Sept. 16, 2022 | 4:30 PM AZ Time | Orange Rink, Sharks Ice
TV: None | Radio: None | Stream: HERE
Hockey is back.
The Arizona Coyotes kick off the 2022 Rookie Faceoff Tournament in San Jose against the Vegas Golden Knights today in the first of three weekend games for the club’s prospects. The Coyotes will be led throughout the tournament by Tucson Roadrunners head coach Steve Potvin, as well as assistant coaches John Slaney and Zack Stortini.
Potvin was named head coach of the Roadrunners last month, but this will actually be the second time he’s led Arizona’s AHL affiliate. He was last behind the bench during the 2020-21 season when then-head coach Jay Varady was an assistant coach with Arizona. He’s entering his seventh season in the organization.
The Coyotes brought 28 players with them to San Jose, including 2022 NHL Draft selections Conor Geekie (Forward, 11th overall), Julian Lutz (Forward, 43rd overall), Jeremy Langlois (Defenseman, 94th overall), and Maksymilian Szuber (Defenseman, 163rd overall). overall). Forward Dylan Guenther, who was selected ninth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, is also on the roster.
Arizona also has some NHL experience in San Jose, as forwards Nathan Smith and Jack McBain, who both played 10 games with the Coyotes last season, will help lead the way. Forward Ben McCartney also appeared in two games.
Player to Watch: 2022 NHL Draft pick Geekie, who will be getting his first look in the Coyotes organization. The Strathclair, Manitoba native recorded 70 points in 63 games with the WHL’s Winnipeg ICE last season.
A LOOK AT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
The Golden Knights, meanwhile, brought four players that were drafted in the 2022 draft: Forwards Jordan Gustafson (79th overall), Matyas Sapovaliv (48th overall), Patrick Guay (145th overall), and Ben Hemmerling (177th overall). Gustafson recorded 23 goals and 29 assists in 58 games with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds last season.
Vegas also has two former first-rounders on its roster, as forward Brendan Brisson was selected 29th overall in 2020, while forward Zach Deen was the 30th overall selection in 2021.
The Golden Knights have one player on their roster with any NHL experience – Defenseman Kaedan Korczak logged 16:37 over 22 shifts against the Buffalo Sabers on Feb. 1, 2022.
Player to Watch: Forward Brandon Brisson, who was selected 29th overall by the club in the 2020 NHL Draft. The Manhattan Beach, Calif. Native recorded 42 points with the University of Michigan last season before moving on to the AHL, where he notched three goals and five assists in seven games with the Henderson Silver Knights.
Puck drop is scheduled for 4:30 pm AZ time, and the game can be found streaming here.
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