March 26, 2025 • 46 mins
Voice of The Roadrunners Jonathon Schaffer and Co-Host Kim Cota-Robles are joined by Roadrunners defenseman Maksymilian Szuber ahead of the team's season series finale in Ontario, California against the Reign. They talk about his second season in the AHL, his relationship with fellow defenseman Montana Onyebuchi and longtime friend Julian Lutz's development in season one with Tucson.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's five o'clock. Got yours hues Day? The two Sun
Roadrunners have me out from Fox Sports fourteen fifty Aye, Jonathan, Right,
we know.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The story, but you gotta tell the viewers that starts.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
It's so funny.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
It's our usual Tuesday night.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
So I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Maybe we should start implementing some break dance pre games
during the season and see how that goes.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Right here on Tucson Sports Day yet Fox Sports fourteen
fifty am.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Fox Sports fourteen fifty am, our usual Tuesday night get
together Roadrunners. Happy are Jonathan Schaeffer alongside me, Kim Coda
Robaz as always, and off the top of the hour,
we have our very special Guts defenseman number fifty five,
Maximilian Zuber. Maxie, thanks for joining the show. Great to
have you on. First off, how was Loveland? I know
you had some guests come to both of the games
(00:51):
on on Saturday and Sunday.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
How is Loveland for you and how's it going overall? Man?
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Yeah, what's awesome. I had some My girlfriend is from there,
she's born there, so it's kind of nice to meet her.
Her side of the family, both grandmas, so that was awesome. Yeah,
that's just fun.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, it was a pretty crazy atmosphere overall. They got
to see some some good games, tough losses for us,
of course. So we have Ontario coming up tomorrow, so
just how do we keep pushing on, push forward and
continue to keep our playoffs spot here.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Yeah, obviously Colorado was pretty good, so I think we
we just got better throughout the second game. So I
think we just got to keep it going against Ontario
and build from here. Important points for us if you
want to keep the playoff spot, So we need to
we need to win.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
You're in your second season, You're you're you're having an
awesome second season as well. You're you're on a really
good tears of late. Uh just what what's the whole
second year experience been like for you? Anything different? Anything
the same? And uh yeah, just what what's it all
been like for you?
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Yeah, it's awesome. It's it's so much fun, especially to Son,
It's a great place to be. Yeah, my second year
it's awesome. I have a bit more experience and last year,
so that helps for sure. Great players, great teammates, So
always come with a smile to the rink and yeah,
just try and get the boys going and get to
the playoffs. I mean, it's so much fun with them,
and that's what you what you work for, so you
(02:14):
want to get to the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (02:16):
Max, you definitely seem more confident this year than last year.
I mean you were you were so new to Tucson,
to the American Hockey League, to play in here. It's
so been so great to watch your professional development and growth.
I'm curious you are. Is it fair to say that
you and and Montana on your Bucci are best friends?
(02:38):
Is that.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
We're definitely close friends? Yeah, I mean with them last year.
To be fair, I'm also very good with you.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
See, not that I want to Okay, I don't want
you to pay for.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Like nine years, but I'm very good with Montana. It's
kind of like my sect, the three three guy group,
where we always say together. So it's awesome.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
That's been Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Yeah, he's my roommate, so it's fun. We always play
some games. He played Katan already, and you play some
poker altogether, so it's it's a lot of fun with him.
And he's always with the guys, so that's obviously a
lot of fun.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
So and Montana has you know, a lot of experience
with North American hockey and he's been in the league
for a while. What has it been like working with him?
You know, not just on a not just on a
you know, a friendship level. You guys are obviously really tight,
but you know on the ice working with him, what
kind of experience and training does he help you with?
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Yeah, I mean he's a priority for for a year
or two longers, so he knows how it's going on
his mentality on the ice, off the ice, or hard
he works. It's helped me a lot, Like he pushes
me a lot of times. You can see how strong
he is in his fights. So yeah, he helps me
a lot off the ice especially, and he's super fun
to play with. Obviously he always has back when I
(04:01):
get hit from behind, I know I can call on
him or if there is a scram. So it's obviously
awesome to have a guy like that on the ice
and friends. So that's it's a lot of fun. I
can definitely not complain.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
Yeah, yeah, definitely, yeah, don't complain.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, speaking speaking on your Bucci, you know a guy
who's he's gone a lot of scraps this season. You
got in your first fight as a road runner this
year as well, your first fight in your North American
hockey career. I'm not sure if you've gone one in Europe,
but what happened in that sequence?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
And do you see yourself getting in another one this year?
Speaker 4 (04:37):
I don't know, to be honest. If it happens, it happens.
I think that's what happened last time. I just I
just got a little heated there, and so did he.
I think, just punch each other in the face, and
then you just asked you want to go, and you
both just dropped the gloves. So it kind of went
from there. So that happens again in mind, but we
all see we have very very good, tough guys, so
(04:58):
I think they did a job very well. But if
it has to go, it has to go. Like if
someone like if Montana get hit from behind, will definitely him.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Maxie. So even though you've been here for a little while,
anybody who sees you post game knows that your number
one priority when coming off the ice after being in
the locker room is getting on the phone to your
family right back in Are they in Poland?
Speaker 4 (05:24):
They're in Germany?
Speaker 5 (05:25):
Germany?
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Okay, my parents, my grandparents and the rest of the
family is in Poland.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Okay, and that that's so. Tell us about your family,
like I have, Do you have brothers and sisters? What
do your parents do? Like give us a little bit
of the Maxie Zueber lore. Where do you come from?
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yeah, I'm from us, I own friend. You don't have
any siblings. I wish. My parents got me pretty late
with with their thirties, so it's uh, kind of that's
not made. But okay, the culture the Contrare had already
twins a lot of soco earlier, so for there they
(06:06):
they wanted me earlier, they said, so yeah, but yeah, unfortunately,
no sister brother, but it's awesome. I'm super close with them.
I call them after every game, and they they have
to work a lot of times, and the fact they
wake up in the middle of the night to watch
the games, it means a lot to me. So yeah,
I talked to them. I talked to them every day.
(06:27):
I called them right after the game, after every game
and see how it's going. Obviously, sometimes they're like, ok,
I slept the second period, but I'm like, yeah, mom,
just it's three in the morning for you guys.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
So that's so real, so I would not be able
to stay out for that.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
That's what I'm saying. Like, I'm so happy that they
watched the games for me, and it means a lot
to me. I don't think it's it's very common that
people wake up three in the morning. Then I have
to go to work at seven or eight in the morning.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
So yeah, and what do they do? What do your
parents do?
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Dad has a business like a construction thing, just a
smart company. He works a lot. So and my mom
is kind of like, I don't know how to explain it,
to be honest, she kind of takes care of older people,
but like privately, so oh yeah, yeah, if she has
like we call the grandpa and she just cooks for him,
(07:22):
she goes grocery shopping for him, does the laundry, cleans.
So she does that basically for most of them. And
he helps me. She helps my dad out.
Speaker 5 (07:31):
Wow, that's amazing. I I know, I have known people
who have done work like that, and it is it's
a lot. It takes a very special kind of to
be able to do that work.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
It's very calm with it, so it's it's I think
it's remarkable. How like the elderly people, they're like a
little tough sometimes and my mom has just come like
sticks with it. So it's impressive to me how she
does that.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
But she was able to raise you, so I think
she's doing that's fine.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
Oh thanks, So yeah, Johnny, do you want to go
or do you want me to go? Mine is super random,
has nothing to do with talking.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Well, okay, Well.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I also just because you know Max and your said
your parents spent a lot of you know, middle of
the nights watching your games, supporting you, calling you after
every game. And your new teammate or someone you've known
for a long time, Julian Lutz kind of in the
same situation, right all the way here from from the
Germany area, and you know, playing in his first season
in North American hockey, and last time we talked was
(08:34):
over the off season, you know, talking about how excited
we were to have him. And now we're almost done
with the season. What's that been like playing here in
the AHL with him in his rookie season and in
your second.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Year, It's awesome. He I've played with him already a
couple of years, so he's like my small brother. I
said this every time I've played with him since I'm thirteen.
He was eleven at that point. So basically now nine
ten years later, we're still here together, same organizations. It's
kind of special with me and him. I know his
parents very well. He knows my parents very well, so
(09:06):
we're kind of like a small family. Like his parents
always wake up to to the games. His dad watches
the games. He calls them every day, so we always
have some fun talks, like whenever he calls his dad,
we make some jokes, or when we talk when we
talk to my dad. So it's it's very special. I
think he does a great job, especially with his age.
(09:27):
He's in two thousand and four, he just turned twenty one,
I think so. Yeah, I think he's doing a great
job adjusting. Yeah, it's and it's awesome to having basically
a small brother here.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, he's really starting to fight his stride in the
second half of the season, right, he had to kind
of deal with that injury, started to find his game
and now he's really found it. And I remember when
he scored his first career goal in this league. We're
in Vegas against the Henderson Silver Knights, and you had
the biggest smile on your face from the photos that
I saw, Well, was he's that's you know, seeing that,
(09:59):
like scoring his first goal and just you know his
development process this whole season, because honestly, for a rookie year,
he's been through a lot adversity already and he's handled
it really well.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Yeah, he's a very hard working guy, so you can
see it. He's he's working his way up. It was
obviously hard to get into the pro league in America,
and I think he's done a great job from where
he has been and where he's now. And yeah, I
was super happy. I think I was probably happier than
him when he scored his friscal, So no, that made
me like very happy.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
I was.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I was talking to him like, come on, we'll see
before every game today is to day you get your goal.
And then it finally happened, So I was. I was
super happy and pumped for him.
Speaker 5 (10:39):
Okay, So I guess might us now kind of related
to what Johnny was talking about last time I talked
to you. I think it was you that I asked
this about. There was four of you who were from
very very eastern European areas and trying to figure out
who came from the furthest location, right, Okay, So we're
going to do it again because now we have to players. Okay,
(11:01):
so ready are you ready? Okay? So you Julian Ardam
coming from Moscow according to the roster, and then Igor
we're taking his hometown of you Caterinburg. Yeah, who is
the furthest Away.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Oh, it's definitely one of the Russians. Definitely not one
of us. Okay, Am I right with that?
