Kevin Rooney Chose Tucson for Stability — and Another Shot at the NHL

Training camps are opening up, and players are reporting back to their cities where they’ll compete for a spot on an NHL roster. For the second straight season, Kevin Rooney will be within the Utah Mammoth’s organization. However, for the first season since his early days in the NHL, Rooney will not be on an NHL deal.

After spending last season split between the Mammoth and the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Tucson Roadrunners, many thought that Rooney would move on and hunt for another NHL deal, perhaps even wait it out until the end of the summer. However, just one day after the start of free agency, Rooney signed a one year AHL deal with the Roadrunners.

For many, it might be confusing that the forward signed an AHL deal right away. However, for Rooney and his family, it makes the most sense and is a perfect fit for spending the next year. It doesn’t mean he’s done chasing down an NHL contract, but Rooney wants the best chance at being in the NHL, and for him that’s in Tucson.

Torn Between Two Places

After three seasons with the Calgary Flames, including 118 games in the NHL, Rooney was looking for a new start. While the forward played the most games in a single season with the Flames, it was time to move on. That fresh start came in Salt Lake City.

“I was super excited for a fresh start with a new organization,” Rooney said. “I had been in Calgary for three years, and I was just looking forward to getting a fresh start, getting some new eyes on me, meeting some new teammates, and playing with different people. I was super excited coming into the season, and I had a really good attitude at the start of the season, which put me in a good place.”

Rooney started the season in Tucson and played the first four games, scoring three goals and producing four points. It was a terrific start for the forward, something he badly wanted to accomplish after having a rough beginning the year prior. It earned him a quick call-up to the Mammoth.

However, throughout the season, Rooney was yo-yo’d between Salt Lake City and Tucson. Most of the time with the Mammoth, he was sitting in the press box, and at some points, when he was sent back down to the AHL, he often played the same night as the demotion. It resulted in Rooney only playing 44 games with the Roadrunners.

Rooney did appear in one NHL game with the Mammoth against the Dallas Stars. He ended up scoring a goal in that game. Yet it didn’t warrant another NHL game. Rooney felt a little bit of frustration, just like anyone would, but with the Mammoth playing well, eventually clinching a playoff spot, it was more disappointing than anything.

“Frustrating is the word, but something close to it, where I felt like I maybe could have gotten another opportunity to get in there,” Rooney said. “But the team was playing so well. There weren’t going to be big changes that were going to happen. From a personal standpoint, just playing more games would have been great. I still feel like there’s a lot of hockey left in me, even though I’m 33.”

Kevin Rooney nets one in his first Mammoth appearance!

🚨 2-0, Utah. pic.twitter.com/3LPELaKfK6

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) November 29, 2025

The Mammoth knew that Rooney would be a great depth piece similar to the role Kailer Yamamoto played in their inaugural season. That confidence in the forward was something he hadn’t experienced in the early years of his career.

That continued into the playoffs, where he was with the team for the final weeks heading into their series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Rooney had some prior NHL playoff experience and wanted to do his best helping the team on their first postseason run.

“I had some playoff experience with the New York Rangers a few years back,” Rooney said. “We played in the conference finals. I played 15 games all the way up to the conference final. I had some experience, and it was a team that didn’t have a ton of experience going into the postseason, so I tried to be a great voice for some of the younger guys around the room, and there were obviously some ups and downs throughout that series with Vegas. I still think that we were the better team, so it’s exciting to see what Utah did this summer.”

However, at the end of the day, the season was hard on Rooney and his family. While he was grateful for the Mammoth’s treatment of his wife and daughter, he was torn between two places. Rooney found himself gone during holidays, including Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and it was something that was difficult for him and his wife.

On top of the frustration of only playing 45 games, it led to the decision to stay in a place where he knew he would be taken care of, rather than uproot his family once again to go through a similar situation like they just had.

Excited to Be Back in the Old Pueblo

Rooney arguably did enough last season to earn another two-way NHL contract on some team. However, the toll of playing the preseason on the New Jersey Devils on a tryout and waiting until the very end to earn a contract with the Mammoth was something that was hard on him. To rebuild his NHL career, sticking around an organization that believed in him was an easy choice.

“Last summer was tough, not knowing all the way till the end, and then going on a tryout,” Rooney said. “Playing for Potsy and the coaching staff there, I know the role I can play on that team. The organization treated me with a ton of respect last year and gave me opportunities when a lot of the other teams weren’t. With the familiarity there and trying to get my name back on the map for an NHL contract, I think it’s a great fit for me.”

For Roadrunner head coach Steve Potvin, having Rooney in the lineup always sparked something in the team. Every time the forward went up to Utah and came back down the same time as a game, he always went into it with a positive attitude. It’s the type of person Potvin wants in the organization that helps build a strong and winning culture.

“We were able to gain strength from it because he showed up like it was a regular game, and he had been with the team from the start of the year,” Potvin said. “We were able to gain strength from that type of behavior, his attitude, and his love for the game. It’s important for us. We pride ourselves on trying to build an environment, and you need those types of people that display that type of behavior to really grow and expand your environment.”

