen Kyle Capobianco and Trevor Murphy, both of whom had brief stints with the NHL鈥檚 Coyotes last year, return as well.
Forward Lane Pederson, with a dozen goals and 14 assists himself a year ago, said he鈥檚 ready to 鈥済et back to business and get a game under our belt.鈥 His teammates feel the same way, he said.
鈥淲e have new faces in here, a new voice preaching the system, but not much has changed in regard to how we plan to play,鈥 Pederson said. 鈥淏ut every professional鈥檚 goal is to leave yesterday in the past and do what you can today to get better and improve.鈥
After Saturday鈥檚 opener, the Roadrunners will face the Gulls in San Diego. Last season, Tucson won 8 of 12 against San Diego, including three straight to close out the regular season.