Speaker 5 (11:26):
You are? Yes?
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Yeah, I just I know where Moscow is. I just
don't know where you, Katharine brook is, So i'd probably
because Moscow is more on the on the west side
of Russia, so I'd probably go to Soco.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
Perfect, you nailed it.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yes, Oh there you go.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Okay, So then between you and Julian.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Who is depends on you if you count it of
Poland or because Useldorf is definitely.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
Oh okay, yes, I was using Poland.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
So okay, that makes it harder, and I would say
I'm further to be honest.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
Yes, that's correct. Also, holy cow, you're very good at this.
All right, I'm not playing this game with you anymore
because you always.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
It would say it's pretty good. I think you would
know that too.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
Do you think? So? Yeah, we got a chance to
take you and some of the other players out to
the Desert Museum a couple of weeks ago. Number one,
had you ever been out there before? And then number two,
what did you think?
Speaker 4 (12:25):
I've never been out there before. But to be honest,
I was really really pumped before because that was a
team event that was very happy to attend, especially Johnny Aloud,
my girlfriend and my fans to come, so that was
kind of kind of cool. And to see all those
things like the reptiles, the cactus and everything was super fun.
And you don't see that, I think, anywhere else in
(12:46):
the world, so this is pretty unique. And to see
that and get the experience about Arizona and Touisana and
the insights, it was super fun. Like I just recommend
everyone to go there. I wish I would have done
it before.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Yeah, you should have. And Oku had said was originally
on our list to go, but he had already gone
and we didn't know that he had gone, so he
ended up not coming to that trip.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
That's fair. Yeah, he told that before, but he said
it was super fun and he enjoyed it it at
He also said it was better when he went because
it wasn't that hot, but I.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
Don't know it was warm. It was warm that it.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Was definitely warm. But I think next week, or especially
this week and two is way worse.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Yeah, have you guys been paying attention to the weather
because it's legitimately over ninety it's ninety three right now.
Oh dang, it's not it's not fun. And in Phoenix,
I saw somebody yesterday post on TikTok that it was
ninety seven degrees up there, So.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
That is uh, it's it's playoff weather or playoff hockey weather.
That's like, yeah, started starts. I guess yeah, it is.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Sorry, I almost called you, Maxie. Who on the team
would you not let cook you dinner?
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Sorry?
Speaker 5 (14:04):
Who on the team would you not ever let them
cook you dinner? Because you're a good cook From what
I heard.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
I'm decent. I definitely not one. I don't thinking.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
I was saying, you know, it's nothing, he's just lost
in the.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
I don't want to say something. Maybe I'm wrong, but
I don't think he would chef it up.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Okay, No, that's that's totally fair. And he's not in
the room with you, right, But.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
He'll be understanding with that. I think he'll be He'll
be agreed. You can ask him. That's actually a good question.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Did you kick him out of the room, like, hey,
I got this interview, get out?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
No, no, no, we have a we have a tournament soon,
poker tournament. So that's the boys already done there, so
we're gonna get that starting soon.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Oh so you get down there, are you? Are you
a good card player?
Speaker 4 (14:57):
I would say I'm okay, not not the greatest. Im
definitely not the worst. I think I'm in redd.
Speaker 5 (15:02):
It makes okay. Who's who's the best and who's the worst.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
That depends on what we play because there are different games.
I think Benny Benny might be up there.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
Those two seem very serious guys.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Yead Benny, he just stares at you and it's just
like what else you have?
Speaker 5 (15:24):
They like we're sunglasses and stuff? Is like that level
of serious exactly.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
He doesn't even need sunglasses. No, it's fun to play
with him because he's a very good player, and he
helped me in the beginning with poker, so definitely learned
something from him.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
That's awesome. That's so great to imagine. We haven't ever
talked about music with you. What kind of music do
you listen to? Like, what what's your what's your pump
up song? What's the song you want to hear during
warm ups?
Speaker 4 (15:55):
I listened to everything. I'm not really really like crazy
with it when I show. I like to listen to
house music with lu Okay, nothing like crazy, but before
the game, I like some pump up music, like the
things for listening in the locker room, some raps, some
stuff of that. So it's very nice. I think Dougie
(16:16):
is the DG and he does a good job with that,
so it wouldn't change anything.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
He actually had. He had said a song I think
Dead or Alive by Jazz Cardier was the song that
he mentioned to us. Johnny, I don't know if you've
listened to it, but it's a really good song.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Oh I'm not listening to it.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:32):
That and then American Money is what Montana said he
really liked to listen to. And that's a that's a
really good that's super vibe. Really.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
Yeah, we definitely have some good songs in the locker room.
I don't complain about that. It gets us going for sure.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yeah, Max, we've asked people throughout this you know this
show as well this season, because everyone kind of has
their different pregame routines, right Cameron, hebigs the first one. Well, actually, really,
Matthew Volosto is the first one to show up, you know,
especially when he's starting a game. Key Big gets there
kind of early too, and those guys kind of just
keep to themselves, you know, kind of getting in their mindset.
(17:08):
And then we see the guys playing super Bawl and
everyone just has different pregame routines. What's your pregame routine
whether we're home or on the road.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
I honestly just try to nap two hours usually around
that time. I like, I just eat before the naps
and I nap, get into the shower and get ready
for the game. Just chill a little bit in the room,
nothing special, and then I like to especially at home games,
I just don't like to be too eady during because
I don't want to get too much into my head.
(17:37):
So I just get there, take my stick. Then we
have the meetings, play some sewer, and then do the
warm up with parks. So it's nothing special, to be honest,
I just don't want to sit there and do nothing.
Like or like some people like it, like Biggie or Maddie.
They just like to sit there. Get ready. I just
don't like thinking about the game because gets me too
(18:00):
much into my head.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Well, and Lipper when he comes to like he at
one point his pregame routine was he would just sit
right outside the glass and just stare, you know, and
just like become one with the arena.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
It's different for everyone.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally different. So because you brought it up,
I wasn't going to bring it up. But we need
to talk about the Super Bowl situation because y'all are
out of control and people are getting hurt now, the
bad superball players because I'm thinking I'm thinking maybe Ben McCartney,
(18:40):
Peter Deliberatory or on that list.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
To be fair, I have to protect Billy. I don't
know who gave the ball there, but he had to
save someone.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
So, oh, is that what it was?
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Yeah, he got a bad bond heat to run for
it and he didn't look out so a little bit
he did. Yea.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
He took down the entire system and I think he
hurt himself also.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
That was that was a tough one, but he showed
the effort.
Speaker 5 (19:09):
Oh, yeah, we're gonna We're goin to put you guys
in a pattered room here pretty soon.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
For that, I think, well, it's funny some some arenas
I think it.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
I think at Bakersfield they tell you guys not to
do it inside, but you guys still do it inside.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Anyways.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
I see it on the they have, like the schedule
sheet that they put around the locker room. Really there's
some arena that says like, you can't do it inside,
and I see you guys doing I'm like, I'm about
to get a call from someone already know it.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
I've talked to Pogo. I was like, take this, like,
there's other that that X Hall, the exhibit hall is huge,
and you guys play in that little that little area
right next to all the breakable things.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
I think we have never changed it, So that's funny.
You can't change it outside.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Yeah, although I feel like there would be a lot
of chasing, and maybe that's why it happens where it does,
because there's so many walls around you, there's not a
lot of chasing that actually, yeah, that makes sense. MAXI
if Andrew Agxino called you and said, if you were
back here in tuson Ago calls you and says, I
(20:15):
need an emergency babysitter overnight for the kids, for both
of them.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
I'll sure do it.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
Would you? And would they be okay the next day?
Speaker 4 (20:25):
I think that's a good question. I've never done it before,
to be honest, but I'll try my best ask him
some things and help him out. For sure.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
Would you would? I'm curious. I think they both look
really tiny, so I'm guessing they're both under at least
two years of age. Would you even know what to
feed a two year old? No, we need we need
to put Maxie's face on socials because that was the
perfect response of just being lost, not even knowing anything.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
I definitely don't know what to do. I'll be very
curious about that.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
I have an unhinged question for you, more unhinged than
the agon question. Would you rather? I switched this up
Johnny from when I asked Curtis Douglass this question because
he was so adamant about his response, Maxie, would you
rather be missing your two front teeth for the rest
of your life? Or you can only wear skinny jeans
(21:26):
all day Saturday and Sunday for the next ten years?
Of your life.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Oh yeah, that was crazy.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
I don't know how you got that one.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I had to.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
I really had to massage this one because Curtis said
that he will never wear a skinny jean in his
entire life, and he never has. That means he tried
it on at one point and figured out it doesn't
work for him.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
So for how long? When I have to do the
skinny jeans.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
For ten years every Saturday and Sunday for ten years,
you can't wear anything above the skinny jeans, right, well,
like a shirt? Well, oh you mean like you like
put sweatpants over your skinny jet.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
That's a hard one. Oh, to be honest, I'll probably
do the skinny jeans because it's not forever. If I
could have the front teeth for ten years, and I'll
do that.
Speaker 5 (22:19):
Okay, answer, that's a that's a very thoughtful answer. I
appreciate that. Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
No, it's that's a hard question. Don't ask that too much.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Okay, I'm gonna all right, I'm gonna dive back into
to the hockey for a moment.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Because I asked the hockey question.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Kims asked the crazy question Maxally, Uh, you have you
been keeping in touch with josh Don still obviously he's
been down here a couple of times with us, but
really having a very good season with the Utah Hockey
Club as they continue to push on for the playoffs
as well. Have you guys been keeping in touch and
how's that relationship still been going, because you guys were
pretty close last year as as the roommates.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Yeah, it was. It was awesome last year. I'm sitting
calm with him this year. I mean, you can see it.
