Sept. 25, 2022 | 2:00 PM MST | Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, Ariz.
TV: None | Radio: KTAR 92.3 FM
The NHL is back in Tucson.
The Arizona Coyotes are set to host the Anaheim Ducks at the Tucson Convention Center Arena on Sunday, home of the club’s AHL affiliate Tucson Roadrunners. Arizona is back in action after dropping a close 5-4 game to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
Arizona first hosted a game in Tucson exactly five years ago, on Sept. 25, 2017 — also against the Ducks — and the two teams will play each other three times during the regular season: Jan. 24 and April 8 at Mullett Arena, and Jan. 28 at Honda Center.
Coyotes 2022 first-round draft pick Conor Geekie is expected to play again this afternoon, a day after recording an assist in his NHL preseason debut. 2021 first-rounder Dylan Guenther is also expected to play.
Considering the Coyotes are still operating with a 53-player roster, there will be a number of different faces on the ice compared to the team that played last night against the Blues.
“It’ll be cool to be in AZ, and play in Tucson,” head coach André Tourigny said after last night’s game in Wichita, Kan. “We’ll see the other half of our lineup, and then compare both lineups.”
Player to Watch: Ben McCartney, who will be making his preseason debut. The gritty forward excelled at the Rookie Faceoff Tournament last weekend, where he served as the Coyotes’ captain while scoring the game-winning goal against – you guessed it – the Anaheim Ducks.
A LOOK AT THE DUCKS
The Ducks are opening their preseason slate against the Coyotes, and will play four games over six days when it’s all said and done. They will host Arizona on Wednesday, as well.
Anaheim has 64 players on its initial roster for training camp, and it features 17 former first-round picks, including 10 made by the club. Leading the charge are Trevor Zegras (2019, ninth overall), Brayden Tracey (2019, 29th overall), Jamie Drysdale (2020, sixth overall), Jacob Perreault (2020, 27th overall), Mason McTavish (2021, third overall), Pavel Mintyukov (2022, 10th overall) and Nathan Gaucher (2022, 22nd overall).
Anaheim finished 31-37-14 last season, and in seventh place in the Pacific Division.
Player to Watch: Although Anaheim’s final roster was not available prior to publishing, McTavish, Mintyukov, and Gaucher all played well at the 2022 Rookie Faceoff Tournament last week. Keep a close eye on McTavish, though, whose superb skillset and hockey IQ was on display as captain for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship. The 19-year-old, who recorded three points in nine NHL games last season, notched eight goals, nine assists, and one heck of a save while helping Canada win gold.
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