Friday Night Showdown Features Hogs and Wild
November 10, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rockford IceHogs News Release
ROCKFORD, Ill.- Friday night brings the second matchup of the season between the Rockford IceHogs and the Iowa Wild at the BMO Center. Tonight is Salute to Aerospace Night in conjunction with Collins Aerospace and 13 WREX.
2023-24 Season Records
Rockford: 5-3-0-0, 10 points (2nd Central Division)
Iowa: 4-5-1-0, 9 points (3rd Central Division)
Business as Usual
The IceHogs are led offensively by a cadre of proven producers at the AHL level. Joey Anderson leads the team with 12 points (5G, 7A) in eight games. The sixth-year pro has also spent time with Binghamton and Toronto in the AHL and has accrued 135 points (69G, 66A) in 173 AHL games. Brett Seney (4G, 5A) and David Gust (3G, 6A) are tied for second on the team in scoring. Seney played alongside Anderson in Binghamton and Toronto and has amassed 203 points (74G, 129A) in 258 games. Anders Bjork (2G, 4A) is tied with Cole Guttman (2G, 4A) for fourth in team scoring and has spent a majority of his pro career in the NHL. While in the AHL, Bjork has totaled 53 points (16G, 37A) in 79 contests.
Don't Mess with Commesso
One of the best rookie goaltenders in the AHL to start the season has been Rockford's Drew Commesso. The 21-year-old out of Boston University ranks seventh in the AHL with a 1.76 goals-against average through four starts, and his .936 save percentage also ranks seventh in the league. Amongst AHL rookies, both figures rank second. On Oct. 28 against Grand Rapids, Commesso became the youngest IceHogs goaltender ever to record a shutout when he stopped all 18 Griffins shots in a 3-0 win. The first-year-pro has stopped 44 of 45 shots over his last two starts.
Hog Talk - The Official IceHogs Podcast
Check out the latest stories and interviews on Hog Talk, the official podcast of the Rockford IceHogs. Watch on YouTube, or listen in on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Listen on Apple - Listen on Spotify - Watch on YouTube
Potent Power Play
Despite an 0-for-3 showing against Texas in Wednesday's loss, Rockford's power play continues to pace the AHL at 38.5%. The mark is nearly nine percentage points higher than the next closest team at 29.6% (Coachella Valley). The Hogs are tied for the most power-play goals with 10 and have played in fewer games than the three other teams that share that mark (Hershey-11, Syracuse-9, Springfield-12). Joey Anderson and Brett Seney are tied for fourth in the AHL with three power-play goals each, and the pair is also tied for second in the league with seven power-play points (3G, 4A for each). David Gust is tied for third in the AHL with five power-play assists. So far this season, 34.5% of Rockford's goals have come on the power play.
High Flyers
Similar to last season's club, the 2023-24 Rockford IceHogs have been off to a hot start offensively. The squad ranks sixth in the league with a 3.63 goals-for per game mark despite only producing one goal against Texas on Wednesday. Rockford's biggest outpourings have come in a 7-2 win over San Jose on Oct. 13 and the 6-2 win against Iowa on Oct. 27. Last season, the Hogs scored six or more goals in a game six times. Rockford has not lost a game this year in which they have scored three or more.
Killer Hogs
Rockford's penalty kill sits at a respectable 80.8% entering Wednesday's action, ranking 18th in the AHL. Through the first few weekends of the season, the Hogs have the for the third-fewest shorthanded chances in the league with 26. The group has only surrendered five power-play goals this season, and only one has come during a 5-on-4. The Hogs have given up two 4-on-3 goals, a 5-on-3 goal, and a 5-on-5 goal that came when Rockford had an empty net. The first 5-on-4 score against Rockford's PK came on Wednesday against Texas.
NASCAR Night & Refillable Tumbler Giveaway
Friday, Nov. 17 is NASCAR Night! Fans can test out a driving a simulator, score autographs from professional drivers, and more. The first 1,500 fans at the BMO Center will also receive a free refillable tumbler presented by Pepsi & Beef-A-Roo.
Tickets to Friday, Nov. 17
Tune In LIVE on the IceHogs Broadcast Network Presented by BMO
Watch and listen to every game this season on the IceHogs Broadcast Network presented by BMO! Listen from your favorite device, at home, or on the road at IceHogs.com and on the IceHogs app and watch LIVE on AHLTV and selected games in High Definition on 19.2 Circle TV! Fans can also tune in on all of Mid-West Family's local stations including 104.9 The X, B103, 95.3 The Bull, and Rockford Greatest Hits 100.5 and featured on Rock River Current, the Stateline's premiere source for local events, news and culture.
2023-24 Head-to-Head Schedule (All Times Central)
Fri., Oct. 27 vs Iowa...W 6-2 - Recap, Highlights
Fri., Nov. 10 vs Iowa, 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 18 at Iowa, 6 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 19 at Iowa, 3 p.m.
Tue., Dec. 5 at Iowa, 7 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 15 vs Iowa, 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 16 vs Iowa, 7 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 20 vs Iowa, 7 p.m.
Mon., Feb. 19 at Iowa, 5 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 21 at Iowa, 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 24 vs Iowa, 7 p.m.
Tue., Apr. 9 at Iowa, 7 p.m.
IceHogs vs Wild, All-time
49-36-11-5
American Hockey League Stories from November 10, 2023
- Senators Suffer Frustrating Loss To Cleveland - Belleville Senators
- Amadeus Lombardi Scores First Pro Goal in Loss to Marlies - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Seney and Hardman Score in Hogs' 4-2 Loss to Wild - Rockford IceHogs
- Amerks Survive Third-Period Push from Comets - Rochester Americans
- Ads Drop Back-And-Forth Affair - Milwaukee Admirals
- Wheatcroft's First Two Pro Goals Send Stars Past Admirals - Texas Stars
- Lucchini Nets Two, Novak Scores First AHL Goal in Iowa's 4-2 Win at Rockford - Iowa Wild
- Gauthier, Penguins Blank Crunch, 4-0 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Renouf's Four Points Help P-Bruins Top Thunderbirds - Providence Bruins
- Riley Nash Strikes Twice as Pack Blank Islanders 3-0 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Monsters Stay Strong For 4-2 Win Over Senators - Cleveland Monsters
- Wolf Pack Blank Islanders, 3-0 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Crunch Blanked by Penguins, 4-0 - Syracuse Crunch
- Bruins Best T-Birds in Back-And-Forth Battle - Springfield Thunderbirds
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- Dominik Shine to Move into Third on Griffins' All-Time Games Played List Tonight - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Game Day - CGY at SD - Calgary Wranglers
- Capitals Recall Aube-Kubel and Shepard, Gibson Re-Assigned to Bears - Hershey Bears
- Friday Night Showdown Features Hogs and Wild - Rockford IceHogs
- Game Preview: Iowa Wild at Rockford IceHogs - Iowa Wild
- Wolf Pack Visit Islanders in Round One of the 'Battle of Connecticut' - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Game #10: Tucson Roadrunners at Ontario Reign - Tucson Roadrunners
- Rangers Assign Mackey, Domingue, and Garand to Wolf Pack - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Bridgeport Islanders Host Wolf Pack at Total Mortgage Arena Tonight - Bridgeport Islanders
- Canucks Score Four Unanswered in 4-1 Win Over Bakersfield - Abbotsford Canucks
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