He's doing very well up there, So yeah, I'm super
happy for him. He's obviously a very good player, very smart,
and you can see it up there, Like he gets
his chances. I think he he has to work a
little bit on his ability to score. Not he has
(23:18):
an ability to score, but like he has so many
chances and he he just doesn't finish on them. I
feel like I just I just hope he gets a
little bit more of a luck there because he hits
the post couple of times. And yeah, but he's doing
very good, obviously, great player. He'll be up there for
a long time. I don't think we'll ever see him
again here, So yeah, I'm super happy for him.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
Text love you text him and you're like, don't hit
the post. What are you doing?
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
No, he has so many breakaways and he never finishes
on them, and I just get frustrated.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
See that.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
I get it really annoys me for him because he's
so good doing that and then I don't know, he
just thought it doesn't finish on it.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
And it's very talented.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Yeah. I love that.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
You got to hold each other accountable, right, and another
guy And it sucks because you know, we called your
house the hockey house with you Donor and Uh and
Aku Rot and you guys had some roommates here and there,
and it's kind of separated now with with Aku being
traded to the Rockford Ice Hogs. You know, we we
all wish him the best and it's a great opportunity
for him, but uh, you know, how much are you
(24:22):
guys going to miss him as a locker room and
we're looking forward to seeing him again in in Rockford
in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
Yeah, I'm excited for that. I talked to him right
before he left him. It was kind of a sad moment,
but I guess that's how it goes. It's a hockey business,
and yeah, he was a great guy in the locker room.
He was probably one of the hardest workers I've ever
been around. So no, it's gonna be it's sad that
he's already gone. Like you can see that in the
locker room he was awesome. So it's it's very sad
(24:51):
to be honest, but I think we can change it.
That's the business, that's the hockey part there. So yeah,
I just gotta go from here.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
You're gonna make me very sad, Maxie, because I know
you and Aka were super tight. I'm glad you at
least had a chance to talk. That must be incredibly bittersweet.
How do you handle.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Would you said you were.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
Yeah, all right, he owns it.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Yeah, making a quick appearance.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Yeah, he's definitely in here.
Speaker 5 (25:38):
Now I'm not sad anymore. So that worked out. That
timing was perfect.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
That was the perfect time to walk in, Yeah, Maxie.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
So you know how we do promo nights where it's
Country night or Harry Potter Night, or we don't call
it Her Wizards and which is uh Star Wars night.
If you had to pick a promo night, if there
was something that you really wanted us to do, to celebrate.
What would you pick?
Speaker 4 (26:04):
I think you said it. I'm a big Harry Potter guy.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
Okay, I mean.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
It's obviously not Harry Potter, but I would love to
do that. I like the Star wars Man. That was
actually awesome too. I think the fans left it, so
probably stick to those two. I think they're the favorites. Definitely.
I'm a big Harry Potter guy, so I would love
to do that.
Speaker 5 (26:24):
Okay, okay, So what house are you in? And why
is it Hupplepuff.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
I just I don't know Harry Potter, but like just
the way Mack reacted to that, I'm like, oh this
is that was not good?
Speaker 5 (26:39):
Okay, wait, so what is your house?
Speaker 4 (26:41):
I'm just I'm just teasing them. I honestly don't know.
Hopefully in not sill and that's my.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
My thing that you're definitely not slitherin. I'm thinking you're
a Raven Claar, a Griffin or probably raven claw.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Well, yeah, I would love to see that, to be honest.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
Yeah, definitely, we need to get some We need to
work on it Jenny soon, like Harry Potter themed jerseys
next year. I don't know what we're allowed to do,
but just the color, just the colors. It would be
so much fun. Okay, Maxie, here's my last question. Super
this is the most unhinged question I've asked all season
(27:16):
of anybody. I hope you're ready. Johnny's face is awesome.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
I'm sitting back. I'm ready for this.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
If your fingers were brought worsts, would you be able
to keep yourself from eating them?
Speaker 4 (27:31):
Oh my god, Wow, I thank something that. Yeah, I
think I would because I'm not a big sausage guy.
Really yeah, I like I like my brad to be honest,
like especially summertime, but I'm not like I'm craving them.
It would be different with.
Speaker 5 (27:51):
Oh okay, so what if it was to be able
to start to keep yourself from eating when if it
reads generated and became more schnitzel?
Speaker 6 (28:05):
Maybe all right, all right, that's a great Jim probably
Kim probably asking the most unhinged question on this entire show.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
To close this one out, Maxie, we appreciate you coming
on giving us your time. Good Luck at the poker tonight,
hope you hope you win. Be Ben McCartney for us,
and good luck tomorrow in uh in Ontario against the Rain.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Thank you so much. Appreciate you guys on the time
for having me.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
We just had Maximilian Zuber on the show for our
guest of the week. If you just missed it, if
you're tuning in right now and said, man, I missed
that interview. Go to Tucson Roadburns dot com, slash Happy,
or on your Apple podcast to catch a podcast version
of this episode. Kim, great interview, Always great having Maximilian
Zueber on. I like what you said in the beginning.
You know, every time we talk to these guys, sir
(28:51):
rookie season, they're just moving, especially European guys moving in
from you know, uh, from Europe or even the far
parts of Canada as well, and they're, you know, for
obvious reasons, a bit timid, a bit shy because it's
all so new for them. And then you meet them
again and you interview them again in year number two,
and the confidence and just everything is so much more
(29:12):
for them because they've gotten so you know, not comfortable,
but just more accustomed to all of everything around them.
And yeah, I'd love to see the development of Maximilian Zuber.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
Well and Maxi too. He turned twenty two at the
tail end of last year, when you think about it
in the big scheme of things, like it's such a crazy,
big move completely away from your family for the first
time in your life to come here, like like Julian
Lutz did this season, you know. But then once you
(29:45):
get your bearings with the team, with your friend group,
with the city, you know, it's so much easier to
just kind of take a breath and be yourself. And
I think not that MAXI wasn't confident last season. He's
just you know, a little bit more confident this season.
And it's been fun to watch because he is I
think he's a super fantastic defenseman, is super productive, and
(30:10):
just I think that he's gonna do amazing things in
the next few years.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Yeah, he's He's a guy who's very much like you know,
if it doesn't happen this year, it doesn't happen. But
and he was called up last year too, But you
just think, like, yeah, he's an NHL defenceman and he's
going to be one day. And he's played Kim he's
kind of like our iron man of this of this
team last season, played the team best. I'm gonna double
(30:37):
check just to make sure, I'm not getting my my
stats wrong, but you played a team best seventy one
games last year for this team, and this year he's
played in pretty much every game, so so okay, I
did get one off. So he played seventy games last
year with Tucson. It was the most games played by
any player this season. And then fast forward to this year,
(30:58):
he's played fifty four of our of our sixty one
total games played, so not as many as last year.
He's missed some games, you know, here and there, but
he's that guy who you can really rely on, and
he going into that Colorado series, he was on a
great run. Seven points in the last six games, six
of them coming on power plays. He was held off
the score sheet against Colorado, but still had some pretty
(31:20):
good shifts as well. It was a little different not
being able to play with Montala Yabucci, who daped.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
Those two have been.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Really good on that last defensive pairing as a recent
and Zuber has been huge on the player play for
twoson as well. And it kind of all happened as
the season went on. Right like Zuber started, he took
Robbie Russo's spot as the top one of the top
point guys on the power play. And it's nothing against
Russo by any means. Russo has been phenomenal for Tucson
as well. But I think just what Zuber gives you
(31:48):
and brings to the table as the season has gone
on has has been huge and it's really been nice
to see that him develop. And he also is tied
with Kevin Kanaan for the team lead and goals amongst defensemen.
So he's very much having a very much more productive
year than year one. And he was really productive last
year too.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
He played seventy games last year, twenty eight points in
sixteen less games. This season he's at twenty three points.
That's only five points down from yep, where he wasn't
seventy games last season. Also, forty eight penalty minutes as
opposed to forty three, so he's only five minutes off
of that, which I'm okay, we may see, you know.
(32:27):
I'm sure we're gonna see, you know some I'm knocking
on what you know. I don't like seeing vaccine in
the penalty box, but it happens, right, Things happen all
the time. But if he consistently gets better in such
a way as this where you're just seeing, you know
that that growth exponentially. Like you said, there's absolutely nothing
(32:49):
that's going to stop him from making it to the
next level.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Yeah, and it's been great to see him develop. We
got Maverick Lamaru in his first season with Tucson as well.
And you know, every rookie has their their struts, but
every rookie gets their big, big moments too, and uh
Lamber's definitely had some. Even with the Utah Hockey Club.
Uh artam Duda is leading all rookies in total with
total points even amongst defencemen as well. And he's a
(33:15):
guy you look at and say, like that's an NHL
caliber UH defenceman too. So uh it's it's really exciting
to see. You know what this blue line is gonna
be for Tucson for for years to come. I mean,
we have Kevin Cannon and locked up for the next year.
Ardam Dudah is obviously a rookie. Lambreau rookie as well.
We have Zuber back next season. You know, Montana on
Yobucci U if he comes back with Tucson, will have
(33:37):
him locked up as well. And even Laymore and the
Lavatory have filled in Uh, wells too as well too
when when they're called upon, and uh yeah, this this
blue line has really been productive for the road runs
this season scoring wise, and looking forward to you know
what's to come of it in years time.
Speaker 5 (33:54):
And Artam. An interesting little statistic about Artam, He is
our youngest player right now because Julian turned twenty one
a couple of weeks ago. Ardam turns twenty one in
a couple of weeks, so right now he is only
twenty years old.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
And he I remember when we talked to him, and
it's like, this guy's been through like a whole life
are and he's only.
