TUCSON — The Tucson Roadrunners have an All-Star.
Rookie defenseman Dmitri Simashev, a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has been named to the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic.
The 6-foot-5, 20-year-old will represent the Pacific Division when the game is played February 10–11 at the BMO Center in Rockford, Illinois.
Simashev, selected sixth overall by the then-Arizona Coyotes, began the season with the NHL’s Utah Mammoth before being assigned to Tucson to further develop his game.
Since joining the Roadrunners, he’s been an immediate difference-maker; tallying 14 points in 14 games, leading all AHL rookie defensemen and sparking a four-game winning streak, the longest of Tucson’s season.
“I got the news yesterday,” Simashev told me after practice. “It actually wasn’t a surprise. Of course, I was happy... I called my mom and said, ‘Hey, I’m an All-Star.’ But my main goal has always been the NHL… still, I’m really, really happy to be an All-Star.”
Roadrunners head coach, Steve Potvin, spoke highly of the young blueliner’s mindset.
“His performance has been great because he’s accepted being in the minors for a little bit,” he said. “He plays where his feet are. He competes, enjoys the game, and has created a lot of offense we weren’t sure he had. It’s contagious...when your best players do it the right way, the rest follow.”
Simashev owns Tucson’s longest point streak this season, eight points in six consecutive games in December, and is one of just two Roadrunners with multiple three-assist games this year.
When asked about his goals for the rest of the season, Simashev didn’t hesitate: “Get called back up to the Mammoth… and make NHL playoffs.”
For now, his focus remains on helping Tucson secure a postseason berth, and representing the Roadrunners on the AHL’s biggest stage next month.