Speaking of the winning culture, one of the things that Rooney loved about Tucson was the fact that the organization cares about winning. While one of Potvin’s main priorities is to develop the younger talent, ultimately, icing the best lineup to make the team competitive is a big focus. That’s great for rookies, as it makes them work hard to earn a spot in the lineup.

With that being said, Rooney is excited to welcome the new rookies to Tucson. Last season, he helped Daniil But a lot on and off the ice. This season, Tij Iginla and Caleb Desnoyers, among others, are expected to be in Tucson. 

While on the ice, it’s up to the prospects to prove they can be NHLers; off the ice is a different story. Rooney is excited to meet players like Iginla and Desnoyers and help them understand what life is like as a pro.

“These young guys come in, and they’re so talented now and so skilled and they just love to be on the ice,” Rooney said. “For me, it’s just going to be to try to help them on a day-to-day basis on what it means to be a pro now. A lot of them are coming from junior and had great seasons and whatnot, but the pro game is completely different. It’s about trying to help them, on a day-to-day basis, become a better pro.”

The Roadrunners added a lot of new faces during the offseason as well. Zac Jones, Joshua Roy, Cal Thomas, and Jesper Vickman were all added over the summer, while players like Robbie Russo, Sammy Walker, and Austin Poganski were brought back on extensions. It will make the Roadrunners even more competitive, something the forward is very excited about.

The Roadrunners are looking to not repeat last season’s mistakes where the team missed out on the postseason due to a tiebreaker, something both Rooney and Potvin are still ticked off by. With the moves they made this offseason, the Roadrunners expect to be a playoff team. Rooney wants to be a main part in helping push the team to that goal.

“I expect to be a guy that’s out there on the penalty kill, helping the young guys in the face-off circle, whether that be late in the game taking a big face-off or killing a big penalty,” Rooney said. “That’s something I’ve taken pride in at the NHL level, and obviously last year I got some time on the power play and whatnot. If that opportunity comes too, I’m going to be ready for it and be excited about it.”

Kevin Rooney takes us to OVERTIME pic.twitter.com/uzsh2OvoV3

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) October 11, 2025

Stability Found But Still Chasing the Ultimate Goal

It wasn’t just Rooney who is excited for his return to Tucson. His wife, Tara, is very excited to have the whole family in one place. Being in Tucson is a great bonus for her, especially because she had a great experience there last season.

“When I told her that I wanted to go back to Tucson, she was really excited,” Rooney said. “She got along great with the girls down in Tucson, and she liked the living situation coming from Calgary. She was liking the weather a lot, so she would make sure to mention it to me here and there. I think she’s happy for me no matter what. She’s been in New York, New Jersey, and Calgary, and now Tucson with me, so she’s willing to do anything, and she’s the rock in the family.”

The Rooneys will be living in a house this season, a much-needed upgrade from the apartment they had last year, especially with their daughter getting older. Being in Tucson for most of the season outside of the Mammoth’s training camp, behind a supportive organization, will also be super helpful.

Tara played hockey when she was in college and has supported her husband every step of the way. Her being the rock of the family is the reason why Rooney is still going to this day.

“She loves the game of hockey,” Rooney said. “She’s played hockey. She played in college. She just loves seeing me go out there and do the best I can. Usually when the game ends, we come home and don’t talk about hockey at all. I love that most about our relationship. She was excited for me every time I got the chance to go off to Utah, and she was saying that she thought I should play more and whatnot. She’s always there for me. She’s my biggest supporter.”

33 isn’t young by hockey standards. It’s actually considered around the age you start becoming a veteran in the league. It’s something Rooney is well aware of, calling himself kinda old in the hockey world. 

However, Rooney doesn’t feel his age. Just like last summer, he’s been working hard, hitting the gym and the ice consistently. During this summer, he’s been working out with fellow Mammoth players John Marino and Jack Ricketts. For him, the goal of being the best hockey player he can be has never died out. His love for the game is the reason why he’s still going.

“I feel as good as I did when I was 26,” Rooney said. “Now, I got to go out there and actually prove that. I’ve always loved hockey. It’s everything I’ve ever known. The passion’s still there, and I want to keep playing as long as I can.”

ROONEY CALLS GAME pic.twitter.com/w3ntIZxQPw

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) January 11, 2026

Just because Rooney signed an AHL deal doesn’t mean he isn’t going to work as hard as he has been. The NHL dream is still on his mind every day. Getting back to being an everyday NHL player is ultimately what he wants to do.

However, the best place to do that for him is in Tucson. It’s the place he wants to be. It’s a place that supports him. It’s the place where he believes he can be his best self.

“I feel like I got a good setup this year going to Tucson,” Rooney said. “I know the coaching staff there really well, and those guys are super excited too for me to go back and help me get back to the NHL. That’s the ultimate goal.”

Rooney could’ve started this season anywhere in North America or even overseas, but he believes that he still can be an NHL player. Just because he’s played 331 NHL games doesn’t mean he’s not hungry for more. The best chance to get to game 332 is to return to an organization he trusts to help him be his best and that his family enjoys being a part of. It’s an opportunity that Rooney couldn’t be more excited for as he prepares to be a massive part of a young Roadrunners team.