Speaker 5 (34:12):
Yes, he has, he has been through everything.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (34:15):
Yeah, he can give you so much life advice. He's
so poised, so confident. He definitely is one of those
people where you're like, oh, he's an old soul. Like
sometimes people say that and you're like, oh, I don't
see it. Artem has been through since stuff and he's
just he's he's so well, he does so well on
(34:37):
the ice, just super hyper focused. He is actually one
of the earlier rivers also. I don't know if you
know that, because he has his really kind of I
don't want to say, is like super squirrely, but his
pregame ritual he doesn't come out from behind that back
area very much. But he's back there shooting pucks constantly,
(34:58):
way before the game starts.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
E been at practice, he is constantly shooting pucks. He's
one of the first guys to come out on the
ice too. It's just he and I like, how we
should it from Zuber to Duda now, but has been
he has been through lock him. I mean he uh,
he hasn't played a lot of games in his career
in total, and uh, he got stumped by the the
(35:20):
NC double A rule of you know, just not being
able to to play at d n C double A
if you played pro hockey already in other leagues around
the world.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
They removed that but obviously affected Duda.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
So for a guy who really hasn't played a lot
of games to you know, get drafted in the in
the second round by Utah and you know, or part
of by Arizona. And he came last season near the
end of the year, wasn't on the official roster, just
came in, started getting to know the guy, start practicing
with the team.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
He was just kind of the It's like who who
is that?
Speaker 2 (35:52):
And Marry Agent's is saying like, oh, it's our second
round pick Ardham Dudah, And you already kind of knew
he was gonna start the year with us, and it's
been it's been a really good, uh, you know, start
to his career. And he's a guy who's really exciting
to watch he is.
Speaker 5 (36:07):
We have so many young players where you know, we
didn't know these guys in October of last year and
now to have watched them all grow and you know,
kind of as as we get towards the end of
the season to see where they started and see who
they are today personally and professionally. It's just this has
(36:31):
been a really, really, I think a monumental season for
the Roadrunners because of the youth and and having not
just the coaching staff but also John Ferguson and Bill Armstrong.
It kind of find an incredible balance between experience and
(36:52):
players who had played at the higher level, players who
had you know, been playing you know, in the AHL
for a long time time, but then this new group
of incredibly talented players and watching all of them kind
of figure each other out and mesh and settle and
learn from each other, it's just been an incredibly fun
(37:14):
season to watch that happen.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Yeah, it's been a it's been a chaotic season, Kim, I.
Speaker 5 (37:20):
Mean, yeah, for sure, drama.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
It's all drama.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
We're two points ahead of the Bakersfield Condors for that
final seed of the AHL's Specific Division race. Lost to
two games against Colorado, but thankfully Bakersfield also lost two
games against San Jose, so we have San Jose to think.
But it also sucks because now it's like it might
be the seventh seed or nothing. Now, you know, we
(37:45):
we were talking about maybe catching up to San Jose
and that sixth seed. Maybe we can catch up to
Calgary because still they're still in.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
The free fall.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
They've dropped all the way from first to sixth place,
and we played them next week. So maybe if depending
on what happens in these next three games for us,
and you know, however many games they have for themselves
before we meet up next week, maybe it's still a
play for six.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
It's not things settled, nothing's done yet.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
But with eleven games left to go, when you're two
points ahead of the Condors and you still have three
games against Bakersfield, especially the final game of this five
game stretch.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
It's it's huge.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
These games all feel like playoff ones. You know, the
second game against Colorado was much better. It's a bummer
you couldn't at least get one because that you know,
you're gonna have to go through Colorado eventually wherever you
want to go in this playoff race. And yeah, it's
just more intense for the team. But you know, we've
been talking about if you make the playoffs, we're a
complete underdog of probably the entire playoff race of any division.
(38:42):
And we're gonna use that. We're gonna use that to
push forward. But we gotta make it first. That's all
that matters, right.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
And I see so many people on socials right now
talking about, oh, playoff, playoff hockey. It's just so much fun.
It's just the fast time. I'm talking about the two
to three weeks before the off hockey. Yeah, who's in
that bubble? Anybody who hasn't clinched. I mean, that's an
absolute nail bier. That is the real we are the
(39:08):
real Housewives of Beverly Hills happening right now. That's how
dramatic everything is. And I don't know, I don't know
if the fans out there actually follow, you know, kind
of the standings as closely as probably you are, or
I do, Johnny, But sometimes I'm just like I didn't.
I don't know the outcomes of the game from the
night before, and I wake up and I'm a little
bit stressy about where we are in the standings, what
(39:33):
look like.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
So you're the standings right now, or let's go into
the playoff picture. Let's go right now. But again, this
is gonna change. It changes every weekend, but for the
time being, we're going to look at it. So we're
projected right now to play the Ontario Rain in the
first round of the Calder Cup playoffs, which is, you know,
take that with a grain of salt because we've only
(39:55):
won one game against Antario this season. But we play
on tomorrow, so does the chance to kind of get
that rebound against them. And then the Abbotsford Canucks are
slated to play the Calgary Rainguis. That's the third and
the sixth seed matchup. And then the Coachella Valley Firebirds
in San Jose Barracuda, two teams that are now fighting
for that hole iice advantage spot all of a sudden
because San Jose since getting swept by US, have got
(40:16):
on a good run, especially helping us with that sweep
over Bakersfield. So that's all that. And then the thing
about Colorado, which is why it was that series was important,
and maybe though we lost the two games, it's important
to kind of, you know, gauge that a little bit
because if we have the first round, we beat Ontario,
whoever we play first, we're going to Colorado for you know,
(40:37):
three of the five games for that best of five series.
So that's what it's looking like in the Pacific Division.
If you want to go to other divisions at least
for the first round. Chicago and Rockford are slay to
play against each other, Cleveland Syracuse, but Belleville's right in
the mix of it two they'ret the outside team looking
in Charlotte and Lehigh Valley and then the Providence Bruins
(40:57):
and then the Springfield thunderber So those are all the
first rounds. Lots of other divisions have different seatings, not
like us, which we're probably the most chaotic out of
all the bunch. But yeah, that's pretty much what it's
going to look.
Speaker 5 (41:09):
Like, I think. Obviously when they do the schedules. They
don't know, you know, how things are going to look
at this time of the season. But I think us
having eyes on Colorado this late in the season as
we as we get towards the playoffs, could not have
come at a better time, especially in their their home barn.
They weren't they weren't the outcomes that we wanted, which
(41:31):
I know is the standard hockey trope, But but we
got eyes on them. And then to go against Ontario,
like you were saying, we haven't been super successful against them,
but we are due and we just get the one
look at them right now and then off to San
Diego and then Bakersfield this week. So I don't know,
(41:51):
I don't know. I think that we're in I don't
want to say we're in pretty good shape, but I
think that the way that the schedule has worked out,
based on the rankings and the standings as they are
right now, it's actually a benefit to us. And then
to have, you know, coming back to the TCC against
the Wranglers against the Condors, I don't know. I think
(42:11):
that I think that this is a good thing for us,
whether we're successful at the end of each of those
games or not having eyes on those teams, getting those matchups,
seeing you know, kind of what we could possibly be
up against is only a benefit.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
Yeah, that's a good point, Kim. And I'm just gonna
say this now.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
I think maybe after the San Diego game, when we
played Bakersfield this Saturday, and then we got Calgary, Calgary, Bakersfield,
Bakersfield again, that could be the most important stretch of
this season because you either have a chance. You have
first off, you have a chance to bury Bakersfield down
if you win those three games against the Condors, very
very good possibility that the Roadrunners are are good to
(42:57):
go playoff bound, and then maybe depends again depending on
what Calgary does this week, you have a chance to
get closer to the Wranglers and maybe try to snatch
that six seed. So that's a good point, Kim. That's
a really big stretch for Tucson, that four game homestand
is probably like come to the games, get the crowd
riled up. This team will need the fans because that
(43:18):
is going to be the biggest push of this year.
Speaker 5 (43:21):
And that is exactly what I was gonna say. We
play against the Wranglers on a Tuesday and a Wednesday,
which is really difficult. I know people have to work
that day and work the next day. But having fans
in the stands, we know that scientists have proven that
having the home ice advantage really makes a difference to
the team. So if you were able to come to
(43:42):
a game, bring everybody in the family, bring everybody that
you can, and come out and be as loud as
you possibly can. That's what we need. We need all
the energy. So Tuesday and Wednesday Calgary and then that
same week Saturday and Sunday is Bakersfield, which is Saturday
is country Night, and then Sunday is autism acceptance. So
lots happening. When y'all finally come back again, don't hurry
(44:05):
because it's not It's nine million degrees outside and I'd
worried about the boys in the seat, but oh.
Speaker 2 (44:12):
My gosh, but it's playoff. It's playoff hockey weather, Kim.
It's it starts to get warm. And you know, if
if the Roadrunners are able to really push into the
playoffs and get longer than the first round and last
year and uh we host in the second round or
get some hosting in the second round, it's it's gonna
be warm and it's gonna be nice and cold at
the two soon arenal closing out here quick summer. We
(44:34):
had Maximilian Zuber on our show. In case you missed
that interview, go to Tucson Roadrunners dot com slash Happy
Hour to hear the podcast version of this week's episode.
Kim It's a big game tomorrow on Ontario. Haven't had
much success against the Rain this season, only one win
in the first seven games against them, But at this point,
every point matters. At this point, every point matters, and uh, yeah,
(44:58):
we just gotta get a win here.
Speaker 5 (44:59):
But it means we're due, right, it does.
Speaker 2 (45:02):
It does, and we did. We did beat the Rain
last time we are here. It was gosh, I want
to say, two weeks ago. It was the little three
game road trip that we had won against Ontario two
against Bakersfield and we won that and I was two
weeks ago from tomorrow. So maybe a little uh, I
don't know, maybe interconnecting there.
Speaker 5 (45:20):
To yeah, a little serious timing, Yeah on everything.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
Yeah, we won here, we could do it again. But yeah,
Tucson continuing to push on for the playoffs. There are
eleven games left to go in the season and what
six home games left right, four game homestand and two
more so, six games left to go eleven in total,
six games at the two soon areno so come out please.
