The NHL's condensed schedule this season meant every team in the league was going to have to rely on players from their American Hockey League teams for depth.
That depth formed the Arizona Coyotes' taxi squad this season, largely a group made up of players developed with the AHL Tucson Roadrunners. And as the Coyotes head into the final two weeks of the regular season with a playoff spot on the line, it's as clear as the Arizona sky how important a role those players with Tucson experience have had.
Interest in the Roadrunners from an area hockey fan perspective has gone up considerably this season, in no small part because of the success of Coyotes players who played for Tucson either last season or even part of this season.