The Tucson Roadrunners and the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation are renewing their Shott’s Tots program in partnership with USA Hockey and the NHL/NHLPA Learn to Play program to offer beginner hockey instruction and free equipment to children in Southern Arizona. The AHL club will provide ice time, player appearances, and game tickets while the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund supplies equipment, supporting expanded youth access to the sport through 24 on-ice sessions across fall and winter.
Tucson Roadrunners and Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation Continue Partnership to Bring Shott’s Tots to Tucson September 15, 2026 USA Hockey and NHL/NHLPA Learn to Play Program Returns to Southern Arizona TUCSON, AZ – The Tucson Roadrunners, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Utah Mammoth, today announced the continued partnership with the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation to bring another season of Shott’s Tots to Tucson. In collaboration with USA Hockey and the NHL/NHLPA Learn to Play program , Shott’s Tots will continue to provide Southern Arizona youth with an opportunity to take their first steps into the game of hockey. Following the successful launch of Shott’s Tots in Tucson last season, the partnership returns to provide another year of Learn to Play programming while continuing to make hockey more accessible to children and families throughout Southern Arizona. “Last season, we saw firsthand the impact Shott’s Tots had on introducing young players and their families to hockey here in Tucson,” said Tucson Roadrunners President Bob Hoffman. “We’re excited to continue our partnership with the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation and build on that momentum by welcoming even more kids to the game this season.” The NHL/NHLPA Learn to Play program provides equipment and logistical support to participating organizations, including the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation and Tucson Junior Roadrunners. The program introduces young players to fundamental hockey skills, including skating, puck handling, passing and shooting, while creating a fun and supportive environment for players to build confidence both on and off the ice. With support from the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund (IGF), all equipment is provided for new players. Since its inception, the IGF has dedicated more than $240 million to develop programming, create initiatives, host events and provide education that drives awareness and brings hockey to communities across North America. As part of the partnership, the Roadrunners will once again provide ice time, facilitate appearances by Roadrunners players and mascot Dusty, and offer complimentary tickets to Shott’s Tots participants and their families for select Roadrunners games throughout the season. The Tucson program will feature 24 on-ice sessions at Tucson Arena throughout the fall and winter, divided into three separate eight-session sets: Fall: Oct. 4 – Nov. 29, 2026 Early Winter: Dec. 5 – Jan. 30, 2027 Late Winter: Feb. 20 – Mar. 21, 2027 Registration Options Program registration includes eight weeks of on-ice instruction led by certified coaches: $300 – New Players (Tuition & Full Equipment Package) $175 – Returning Players (Tuition Only) Registration is open now. All participants must be born between 2015 and 2021. No skating experience is required, and beginners are welcome. The first on-ice session will be held Sunday, Oct. 4, from 11 – 11:45 a.m. MST. Program Details Location: Tucson Convention Center Start Date: Sunday, Oct. 4 Sessions: Eight per season Length: 45 minutes each Ages: 5–11 Registration & Information Register Here – Fall, Early Winter and Late Winter Sessions Program Information – Shott’s Tots To learn more about the Shott’s Tots program and participating rinks throughout Arizona, visit AZHockeyLegacy.org . Latest News Tucson Roadrunners Announce Training Camp Dates Tucson Roadrunners and Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation Continue Partnership to Bring Shott’s Tots to Tucson Roadrunners President Bob Hoffman to Step Down from His Role Tucson Roadrunners Announce Three Additions to Hockey Operations Department Tucson Roadrunners to Host Inaugural Southwest Showdown View All
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.tucsonroadrunners.com
Tucson Roadrunners, Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation, USA Hockey, NHL/NHLPA Learn to Play program, Tucson Junior Roadrunners, NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund, Tucson Arena, Tucson Convention Center, AZHockeyLegacy.org, Utah Mammoth, Dusty
Tucson Roadrunners: The Tucson Roadrunners are the American Hockey League affiliate that is partnering to bring Shott’s Tots programming to Tucson and will provide ice time, player and mascot appearances, and complimentary tickets for participants.
Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation: The Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation is partnering with the Tucson Roadrunners to bring the Shott’s Tots Learn to Play hockey program to Southern Arizona.
USA Hockey: USA Hockey is collaborating with partners to support the Shott’s Tots Learn to Play programming that introduces young players to fundamental hockey skills.
NHL/NHLPA Learn to Play program: The NHL/NHLPA Learn to Play program provides equipment and logistical support to participating organizations and introduces young players to fundamental hockey skills.
Tucson Junior Roadrunners: Tucson Junior Roadrunners are a participating organization in the Learn to Play program supported by the NHL/NHLPA and local partners.
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