This team needs all the support we can get because
(45:46):
this is a This is a big point for this
season and the Roadrunners. We are pushing the push for
the Calder Cup playoff continue. We will see you all
in Ontario tomorrow right here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty
am for a huge match for your Tucson Roadrunners.
Speaker 3 (46:01):
Have a great rest of your night, everybody,
It's five o'clock. Got yours hues Day? The two Sun
Roadrunners have me out from Fox Sports fourteen fifty Aye, Jonathan, Right,
we know.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The story, but you gotta tell the viewers that starts.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
It's so funny.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
It's our usual Tuesday night.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
So I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Maybe we should start implementing some break dance pre games
during the season and see how that goes.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Right here on Tucson Sports Day yet Fox Sports fourteen
fifty am.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Fox Sports fourteen fifty am, our usual Tuesday night get
together Roadrunners. Happy are Jonathan Schaeffer alongside me, Kim Coda
Robaz as always, and off the top of the hour,
we have our very special Guts defenseman number fifty five,
Maximilian Zuber. Maxie, thanks for joining the show. Great to
have you on. First off, how was Loveland? I know
you had some guests come to both of the games
(00:51):
on on Saturday and Sunday.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
How is Loveland for you and how's it going overall? Man?
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Yeah, what's awesome. I had some My girlfriend is from there,
she's born there, so it's kind of nice to meet her.
Her side of the family, both grandmas, so that was awesome. Yeah,
that's just fun.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, it was a pretty crazy atmosphere overall. They got
to see some some good games, tough losses for us,
of course. So we have Ontario coming up tomorrow, so
just how do we keep pushing on, push forward and
continue to keep our playoffs spot here.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Yeah, obviously Colorado was pretty good, so I think we
we just got better throughout the second game. So I
think we just got to keep it going against Ontario
and build from here. Important points for us if you
want to keep the playoff spot, So we need to
we need to win.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
You're in your second season, You're you're you're having an
awesome second season as well. You're you're on a really
good tears of late. Uh just what what's the whole
second year experience been like for you? Anything different? Anything
the same? And uh yeah, just what what's it all
been like for you?
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Yeah, it's awesome. It's it's so much fun, especially to Son,
It's a great place to be. Yeah, my second year
it's awesome. I have a bit more experience and last year,
so that helps for sure. Great players, great teammates, So
always come with a smile to the rink and yeah,
just try and get the boys going and get to
the playoffs. I mean, it's so much fun with them,
and that's what you what you work for, so you
(02:14):
want to get to the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (02:16):
Max, you definitely seem more confident this year than last year.
I mean you were you were so new to Tucson,
to the American Hockey League, to play in here. It's
so been so great to watch your professional development and growth.
I'm curious you are. Is it fair to say that
you and and Montana on your Bucci are best friends?
(02:38):
Is that.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
We're definitely close friends? Yeah, I mean with them last year.
To be fair, I'm also very good with you.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
See, not that I want to Okay, I don't want
you to pay for.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Like nine years, but I'm very good with Montana. It's
kind of like my sect, the three three guy group,
where we always say together. So it's awesome.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
That's been Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Yeah, he's my roommate, so it's fun. We always play
some games. He played Katan already, and you play some
poker altogether, so it's it's a lot of fun with him.
And he's always with the guys, so that's obviously a
lot of fun.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
So and Montana has you know, a lot of experience
with North American hockey and he's been in the league
for a while. What has it been like working with him?
You know, not just on a not just on a
you know, a friendship level. You guys are obviously really tight,
but you know on the ice working with him, what
kind of experience and training does he help you with?
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Yeah, I mean he's a priority for for a year
or two longers, so he knows how it's going on
his mentality on the ice, off the ice, or hard
he works. It's helped me a lot, Like he pushes
me a lot of times. You can see how strong
he is in his fights. So yeah, he helps me
a lot off the ice especially, and he's super fun
to play with. Obviously he always has back when I
(04:01):
get hit from behind, I know I can call on
him or if there is a scram. So it's obviously
awesome to have a guy like that on the ice
and friends. So that's it's a lot of fun. I
can definitely not complain.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
Yeah, yeah, definitely, yeah, don't complain.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, speaking speaking on your Bucci, you know a guy
who's he's gone a lot of scraps this season. You
got in your first fight as a road runner this
year as well, your first fight in your North American
hockey career. I'm not sure if you've gone one in Europe,
but what happened in that sequence?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
And do you see yourself getting in another one this year?
Speaker 4 (04:37):
I don't know, to be honest. If it happens, it happens.
I think that's what happened last time. I just I
just got a little heated there, and so did he.
I think, just punch each other in the face, and
then you just asked you want to go, and you
both just dropped the gloves. So it kind of went
from there. So that happens again in mind, but we
all see we have very very good, tough guys, so
(04:58):
I think they did a job very well. But if
it has to go, it has to go. Like if
someone like if Montana get hit from behind, will definitely him.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Maxie. So even though you've been here for a little while,
anybody who sees you post game knows that your number
one priority when coming off the ice after being in
the locker room is getting on the phone to your
family right back in Are they in Poland?
Speaker 4 (05:24):
They're in Germany?
Speaker 5 (05:25):
Germany?
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Okay, my parents, my grandparents and the rest of the
family is in Poland.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Okay, and that that's so. Tell us about your family,
like I have, Do you have brothers and sisters? What
do your parents do? Like give us a little bit
of the Maxie Zueber lore. Where do you come from?
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yeah, I'm from us, I own friend. You don't have
any siblings. I wish. My parents got me pretty late
with with their thirties, so it's uh, kind of that's
not made. But okay, the culture the Contrare had already
twins a lot of soco earlier, so for there they
(06:06):
they wanted me earlier, they said, so yeah, but yeah, unfortunately,
no sister brother, but it's awesome. I'm super close with them.
I call them after every game, and they they have
to work a lot of times, and the fact they
wake up in the middle of the night to watch
the games, it means a lot to me. So yeah,
I talked to them. I talked to them every day.
(06:27):
I called them right after the game, after every game
and see how it's going. Obviously, sometimes they're like, ok,
I slept the second period, but I'm like, yeah, mom,
just it's three in the morning for you guys.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
So that's so real, so I would not be able
to stay out for that.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
That's what I'm saying. Like, I'm so happy that they
watched the games for me, and it means a lot
to me. I don't think it's it's very common that
people wake up three in the morning. Then I have
to go to work at seven or eight in the morning.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
So yeah, and what do they do? What do your
parents do?
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Dad has a business like a construction thing, just a
smart company. He works a lot. So and my mom
is kind of like, I don't know how to explain it,
to be honest, she kind of takes care of older people,
but like privately, so oh yeah, yeah, if she has
like we call the grandpa and she just cooks for him,
(07:22):
she goes grocery shopping for him, does the laundry, cleans.
So she does that basically for most of them. And
he helps me. She helps my dad out.
Speaker 5 (07:31):
Wow, that's amazing. I I know, I have known people
who have done work like that, and it is it's
a lot. It takes a very special kind of to
be able to do that work.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
It's very calm with it, so it's it's I think
it's remarkable. How like the elderly people, they're like a
little tough sometimes and my mom has just come like
sticks with it. So it's impressive to me how she
does that.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
But she was able to raise you, so I think
she's doing that's fine.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
Oh thanks, So yeah, Johnny, do you want to go
or do you want me to go? Mine is super random,
has nothing to do with talking.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Well, okay, Well.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I also just because you know Max and your said
your parents spent a lot of you know, middle of
the nights watching your games, supporting you, calling you after
every game. And your new teammate or someone you've known
for a long time, Julian Lutz kind of in the
same situation, right all the way here from from the
Germany area, and you know, playing in his first season
in North American hockey, and last time we talked was
(08:34):
over the off season, you know, talking about how excited
we were to have him. And now we're almost done
with the season. What's that been like playing here in
the AHL with him in his rookie season and in
your second.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Year, It's awesome. He I've played with him already a
couple of years, so he's like my small brother. I
said this every time I've played with him since I'm thirteen.
He was eleven at that point. So basically now nine
ten years later, we're still here together, same organizations. It's
kind of special with me and him. I know his
parents very well. He knows my parents very well, so
(09:06):
we're kind of like a small family. Like his parents
always wake up to to the games. His dad watches
the games. He calls them every day, so we always
have some fun talks, like whenever he calls his dad,
we make some jokes, or when we talk when we
talk to my dad. So it's it's very special. I
think he does a great job, especially with his age.
(09:27):
He's in two thousand and four, he just turned twenty one,
I think so. Yeah, I think he's doing a great
job adjusting. Yeah, it's and it's awesome to having basically
a small brother here.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, he's really starting to fight his stride in the
second half of the season, right, he had to kind
of deal with that injury, started to find his game
and now he's really found it. And I remember when
he scored his first career goal in this league. We're
in Vegas against the Henderson Silver Knights, and you had
the biggest smile on your face from the photos that
I saw, Well, was he's that's you know, seeing that,
(09:59):
like scoring his first goal and just you know his
development process this whole season, because honestly, for a rookie year,
he's been through a lot adversity already and he's handled
it really well.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Yeah, he's a very hard working guy, so you can
see it. He's he's working his way up. It was
obviously hard to get into the pro league in America,
and I think he's done a great job from where
he has been and where he's now. And yeah, I
was super happy. I think I was probably happier than
him when he scored his friscal, So no, that made
me like very happy.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
I was.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I was talking to him like, come on, we'll see
before every game today is to day you get your goal.
And then it finally happened, So I was. I was
super happy and pumped for him.
Speaker 5 (10:39):
Okay, So I guess might us now kind of related
to what Johnny was talking about last time I talked
to you. I think it was you that I asked
this about. There was four of you who were from
very very eastern European areas and trying to figure out
who came from the furthest location, right, Okay, So we're
going to do it again because now we have to players. Okay,
(11:01):
so ready are you ready? Okay? So you Julian Ardam
coming from Moscow according to the roster, and then Igor
we're taking his hometown of you Caterinburg. Yeah, who is
the furthest Away.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Oh, it's definitely one of the Russians. Definitely not one
of us. Okay, Am I right with that?
