One of the reasons that the Tucson Roadrunners were able to get out to such a hot start in their inaugural season was 20-year-old Brendan Perlini.
The former first-round draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes had never played at the AHL level, but he took the league by storm, notching 16 points (11G, 5A) in his first 16 games, including six power play goals.
“I definitely have (felt more comfortable),” Perlini told me after the team’s most recent home game. “You just get used to your linemates and stuff. Obviously it was early days, and it’s tough to tell where those guys are going on the ice.