Mammoth Recall Villalta from Tucson, Roadrunners Recall Wells from Grizzlies
AHL Tucson Roadrunners

Mammoth Recall Villalta from Tucson, Roadrunners Recall Wells from Grizzlies

Published on December 29, 2025 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Tucson Roadrunners News Release


TUCSON - The Utah Mammoth announced today that goaltender Matthew Villalta has been recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL). In a corresponding move, the Roadrunners have recalled goaltender Dylan Wells from the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) to Tucson.

It's Villalta's first NHL call-up of the season and first since being recalled by Utah on Mar. 28, 2025.

Villalta, 26, has a 9-5-1 record in 15 AHL games this season with a 2.94 goals-against average (GAA), .903 save percentage (SV%) and one shutout.

Over his NHL career, Villalta has a 1-1-0 record with a 3.64 GAA and .867 SV% in three career games with the Utah Mammoth and Arizona Coyotes.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound goaltender notched his first NHL win last season in his debut start with Utah, a 7-3 victory at Nashville on April 14, 2025, making 28 saves.

Villalta is in his third season with the organization and ranks second all-time in Roadrunners history in wins (58) and shutouts (8) and third all-time in games played (109) and minutes (6,478).

In 2024-25, he led the team with 43 starts (second most in the AHL) and posted a career-high four shutouts (tied for sixth in the AHL).

He set Roadrunner records in wins (31), games played (51), minutes (3,048), and saves (1,328) in 2023-24.

The Kingston, Ontario, native has appeared in 217 career AHL games over seven seasons with the Roadrunners (2023-25) and Ontario Reign (2019-23), posting a 116-76-18 record with 10 shutouts, a 2.91 GAA and a .904 SV%.

He was originally selected in the third round (72nd overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Before turning pro, Villalta played four junior seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Soo Greyounds from 2016 to 2019. He went 98-20-7-2 with five shutouts, a 2.71 GAA and .908 SV% in 133 regular-season games, and 21-12-3 with a 3.38 GAA and .889 SV% in 37 playoff contests.

Wells, 27, has a 7-7-2 record in 16 ECHL games this season with one shutout, a 3.71 GAA and .889 SV%.

It's his first AHL call-up this season and first since being recalled by Tucson on Mar. 9, 2025, from the Allen Americans (ECHL).

Over his career, Wells has appeared in one NHL game with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2022-23 season, stopping 12 of 13 shots in 20 minutes of relief on Nov. 5, 2022, against the Winnipeg Jets.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound goaltender is in his third season with the organization after signing a one-year AHL contract with the Roadrunners on July 2.

In 2024-25, Wells played in 10 AHL games with Tucson, posting a 3-3-1 record, 2.89 GAA and .900 SV%. In 20 appearances with Allen, he went 7-9-3 with a 3.80 GAA and .896 SV%.

During the 2023-24 season, he recorded a career-best 10-5-3 record, 3.28 GAA, .898 SV% and one shutout in a career-high 18 games with the Roadrunners.

The St, Catharines, Ontario native has appeared in 70 career AHL games over seven seasons with the Roadrunners (2023-25), Texas Stars (2022-23), Rockford IceHogs (2022-23), Chicago Wolves (2021-22) and Bakersfield Condors (2018-20), posting a 29-26-7 record with two shutouts, a 3.16 GAA and .898 SV%.

He also made one Calder Cup Playoff start with Bakersfield in 2019, stopping 35 of 38 shots in a 4-1 loss to the San Diego Gulls.

In 121 career ECHL games with Utah (2025), Allen (2024-25), Idaho Steelheads (2022-23), Norfolk Admirals (2021-22) and Wichita Thunders (2017-20), Wells has compiled a 56-49-7 record with two shutouts and a 3.63 GAA.

Wells was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the fifth round (123rd overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.

Before turning pro, Wells played four junior seasons in the OHL with the Peterborough Petes from 2014 to 2018. He went 69-73-7-10 with a 3.65 GAA and .898 SV% in 162 regular-season games, and 8-3-1 with a 2.51 GAA and .930 SV% in 12 playoff contests.

Check out the Tucson Roadrunners Statistics

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