Speaker 5 (11:26):
You are? Yes?
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Yeah, I just I know where Moscow is. I just
don't know where you, Katharine brook is, So i'd probably
because Moscow is more on the on the west side
of Russia, so I'd probably go to Soco.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
Perfect, you nailed it.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yes, Oh there you go.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Okay, So then between you and Julian.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Who is depends on you if you count it of
Poland or because Useldorf is definitely.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
Oh okay, yes, I was using Poland.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
So okay, that makes it harder, and I would say
I'm further to be honest.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
Yes, that's correct. Also, holy cow, you're very good at this.
All right, I'm not playing this game with you anymore
because you always.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
It would say it's pretty good. I think you would
know that too.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
Do you think? So? Yeah, we got a chance to
take you and some of the other players out to
the Desert Museum a couple of weeks ago. Number one,
had you ever been out there before? And then number two,
what did you think?
Speaker 4 (12:25):
I've never been out there before. But to be honest,
I was really really pumped before because that was a
team event that was very happy to attend, especially Johnny Aloud,
my girlfriend and my fans to come, so that was
kind of kind of cool. And to see all those
things like the reptiles, the cactus and everything was super fun.
And you don't see that, I think, anywhere else in
(12:46):
the world, so this is pretty unique. And to see
that and get the experience about Arizona and Touisana and
the insights, it was super fun. Like I just recommend
everyone to go there. I wish I would have done
it before.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Yeah, you should have. And Oku had said was originally
on our list to go, but he had already gone
and we didn't know that he had gone, so he
ended up not coming to that trip.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
That's fair. Yeah, he told that before, but he said
it was super fun and he enjoyed it it at
He also said it was better when he went because
it wasn't that hot, but I.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
Don't know it was warm. It was warm that it.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Was definitely warm. But I think next week, or especially
this week and two is way worse.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Yeah, have you guys been paying attention to the weather
because it's legitimately over ninety it's ninety three right now.
Oh dang, it's not it's not fun. And in Phoenix,
I saw somebody yesterday post on TikTok that it was
ninety seven degrees up there, So.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
That is uh, it's it's playoff weather or playoff hockey weather.
That's like, yeah, started starts. I guess yeah, it is.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Sorry, I almost called you, Maxie. Who on the team
would you not let cook you dinner?
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Sorry?
Speaker 5 (14:04):
Who on the team would you not ever let them
cook you dinner? Because you're a good cook From what
I heard.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
I'm decent. I definitely not one. I don't thinking.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
I was saying, you know, it's nothing, he's just lost
in the.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
I don't want to say something. Maybe I'm wrong, but
I don't think he would chef it up.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Okay, No, that's that's totally fair. And he's not in
the room with you, right, But.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
He'll be understanding with that. I think he'll be He'll
be agreed. You can ask him. That's actually a good question.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Did you kick him out of the room, like, hey,
I got this interview, get out?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
No, no, no, we have a we have a tournament soon,
poker tournament. So that's the boys already done there, so
we're gonna get that starting soon.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Oh so you get down there, are you? Are you
a good card player?
Speaker 4 (14:57):
I would say I'm okay, not not the greatest. Im
definitely not the worst. I think I'm in redd.
Speaker 5 (15:02):
It makes okay. Who's who's the best and who's the worst.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
That depends on what we play because there are different games.
I think Benny Benny might be up there.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
Those two seem very serious guys.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Yead Benny, he just stares at you and it's just
like what else you have?
Speaker 5 (15:24):
They like we're sunglasses and stuff? Is like that level
of serious exactly.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
He doesn't even need sunglasses. No, it's fun to play
with him because he's a very good player, and he
helped me in the beginning with poker, so definitely learned
something from him.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
That's awesome. That's so great to imagine. We haven't ever
talked about music with you. What kind of music do
you listen to? Like, what what's your what's your pump
up song? What's the song you want to hear during
warm ups?
Speaker 4 (15:55):
I listened to everything. I'm not really really like crazy
with it when I show. I like to listen to
house music with lu Okay, nothing like crazy, but before
the game, I like some pump up music, like the
things for listening in the locker room, some raps, some
stuff of that. So it's very nice. I think Dougie
(16:16):
is the DG and he does a good job with that,
so it wouldn't change anything.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
He actually had. He had said a song I think
Dead or Alive by Jazz Cardier was the song that
he mentioned to us. Johnny, I don't know if you've
listened to it, but it's a really good song.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Oh I'm not listening to it.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:32):
That and then American Money is what Montana said he
really liked to listen to. And that's a that's a
really good that's super vibe. Really.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
Yeah, we definitely have some good songs in the locker room.
I don't complain about that. It gets us going for sure.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yeah, Max, we've asked people throughout this you know this
show as well this season, because everyone kind of has
their different pregame routines, right Cameron, hebigs the first one. Well, actually, really,
Matthew Volosto is the first one to show up, you know,
especially when he's starting a game. Key Big gets there
kind of early too, and those guys kind of just
keep to themselves, you know, kind of getting in their mindset.
(17:08):
And then we see the guys playing super Bawl and
everyone just has different pregame routines. What's your pregame routine
whether we're home or on the road.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
I honestly just try to nap two hours usually around
that time. I like, I just eat before the naps
and I nap, get into the shower and get ready
for the game. Just chill a little bit in the room,
nothing special, and then I like to especially at home games,
I just don't like to be too eady during because
I don't want to get too much into my head.
(17:37):
So I just get there, take my stick. Then we
have the meetings, play some sewer, and then do the
warm up with parks. So it's nothing special, to be honest,
I just don't want to sit there and do nothing.
Like or like some people like it, like Biggie or Maddie.
They just like to sit there. Get ready. I just
don't like thinking about the game because gets me too
(18:00):
much into my head.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Well, and Lipper when he comes to like he at
one point his pregame routine was he would just sit
right outside the glass and just stare, you know, and
just like become one with the arena.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
It's different for everyone.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally different. So because you brought it up,
I wasn't going to bring it up. But we need
to talk about the Super Bowl situation because y'all are
out of control and people are getting hurt now, the
bad superball players because I'm thinking I'm thinking maybe Ben McCartney,
(18:40):
Peter Deliberatory or on that list.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
To be fair, I have to protect Billy. I don't
know who gave the ball there, but he had to
save someone.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
So, oh, is that what it was?
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Yeah, he got a bad bond heat to run for
it and he didn't look out so a little bit
he did. Yea.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
He took down the entire system and I think he
hurt himself also.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
That was that was a tough one, but he showed
the effort.
Speaker 5 (19:09):
Oh, yeah, we're gonna We're goin to put you guys
in a pattered room here pretty soon.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
For that, I think, well, it's funny some some arenas
I think it.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
I think at Bakersfield they tell you guys not to
do it inside, but you guys still do it inside.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Anyways.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
I see it on the they have, like the schedule
sheet that they put around the locker room. Really there's
some arena that says like, you can't do it inside,
and I see you guys doing I'm like, I'm about
to get a call from someone already know it.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
I've talked to Pogo. I was like, take this, like,
there's other that that X Hall, the exhibit hall is huge,
and you guys play in that little that little area
right next to all the breakable things.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
I think we have never changed it, So that's funny.
You can't change it outside.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Yeah, although I feel like there would be a lot
of chasing, and maybe that's why it happens where it does,
because there's so many walls around you, there's not a
lot of chasing that actually, yeah, that makes sense. MAXI
if Andrew Agxino called you and said, if you were
back here in tuson Ago calls you and says, I
(20:15):
need an emergency babysitter overnight for the kids, for both
of them.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
I'll sure do it.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
Would you? And would they be okay the next day?
Speaker 4 (20:25):
I think that's a good question. I've never done it before,
to be honest, but I'll try my best ask him
some things and help him out. For sure.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
Would you would? I'm curious. I think they both look
really tiny, so I'm guessing they're both under at least
two years of age. Would you even know what to
feed a two year old? No, we need we need
to put Maxie's face on socials because that was the
perfect response of just being lost, not even knowing anything.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
I definitely don't know what to do. I'll be very
curious about that.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
I have an unhinged question for you, more unhinged than
the agon question. Would you rather? I switched this up
Johnny from when I asked Curtis Douglass this question because
he was so adamant about his response, Maxie, would you
rather be missing your two front teeth for the rest
of your life? Or you can only wear skinny jeans
(21:26):
all day Saturday and Sunday for the next ten years?
Of your life.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Oh yeah, that was crazy.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
I don't know how you got that one.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I had to.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
I really had to massage this one because Curtis said
that he will never wear a skinny jean in his
entire life, and he never has. That means he tried
it on at one point and figured out it doesn't
work for him.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
So for how long? When I have to do the
skinny jeans.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
For ten years every Saturday and Sunday for ten years,
you can't wear anything above the skinny jeans, right, well,
like a shirt? Well, oh you mean like you like
put sweatpants over your skinny jet.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
That's a hard one. Oh, to be honest, I'll probably
do the skinny jeans because it's not forever. If I
could have the front teeth for ten years, and I'll
do that.
Speaker 5 (22:19):
Okay, answer, that's a that's a very thoughtful answer. I
appreciate that. Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
No, it's that's a hard question. Don't ask that too much.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Okay, I'm gonna all right, I'm gonna dive back into
to the hockey for a moment.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Because I asked the hockey question.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Kims asked the crazy question Maxally, Uh, you have you
been keeping in touch with josh Don still obviously he's
been down here a couple of times with us, but
really having a very good season with the Utah Hockey
Club as they continue to push on for the playoffs
as well. Have you guys been keeping in touch and
how's that relationship still been going, because you guys were
pretty close last year as as the roommates.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Yeah, it was. It was awesome last year. I'm sitting
calm with him this year. I mean, you can see it.
