Roadrunners Double Down On Fan Traditions All Season Long

Get ready for a thrilling season as the Tucson Roadrunners unveil an exciting lineup of fan-favorite and new theme nights for 2026-27.

The Tucson Roadrunners are loading up the 2026-27 season with a theme-night lineup that mixes long-running favorites, community celebrations and a fresh batch of new concepts.

Opening night is set for Saturday, Oct. 3 against the Colorado Eagles, and the home schedule begins with the team’s annual pregame tailgate party. That tradition brings music, food, drinks and red-carpet player entrances before the doors open at Tucson Arena.

A number of the Roadrunners’ biggest staples are back on the calendar. Teddy Bear Toss lands on Dec.

  1. Star Wars Night returns Jan.
  2. Dusty’s Birthday and Youth Sports Night are set for Feb. 20, followed by Country Night on Feb.

27, U of A Night on Mar. 5, St.

Patrick’s Day on Mar. 17 and Fan Appreciation Night on Apr. 10 to close the regular season.

The club is also keeping a strong run of community-focused nights tied to Southern Arizona organizations. Those include El Lazo/Día de los Muertos Night on Nov.

6, Military Appreciation Night on Nov. 14, Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Nov.

15, Hockey is for Everyone Night on Dec. 11, El Lazo/Mexican Heritage Night on Feb.

19, First Responders Night on Mar. 20 and Salute to Service Night on Apr. 9.

There’s plenty of new flavor mixed in as well. The schedule adds Dragons Night on Oct.

16, Horror Night on Oct. 17, Anime Night on Nov.

28, Golf Night on Nov. 29, Superhero Night on Dec.

29, Y2K Night on Jan. 5, Angry Birds Night on Jan.

16, K-Pop Night on Jan. 29, NASCAR Night on Feb.

28, Looney Tunes Night on Mar. 6 and Margaritaville Night on Mar. 21.

Season Ticket Memberships and Flex Packages are available now, and the team says they include complimentary AHLTV on FloHockey, meet-and-greet opportunities with Roadrunners players and coaches, and the organization’s ticket exchange program. Groups of 15 or more can also get special discounts and added benefits.

Single-game presale tickets for the 2026-27 regular season go on sale Aug. 24 for Season Ticket Members, corporate partners and fans registered with the Roadrunners. General public single-game tickets follow on Aug. 31.

Here’s the full theme-night schedule for the season:

October
Opening Night - Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. vs.

Colorado Eagles
Dragons Night & Faith and Family Night - Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. vs.

San Diego Gulls
Horror Night - Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. vs.

San Diego Gulls

November
El Lazo/Día de los Muertos Night - Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. vs.

Coachella Valley Firebirds
Dusk Night & EDM Night - Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. vs.

Coachella Valley Firebirds
Military Appreciation Night & Hockey and Hops - Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. vs.

Texas Stars
Hockey Fights Cancer Night - Sunday, Nov. 15 at 4 p.m. vs.

Texas Stars
Anime Night - Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. vs.

San Jose Barracuda
Golf Night - Sunday, Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. vs.

San Jose Barracuda

December
Hockey is for Everyone Night - Friday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. vs.

Henderson Silver Knights
Teddy Bear Toss Night & Sing for Santa Night - Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. vs.

Henderson Silver Knights
Superhero Night - Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 6:30 p.m. vs.

Colorado Eagles
New Year’s Eve Night - Thursday, Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. vs.

Colorado Eagles

January
Y2K Night - Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m. vs.

San Diego Gulls
Health and Wellness Night - Friday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. vs.

Henderson Silver Knights
Angry Birds Night - Saturday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. vs.

Henderson Silver Knights
K-Pop Night & Faith and Family Night - Friday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. vs.

Abbotsford Canucks
Star Wars Night - Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. vs.

Abbotsford Canucks

February
El Lazo/Mexican Heritage Night - Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. vs.

San Jose Barracuda
Dusty’s Birthday & Youth Sports Night - Saturday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. vs.

San Jose Barracuda
Country Night & Barrio Tailgate Party - Saturday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. vs.

Abbotsford Canucks
NASCAR Night - Sunday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. vs.

Abbotsford Canucks

March
U of A Night - Friday, Mar. 5 at 7 p.m. vs.

Bakersfield Condors
Looney Tunes Night - Saturday, Mar. 6 at 7 p.m. vs.

Bakersfield Condors
St.

Patrick’s Day - Wednesday, Mar. 17 at 7 p.m. vs. San Diego Gulls

First Responders Night - Saturday, Mar. 20 at 7 p.m. vs. Calgary Wranglers

Margaritaville Night - Sunday, Mar. 21 at 4 p.m. vs. Calgary Wranglers

April
Salute to Service Night - Friday, Apr. 9 at 7 p.m. vs.

Coachella Valley Firebirds
Fan Appreciation Night - Saturday, Apr. 10 at 7 p.m. vs.

Coachella Valley Firebirds

Additional promotions and giveaways may be added during the season.

In Other News...

Arizona Hockey Is Back In The NHL Conversation Again

The NHLs conversations about expansion have put the Phoenix area back in the mix, and that alone is enough to get attention in a market where the Coyotes have been inactive since 2022. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed there is interest in eventually bringing a franchise back to Arizona, even as the league also weighs other possibilities such as Texas and Atlanta, with big money and expansion fees part of the broader picture.

For Arizona fans, the path back is still a long one. The Coyotes franchise remains inactive, and any return would still need the kind of arena situation that can support an NHL team, along with the ownership approval that comes with launching a new chapter rather than simply reopening the old one. Still, just having the league talk about Phoenix again is a meaningful shift after a stretch in which the market had largely slipped out of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]

Nate Schmidt Suddenly Matters More To Utahs Blue Line Than Ever

The Utah Mammoth are already looking ahead to the 2026-27 season on the blue line, and the moves around the roster suggest they know exactly where the pressure is going to be. Bringing in assistant coach Adam Foote was part of that effort to sharpen the defense, but just as important is the changing mix of personnel in front of the goaltender. With Ian Cole no longer on the team, the Mammoth need veteran stability from somewhere, and that is where Nate Schmidt suddenly becomes far more central to the plan.

Schmidt is expected to be the player who helps bridge the gap between the teams younger defensemen and the demands of a season spent trying to defend better. Utah is counting on him for depth, experience and another steady year after a solid performance last season. If he can hold that level, it gives the Mammoth a cleaner path to leaning on their younger players without exposing the back end too much, which is exactly the kind of balance this defense needs. [Read more 🡒]