Hogs Return to BMO Center for Friday Night Clash with Wild
December 15, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rockford IceHogs News Release
ROCKFORD, Ill. - Three games in three days lay ahead for the Rockford IceHogs, starting tonight against the Iowa Wild at the BMO Center in downtown Rockford. The Hogs will play the Wild tonight and tomorrow before visiting the Chicago Wolves in Rosemont on Sunday.
The Hogs are looking to snap a six-game losing skid and have made several roster moves in the last several days. Including the new additions are forwards Jackson Cates and Boris Katchouk along with defenseman Austin Strand and goaltender Mitchell Weeks.
2023-24 Season Records
Rockford: 9-19-2-0, 20 points (4th, Central)
Iowa: 10-11-1-1, 22 points (3rd, Central)
Last Game vs. San Diego
Rockford dropped a 5-1 decision to the San Diego Gulls in the Hogs' last game on Saturday at the BMO Center. The IceHogs hung tough against a hot Gulls squad and worked a scoreless first period before San Diego jumped ahead in the second frame with three red lights. Logan Nijhoff scored Rockford's only goal of the game.
Cates Added on PTO
On Monday, the IceHogs added forward Jackson Cates on a Professional Tryout agreement. Cates has posted one goal in 12 games with the Bridgeport Islanders this season after signing a PRO with the NHL's New York Islanders. Last season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Cates racked up 23 points (11G, 12A) in 65 contests. The center has 20 games worth of NHL experience under his belt, all with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2020 to 2022. Cates won an NCAA national championship with the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2018-19.
Hogs Trade for Strand
Also on Monday, Rockford traded forward Zach Jordan to the Chicago Wolves in exchange for defenseman Austin Strand. Strand posted four points (1G, 3A) in 10 games with the Wolves this season. The blueliner spent time with two AHL teams last season and had eight points (2G, 6A) in 46 games with the San Diego Gulls and one assist in nine games with the Rochester Americans. Strand has skated in 26 NHL games between the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.
Katchouk Arrives from NHL
Boris Katchouk cleared waivers and was assigned to Rockford from the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. This is Katchouk's first time in the AHL since the 2021-22 season when he played three games with the Syracuse Crunch. This season, the forward has four points (2G, 2A) in 17 games for the Blackhawks. Katchouk was originally selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his pro career with either the Lightning or the Crunch before reaching the Blackhawks with Taylor Raddysh in the trade that sent Brandon Hagel to Tampa Bay.
Hogs to Honor J.F. Rivard on Saturday
On Saturday, the IceHogs will induct former goaltender J.F. Rivard into the newly created IceHogs Hall of Fame. Rivard was the most prominent and successful IceHogs goaltender during the team's UHL era. The netminder played for Rockford in the first four years of the team's existence and recorded the first IceHogs win and shutout by a goaltender. Rivard was named Team MVP twice in the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons, and holds the club's all-time franchise (AHL or UHL) records in games played (166), minutes (9,557), saves (5,109), and shootout wins (20). His 69 career IceHogs victories make him the second all-time winningest goaltender in franchise history, and he currently holds the franchise record for the most saves in a game (60).
Power Play Struggles
Rockford's power play leapt out of the gate to start the season and posted a 37.9% conversion rate through the first nine games of the season (11-for-29). In the last 12 contests, the IceHogs are operating at an 7.3% clip (4-for-55) and were 0-for-9 on the man-advantage last weekend against San Diego. In the last seven games since Joey Anderson (nine power-play points) was called up to the Blackhawks, Rockford is just 1-for-27 on the power play. Thanks to the Hogs' outstanding start, Rockford still ranks 18th in the league with a season percentage of 17.9%.
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 - L 2-4 - Recap, Highlights
Sat., Nov. 18 at Iowa - SOW 4-3 - Recap, Highlights
Sun., Nov. 19 at Iowa - W 3-1 - Recap, Highlights
Tue., Dec. 5 at Iowa - L 1-6 - Recap, Highlights
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
51-38-11-5
American Hockey League Stories from December 15, 2023
- Sens Stymied By Monsters To Finish Season Series - Belleville Senators
- Wild Take Game One from IceHogs - Rockford IceHogs
- Canucks Fall 5-0 in Tucson - Abbotsford Canucks
- Kulich Sends Amerks Past Wolf Pack in Overtime - Rochester Americans
- Griffins Erase Two-Goal Deficit In 4-2 Victory Over Stars - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Rocket Rally to Stun Phantoms - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Monsters Battle To 2-1 Victory Over Senators - Cleveland Monsters
- Wallstedt Shuts Down IceHogs, Bankier Scores First Goal in 2-1 Win - Iowa Wild
- O'Reilly, Admirals Turn Back Moose - Milwaukee Admirals
- Wolf Pack Suffer 3-2 Overtime Loss Following Late Surge from Americans - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Penguins Topple Comets, 4-1 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Checkers Blank Islanders - Bridgeport Islanders
- Spencer Knight Shutout Leads Checkers To Win Over Bridgeport - Charlotte Checkers
- Griffins Snap Stars' Three-Game Winning Streak - Texas Stars
- P-Bruins Fall to Marlies - Providence Bruins
- Comets Defeated by Penguins, 4-1 - Utica Comets
- Panthers Assign Uvis Balinskis to Checkers - Charlotte Checkers
- TSandstrom Returns, Brown and Millman to Reading - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- LA Kings Recall Goaltender David Rittich - Ontario Reign
- Rangers Recall Adam Edström from Wolf Pack - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Canucks' Sheldon Dries Suspended for One Game - AHL
- Colorado Eagles Recall Defenseman Josh Wesley - Colorado Eagles
- Belleville Sens and Quinte Mall Expand Partnership for 2023-24 - Belleville Senators
- Jonatan Berggren Returns to Grand Rapids - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Roadrunners Announce Watch Party on December 20 at Cold Beers and Cheeseburgers - Tucson Roadrunners
- Reign Recall Defender Max Martin - Ontario Reign
- Tip-A-Roadrunner January 22 at Dave & Buster's - Tucson Roadrunners
- Team USA Package Available Now for IIHF Women's World Championship - Utica Comets
- Game #23: Tucson Roadrunners vs. Abbotsford - Tucson Roadrunners
- Game Preview: Iowa Wild at Rockford IceHogs - Iowa Wild
- Wolf Pack Welcome Americans to Town to Open Three-Game Homestand - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Kuzmin Returns, Manitoba Recalls Barteaux - Manitoba Moose
- Detroit Reassigns Zach Aston-Reese to Griffins - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Hogs Return to BMO Center for Friday Night Clash with Wild - Rockford IceHogs
- Penguins Reassign Justin Addamo to Wheeling - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Providence Bruins Recall Ethan Ritchie from Maine Mariners - Providence Bruins
- Weekend Preview: Islanders Visit Checkers - Bridgeport Islanders
- Senators downed by Monsters - Belleville Senators
- Monsters Snag 5-1 Victory Over Senators - Cleveland Monsters
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