He's doing very well up there, So yeah, I'm super
happy for him. He's obviously a very good player, very smart,
and you can see it up there, Like he gets
his chances. I think he he has to work a
little bit on his ability to score. Not he has
(23:18):
an ability to score, but like he has so many
chances and he he just doesn't finish on them. I
feel like I just I just hope he gets a
little bit more of a luck there because he hits
the post couple of times. And yeah, but he's doing
very good, obviously, great player. He'll be up there for
a long time. I don't think we'll ever see him
again here, So yeah, I'm super happy for him.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
Text love you text him and you're like, don't hit
the post. What are you doing?
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
No, he has so many breakaways and he never finishes
on them, and I just get frustrated.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
See that.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
I get it really annoys me for him because he's
so good doing that and then I don't know, he
just thought it doesn't finish on it.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
And it's very talented.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Yeah. I love that.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
You got to hold each other accountable, right, and another
guy And it sucks because you know, we called your
house the hockey house with you Donor and Uh and
Aku Rot and you guys had some roommates here and there,
and it's kind of separated now with with Aku being
traded to the Rockford Ice Hogs. You know, we we
all wish him the best and it's a great opportunity
for him, but uh, you know, how much are you
(24:22):
guys going to miss him as a locker room and
we're looking forward to seeing him again in in Rockford
in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
Yeah, I'm excited for that. I talked to him right
before he left him. It was kind of a sad moment,
but I guess that's how it goes. It's a hockey business,
and yeah, he was a great guy in the locker room.
He was probably one of the hardest workers I've ever
been around. So no, it's gonna be it's sad that
he's already gone. Like you can see that in the
locker room he was awesome. So it's it's very sad
(24:51):
to be honest, but I think we can change it.
That's the business, that's the hockey part there. So yeah,
I just gotta go from here.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
You're gonna make me very sad, Maxie, because I know
you and Aka were super tight. I'm glad you at
least had a chance to talk. That must be incredibly bittersweet.
How do you handle.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Would you said you were.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
Yeah, all right, he owns it.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Yeah, making a quick appearance.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Yeah, he's definitely in here.
Speaker 5 (25:38):
Now I'm not sad anymore. So that worked out. That
timing was perfect.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
That was the perfect time to walk in, Yeah, Maxie.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
So you know how we do promo nights where it's
Country night or Harry Potter Night, or we don't call
it Her Wizards and which is uh Star Wars night.
If you had to pick a promo night, if there
was something that you really wanted us to do, to celebrate.
What would you pick?
Speaker 4 (26:04):
I think you said it. I'm a big Harry Potter guy.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
Okay, I mean.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
It's obviously not Harry Potter, but I would love to
do that. I like the Star wars Man. That was
actually awesome too. I think the fans left it, so
probably stick to those two. I think they're the favorites. Definitely.
I'm a big Harry Potter guy, so I would love
to do that.
Speaker 5 (26:24):
Okay, okay, So what house are you in? And why
is it Hupplepuff.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
I just I don't know Harry Potter, but like just
the way Mack reacted to that, I'm like, oh this
is that was not good?
Speaker 5 (26:39):
Okay, wait, so what is your house?
Speaker 4 (26:41):
I'm just I'm just teasing them. I honestly don't know.
Hopefully in not sill and that's my.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
My thing that you're definitely not slitherin. I'm thinking you're
a Raven Claar, a Griffin or probably raven claw.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Well, yeah, I would love to see that, to be honest.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
Yeah, definitely, we need to get some We need to
work on it Jenny soon, like Harry Potter themed jerseys
next year. I don't know what we're allowed to do,
but just the color, just the colors. It would be
so much fun. Okay, Maxie, here's my last question. Super
this is the most unhinged question I've asked all season
(27:16):
of anybody. I hope you're ready. Johnny's face is awesome.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
I'm sitting back. I'm ready for this.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
If your fingers were brought worsts, would you be able
to keep yourself from eating them?
Speaker 4 (27:31):
Oh my god, Wow, I thank something that. Yeah, I
think I would because I'm not a big sausage guy.
Really yeah, I like I like my brad to be honest,
like especially summertime, but I'm not like I'm craving them.
It would be different with.
Speaker 5 (27:51):
Oh okay, so what if it was to be able
to start to keep yourself from eating when if it
reads generated and became more schnitzel?
Speaker 6 (28:05):
Maybe all right, all right, that's a great Jim probably
Kim probably asking the most unhinged question on this entire show.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
To close this one out, Maxie, we appreciate you coming
on giving us your time. Good Luck at the poker tonight,
hope you hope you win. Be Ben McCartney for us,
and good luck tomorrow in uh in Ontario against the Rain.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Thank you so much. Appreciate you guys on the time
for having me.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
We just had Maximilian Zuber on the show for our
guest of the week. If you just missed it, if
you're tuning in right now and said, man, I missed
that interview. Go to Tucson Roadburns dot com, slash Happy,
or on your Apple podcast to catch a podcast version
of this episode. Kim, great interview, Always great having Maximilian
Zueber on. I like what you said in the beginning.
You know, every time we talk to these guys, sir
(28:51):
rookie season, they're just moving, especially European guys moving in
from you know, uh, from Europe or even the far
parts of Canada as well, and they're, you know, for
obvious reasons, a bit timid, a bit shy because it's
all so new for them. And then you meet them
again and you interview them again in year number two,
and the confidence and just everything is so much more
(29:12):
for them because they've gotten so you know, not comfortable,
but just more accustomed to all of everything around them.
And yeah, I'd love to see the development of Maximilian Zuber.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
Well and Maxi too. He turned twenty two at the
tail end of last year, when you think about it
in the big scheme of things, like it's such a crazy,
big move completely away from your family for the first
time in your life to come here, like like Julian
Lutz did this season, you know. But then once you
(29:45):
get your bearings with the team, with your friend group,
with the city, you know, it's so much easier to
just kind of take a breath and be yourself. And
I think not that MAXI wasn't confident last season. He's
just you know, a little bit more confident this season.
And it's been fun to watch because he is I
think he's a super fantastic defenseman, is super productive, and
(30:10):
just I think that he's gonna do amazing things in
the next few years.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Yeah, he's He's a guy who's very much like you know,
if it doesn't happen this year, it doesn't happen. But
and he was called up last year too, But you
just think, like, yeah, he's an NHL defenceman and he's
going to be one day. And he's played Kim he's
kind of like our iron man of this of this
team last season, played the team best. I'm gonna double
(30:37):
check just to make sure, I'm not getting my my
stats wrong, but you played a team best seventy one
games last year for this team, and this year he's
played in pretty much every game, so so okay, I
did get one off. So he played seventy games last
year with Tucson. It was the most games played by
any player this season. And then fast forward to this year,
(30:58):
he's played fifty four of our of our sixty one
total games played, so not as many as last year.
He's missed some games, you know, here and there, but
he's that guy who you can really rely on, and
he going into that Colorado series, he was on a
great run. Seven points in the last six games, six
of them coming on power plays. He was held off
the score sheet against Colorado, but still had some pretty
(31:20):
good shifts as well. It was a little different not
being able to play with Montala Yabucci, who daped.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
Those two have been.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Really good on that last defensive pairing as a recent
and Zuber has been huge on the player play for
twoson as well. And it kind of all happened as
the season went on. Right like Zuber started, he took
Robbie Russo's spot as the top one of the top
point guys on the power play. And it's nothing against
Russo by any means. Russo has been phenomenal for Tucson
as well. But I think just what Zuber gives you
(31:48):
and brings to the table as the season has gone
on has has been huge and it's really been nice
to see that him develop. And he also is tied
with Kevin Kanaan for the team lead and goals amongst defensemen.
So he's very much having a very much more productive
year than year one. And he was really productive last
year too.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
He played seventy games last year, twenty eight points in
sixteen less games. This season he's at twenty three points.
That's only five points down from yep, where he wasn't
seventy games last season. Also, forty eight penalty minutes as
opposed to forty three, so he's only five minutes off
of that, which I'm okay, we may see, you know.
(32:27):
I'm sure we're gonna see, you know some I'm knocking
on what you know. I don't like seeing vaccine in
the penalty box, but it happens, right, Things happen all
the time. But if he consistently gets better in such
a way as this where you're just seeing, you know
that that growth exponentially. Like you said, there's absolutely nothing
(32:49):
that's going to stop him from making it to the
next level.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Yeah, and it's been great to see him develop. We
got Maverick Lamaru in his first season with Tucson as well.
And you know, every rookie has their their struts, but
every rookie gets their big, big moments too, and uh
Lamber's definitely had some. Even with the Utah Hockey Club.
Uh artam Duda is leading all rookies in total with
total points even amongst defencemen as well. And he's a
(33:15):
guy you look at and say, like that's an NHL
caliber UH defenceman too. So uh it's it's really exciting
to see. You know what this blue line is gonna
be for Tucson for for years to come. I mean,
we have Kevin Cannon and locked up for the next year.
Ardam Dudah is obviously a rookie. Lambreau rookie as well.
We have Zuber back next season. You know, Montana on
Yobucci U if he comes back with Tucson, will have
(33:37):
him locked up as well. And even Laymore and the
Lavatory have filled in Uh, wells too as well too
when when they're called upon, and uh yeah, this this
blue line has really been productive for the road runs
this season scoring wise, and looking forward to you know
what's to come of it in years time.
Speaker 5 (33:54):
And Artam. An interesting little statistic about Artam, He is
our youngest player right now because Julian turned twenty one
a couple of weeks ago. Ardam turns twenty one in
a couple of weeks, so right now he is only
twenty years old.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
And he I remember when we talked to him, and
it's like, this guy's been through like a whole life
are and he's only.
