The Ajax, Ontario native has some NHL experience, having appeared with the Coyotes for a combined 30 games over the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He’s amassed six goals and three assists over that span, bringing a degree of speed and strength to an Arizona lineup that prides itself on gritty, tough-nosed play.
The ability to start this upcoming season with the Coyotes is a well-earned opportunity, and Carcone said training camp and preseason took on a different feeling this year considering the one-way deal he signed over the summer.
He recorded two assists in Arizona’s 7-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks at TCC Arena this past Saturday, and though he remains a fan favorite in Tucson following his three seasons with the Roadrunners, he’s excited about the next chapter of his professional hockey career in the NHL.
“I was sad to see all of those guys go back to Tucson because previously I’ve been in that pack and getting into a season with them, so it’s a little bit different this time around,” Carcone said. “You’re used to seeing somebody come to the back of the plane, or getting at text telling you, ‘You have a meeting,’ or ’You’re going down,’ and once you survive that, it’s like a big piano on your back gets lifted off.
“I’m excited.”
Carcone is the first to admit he’s working on making his game more consistent to match NHL-caliber play, but Tourigny said he has the tools to do it. He’ll spend some time on the Coyotes’ penalty kill this season – somewhat of a different role than what he played in the AHL – but will also be poised to fight for a spot as an everyday NHL player.
Carcone’s physical presence is far more imposing than what his official player profile lists at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, and his intensity generated healthy competition throughout Arizona’s training camp the past few weeks.
“The way he plays, he plays like a big boy, he’s heavy on the puck, and he’s relentless on his battles,” Tourigny said. “He’s a guy who can play every night, so he will push other guys, and he will try to make his way as a regular in the lineup. If he does, it’s a win, and I believe he has all the tools to be a regular in the NHL.”