Arizona Coyotes Trademark ‘Tucson Roadrunners’ For AHL Affiliate Name
The Arizona Coyotes ownership group IceArizona has filed a trademark for ‘Tucson Roadrunners’ ahead of the announcement of the results of the name the team contest.
In so far as big, bold moves go, IceArizona bolstering the Arizona Coyotes prospect development by moving the team’s AHL affiliate to Tucson has to be high on the list.
The new name of the future AHL franchise was set to be unveiled on June 18th, but a leak shows us that the Coyotes ownership have recently trademarked the name ‘Tucson Roadrunners’.
Considering that the Roadrunners were one of the more popular fan suggestions heading into the name the team contest, it seems a safe bet that the name is returning to hockey in the desert.
The Roadrunners name has a fair bit of sentiment behind it. It’s been associated with hockey in Phoenix since 1967.
The name has been used by many iterations of teams playing in various leagues throughout the past several decades.
The Roadrunners have played in the WHA, WHL, PHL, IHL, and CHL at some point in their various incarnations.
The latest incarnation of the Phoenix Roadrunners played in the ECHL from 2005-2009 and were affiliated with the San Jose Sharks. They made the playoffs just once in their four seasons before the organization ceased operations in 2009.
Current NHLer and former Coyotes player Daniel Winnik laced his skates for that version of the franchise.
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Not surprisingly, the fans were keen to bring the name back to the sport that it helped grow before the Arizona Coyotes were even a glimmer in the National Hockey League’s eye.
It looks like IceArizona is going to oblige the request.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Coyotes ownership maintain the same, rather elegant Carolina blue, gold, black and white color scheme. The Roadrunners jerseys were lookers in their own right, so it’d be a shame if they went with the red and black of the Coyotes.
On the other hand, one could see the Yotes looking to unify both teams with a similar color scheme.
Certainly I’d prefer to see the blue and gold and white once again, but I’m not the ownership group bankrolling a second hockey franchise in the desert.
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With the trademark in the bag, the Roadrunners may be returning to the rink this fall.
We’ll find out for certain on June 18th.