Speaker 5 (34:12):
Yes, he has, he has been through everything.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (34:15):
Yeah, he can give you so much life advice. He's
so poised, so confident. He definitely is one of those
people where you're like, oh, he's an old soul. Like
sometimes people say that and you're like, oh, I don't
see it. Artem has been through since stuff and he's
just he's he's so well, he does so well on
(34:37):
the ice, just super hyper focused. He is actually one
of the earlier rivers also. I don't know if you
know that, because he has his really kind of I
don't want to say, is like super squirrely, but his
pregame ritual he doesn't come out from behind that back
area very much. But he's back there shooting pucks constantly,
(34:58):
way before the game starts.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
E been at practice, he is constantly shooting pucks. He's
one of the first guys to come out on the
ice too. It's just he and I like, how we
should it from Zuber to Duda now, but has been
he has been through lock him. I mean he uh,
he hasn't played a lot of games in his career
in total, and uh, he got stumped by the the
(35:20):
NC double A rule of you know, just not being
able to to play at d n C double A
if you played pro hockey already in other leagues around
the world.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
They removed that but obviously affected Duda.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
So for a guy who really hasn't played a lot
of games to you know, get drafted in the in
the second round by Utah and you know, or part
of by Arizona. And he came last season near the
end of the year, wasn't on the official roster, just
came in, started getting to know the guy, start practicing
with the team.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
He was just kind of the It's like who who
is that?
Speaker 2 (35:52):
And Marry Agent's is saying like, oh, it's our second
round pick Ardham Dudah, And you already kind of knew
he was gonna start the year with us, and it's
been it's been a really good, uh, you know, start
to his career. And he's a guy who's really exciting
to watch he is.
Speaker 5 (36:07):
We have so many young players where you know, we
didn't know these guys in October of last year and
now to have watched them all grow and you know,
kind of as as we get towards the end of
the season to see where they started and see who
they are today personally and professionally. It's just this has
(36:31):
been a really, really, I think a monumental season for
the Roadrunners because of the youth and and having not
just the coaching staff but also John Ferguson and Bill Armstrong.
It kind of find an incredible balance between experience and
(36:52):
players who had played at the higher level, players who
had you know, been playing you know, in the AHL
for a long time time, but then this new group
of incredibly talented players and watching all of them kind
of figure each other out and mesh and settle and
learn from each other, it's just been an incredibly fun
(37:14):
season to watch that happen.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Yeah, it's been a it's been a chaotic season, Kim, I.
Speaker 5 (37:20):
Mean, yeah, for sure, drama.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
It's all drama.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
We're two points ahead of the Bakersfield Condors for that
final seed of the AHL's Specific Division race. Lost to
two games against Colorado, but thankfully Bakersfield also lost two
games against San Jose, so we have San Jose to think.
But it also sucks because now it's like it might
be the seventh seed or nothing. Now, you know, we
(37:45):
we were talking about maybe catching up to San Jose
and that sixth seed. Maybe we can catch up to
Calgary because still they're still in.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
The free fall.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
They've dropped all the way from first to sixth place,
and we played them next week. So maybe if depending
on what happens in these next three games for us,
and you know, however many games they have for themselves
before we meet up next week, maybe it's still a
play for six.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
It's not things settled, nothing's done yet.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
But with eleven games left to go, when you're two
points ahead of the Condors and you still have three
games against Bakersfield, especially the final game of this five
game stretch.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
It's it's huge.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
These games all feel like playoff ones. You know, the
second game against Colorado was much better. It's a bummer
you couldn't at least get one because that you know,
you're gonna have to go through Colorado eventually wherever you
want to go in this playoff race. And yeah, it's
just more intense for the team. But you know, we've
been talking about if you make the playoffs, we're a
complete underdog of probably the entire playoff race of any division.
(38:42):
And we're gonna use that. We're gonna use that to
push forward. But we gotta make it first. That's all
that matters, right.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
And I see so many people on socials right now
talking about, oh, playoff, playoff hockey. It's just so much fun.
It's just the fast time. I'm talking about the two
to three weeks before the off hockey. Yeah, who's in
that bubble? Anybody who hasn't clinched. I mean, that's an
absolute nail bier. That is the real we are the
(39:08):
real Housewives of Beverly Hills happening right now. That's how
dramatic everything is. And I don't know, I don't know
if the fans out there actually follow, you know, kind
of the standings as closely as probably you are, or
I do, Johnny, But sometimes I'm just like I didn't.
I don't know the outcomes of the game from the
night before, and I wake up and I'm a little
bit stressy about where we are in the standings, what
(39:33):
look like.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
So you're the standings right now, or let's go into
the playoff picture. Let's go right now. But again, this
is gonna change. It changes every weekend, but for the
time being, we're going to look at it. So we're
projected right now to play the Ontario Rain in the
first round of the Calder Cup playoffs, which is, you know,
take that with a grain of salt because we've only
(39:55):
won one game against Antario this season. But we play
on tomorrow, so does the chance to kind of get
that rebound against them. And then the Abbotsford Canucks are
slated to play the Calgary Rainguis. That's the third and
the sixth seed matchup. And then the Coachella Valley Firebirds
in San Jose Barracuda, two teams that are now fighting
for that hole iice advantage spot all of a sudden
because San Jose since getting swept by US, have got
(40:16):
on a good run, especially helping us with that sweep
over Bakersfield. So that's all that. And then the thing
about Colorado, which is why it was that series was important,
and maybe though we lost the two games, it's important
to kind of, you know, gauge that a little bit
because if we have the first round, we beat Ontario,
whoever we play first, we're going to Colorado for you know,
(40:37):
three of the five games for that best of five series.
So that's what it's looking like in the Pacific Division.
If you want to go to other divisions at least
for the first round. Chicago and Rockford are slay to
play against each other, Cleveland Syracuse, but Belleville's right in
the mix of it two they'ret the outside team looking
in Charlotte and Lehigh Valley and then the Providence Bruins
(40:57):
and then the Springfield thunderber So those are all the
first rounds. Lots of other divisions have different seatings, not
like us, which we're probably the most chaotic out of
all the bunch. But yeah, that's pretty much what it's
going to look.
Speaker 5 (41:09):
Like, I think. Obviously when they do the schedules. They
don't know, you know, how things are going to look
at this time of the season. But I think us
having eyes on Colorado this late in the season as
we as we get towards the playoffs, could not have
come at a better time, especially in their their home barn.
They weren't they weren't the outcomes that we wanted, which
(41:31):
I know is the standard hockey trope, But but we
got eyes on them. And then to go against Ontario,
like you were saying, we haven't been super successful against them,
but we are due and we just get the one
look at them right now and then off to San
Diego and then Bakersfield this week. So I don't know,
(41:51):
I don't know. I think that we're in I don't
want to say we're in pretty good shape, but I
think that the way that the schedule has worked out,
based on the rankings and the standings as they are
right now, it's actually a benefit to us. And then
to have, you know, coming back to the TCC against
the Wranglers against the Condors, I don't know. I think
(42:11):
that I think that this is a good thing for us,
whether we're successful at the end of each of those
games or not having eyes on those teams, getting those matchups,
seeing you know, kind of what we could possibly be
up against is only a benefit.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
Yeah, that's a good point, Kim. And I'm just gonna
say this now.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
I think maybe after the San Diego game, when we
played Bakersfield this Saturday, and then we got Calgary, Calgary, Bakersfield,
Bakersfield again, that could be the most important stretch of
this season because you either have a chance. You have
first off, you have a chance to bury Bakersfield down
if you win those three games against the Condors, very
very good possibility that the Roadrunners are are good to
(42:57):
go playoff bound, and then maybe depends again depending on
what Calgary does this week, you have a chance to
get closer to the Wranglers and maybe try to snatch
that six seed. So that's a good point, Kim. That's
a really big stretch for Tucson, that four game homestand
is probably like come to the games, get the crowd
riled up. This team will need the fans because that
(43:18):
is going to be the biggest push of this year.
Speaker 5 (43:21):
And that is exactly what I was gonna say. We
play against the Wranglers on a Tuesday and a Wednesday,
which is really difficult. I know people have to work
that day and work the next day. But having fans
in the stands, we know that scientists have proven that
having the home ice advantage really makes a difference to
the team. So if you were able to come to
(43:42):
a game, bring everybody in the family, bring everybody that
you can, and come out and be as loud as
you possibly can. That's what we need. We need all
the energy. So Tuesday and Wednesday Calgary and then that
same week Saturday and Sunday is Bakersfield, which is Saturday
is country Night, and then Sunday is autism acceptance. So
lots happening. When y'all finally come back again, don't hurry
(44:05):
because it's not It's nine million degrees outside and I'd
worried about the boys in the seat, but oh.
Speaker 2 (44:12):
My gosh, but it's playoff. It's playoff hockey weather, Kim.
It's it starts to get warm. And you know, if
if the Roadrunners are able to really push into the
playoffs and get longer than the first round and last
year and uh we host in the second round or
get some hosting in the second round, it's it's gonna
be warm and it's gonna be nice and cold at
the two soon arenal closing out here quick summer. We
(44:34):
had Maximilian Zuber on our show. In case you missed
that interview, go to Tucson Roadrunners dot com slash Happy
Hour to hear the podcast version of this week's episode.
Kim It's a big game tomorrow on Ontario. Haven't had
much success against the Rain this season, only one win
in the first seven games against them, But at this point,
every point matters. At this point, every point matters, and uh, yeah,
(44:58):
we just gotta get a win here.
Speaker 5 (44:59):
But it means we're due, right, it does.
Speaker 2 (45:02):
It does, and we did. We did beat the Rain
last time we are here. It was gosh, I want
to say, two weeks ago. It was the little three
game road trip that we had won against Ontario two
against Bakersfield and we won that and I was two
weeks ago from tomorrow. So maybe a little uh, I
don't know, maybe interconnecting there.
Speaker 5 (45:20):
To yeah, a little serious timing, Yeah on everything.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
Yeah, we won here, we could do it again. But yeah,
Tucson continuing to push on for the playoffs. There are
eleven games left to go in the season and what
six home games left right, four game homestand and two
more so, six games left to go eleven in total,
six games at the two soon areno so come out please.
This team needs all the support we can get because
(45:46):
this is a This is a big point for this
season and the Roadrunners. We are pushing the push for
the Calder Cup playoff continue. We will see you all
in Ontario tomorrow right here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty
am for a huge match for your Tucson Roadrunners.
Speaker 3 (46:01):
Have a great rest of your night, everybody,
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