Tucson Junior Roadrunners to Honor AHL Roadrunners Legends with Team Names This Season

A little less than a decade ago, a professional hockey franchise moved to the Sonoran desert, changing the local hockey landscape forever. Around the same time, an upstart youth hockey program with a few dozen players was working to build a youth hockey community in Tucson. Flash forward to today, and that franchise, the American Hockey League's Tucson Roadrunners, is entering its 10th season of operation, and the Tucson Wildcat Youth Hockey Association, now operating as the Tucson Junior Roadrunners, supported over 300 kids learning to skate and play hockey last season. With a strong pull from the University of Arizona and its hockey programs, the longevity and steady growth shown by the Junior Roadrunners helped support the business case for the development of the Mosaic Quarter Iceplex, set to open in early 2027. The additional ice can’t come soon enough. The growth in youth hockey, coupled with relatively fixed ice availability due to other hockey programs and events at the TCC, means the Junior Roadrunners have to do some things in an unconventional way. Many age groups skate in crowded bulk practices with a much wider than ideal variation in skill levels. The Learn to Skate program shares the ice with youth hockey groups, utilizing mobile boards to wall off the groups from one another for safety.

One thing that has come along with the Junior Roadrunners growth, and the hard work of the players and all-volunteer staff, is what might be referred to as a “good problem.” For the first time, the Junior Roadrunners are fielding multiple teams in the same age group in the AZYHL, the state of Arizona’s travel hockey league. Having two teams in one age division means coming up with names to identify the teams in the same age group from one another.

In a sport where the top professional divisions used to be named after the legends of the game, it seems fitting to honor some hockey legends of Tucson. In commemoration of the AHL Roadrunners 10th Anniversary and in celebration of the WYHA’s 9th season as the Junior Roadrunners, four Roadrunners were chosen to have a Junior Roadrunners team bear their name.

The 14U Junior Roadrunners Pinnacle/Cactus Division team will be Tucson Junior Roadrunners - Cunningham. This team bears the name of Craig Cunningham, the Roadrunners Captain from their inaugural season, whose career was tragically cut short after a pregame cardiac arrest on November 19, 2016 nearly took his life. Cunningham was the club’s leading scorer the season before they relocated to Tucson, and scored over 100 goals in over 400 professional games. Cunningham’s jersey number 14 is the lone retired Roadrunners number hanging from the rafters of the TCC. In the years following, Craig started the All Heart Foundation to raise awareness and help prevent sudden cardiac arrests. The Junior Roadrunners’ families still see Cunny frequently in the concourse at Roadrunners games in his current position as a pro scout for the Vegas Golden Knights. Head Coach Jason Renda will lead this team to embody an All Heart mindset throughout the season.

The 14U Junior Roadrunners Mesquite/Canyon Division team will be known as the Tucson Junior Roadrunners - Bunting. This team bears the name of Michael Bunting, who was a fan favorite during his five-year tenure in Tucson and is still the club’s all time leader in goals and assists. Bunting is nearing his 100th NHL goal and has enjoyed a career of over 300 NHL games since he last laced them up in Tucson. We look forward to cheering Michael on as one of the newest members of the Nashville Predators next season. Michael’s toughness, tenacity, and passion were some of his key attributes as a Roadrunner, and head coach Guy Kokes will look to get the same out of his players this season.

The 12U Mesquite Division team will be the Tucson Junior Roadrunners - Hebig. This team bears the name of Cameron Hebig, the all time leader in games played as a Roadrunner whose workmanlike approach netted him a career-best season, AHL All-Star game appearance in 2024-25, and has won the hearts of many in the Tucson hockey community. Hebig is in the top 3 in all-time goals and points as a Roadrunner. In addition to his offensive attributes, Hebig also thrives as one of the best penalty killers in the AHL, being incredibly reliable when his team is a man down. Coach Ryan DeJoe will work to ensure this team lives up to the Hebig standard of what it means to be a Roadrunner in 2025.

The 12U Canyon Division team will be the Tucson Junior Roadrunners - Cracknell. This team bears the name of Adam Cracknell, Roadrunner Captain from the 2022-23 season. Cracknell has played over 1,000 games in the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and European professional hockey. Though he was only a Roadrunner for a season, he made an impression on Tucson, and the feeling was mutual. Adam and his family put down roots in the Tucson hockey community this summer, opening up Desert Ice Hockey, southern Arizona’s first pro hockey off-season skills training program. Many Junior Roadrunners benefitted tremendously from Adam’s knowledge and experience this summer, and picked up some new nicknames along the way! We look forward to Adam’s continued involvement in the Tucson hockey scene for years to come. Those who watched him return to the TCC as a member of the Henderson Silver Knights will recognize that he was one of the hardest players to play against in the AHL. Head Coach Jonathan Patterson will be tasked with ensuring the 12U - Cracknell team will take some pages out of Adam’s book.

The Junior Roadrunners look forward to our best season yet as we celebrate 10 seasons of AHL Roadrunners Hockey in 2025-2026!