Hogs Start 2024 with Road Test vs. Division-Leading Stars
January 5, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rockford IceHogs News Release
CEDAR PARK, Texas. - The Rockford IceHogs pay the Texas Stars a visit for the first time this season tonight at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Rockford and Texas previously met on Nov. 8 at the BMO Center, and the Stars pulled away in the third period with a 5-1 win. Texas leads the Central Division with 39 points, and the IceHogs have picked up points in three of their last four games.
The IceHogs closed out December with some good hockey and have picked up points in three of their last four games and four of their last six. Rockford finished December 3-8-1-1 with its best hockey of the month coming in the last two weeks. Last weekend, the Hogs took three out of a possible four points against the second-place Milwaukee Admirals.
Texas enters as the top dogs in the Central Division with a two-game lead on Milwaukee in second. The Stars lead the AHL with a 4.00 goals-for-per-game mark- nearly a full half goal more than the next closest club in second. Texas also boasts the two leading scorers in the AHL with Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Borque. The pair is tied with each other for the league lead with 38 points each in 29 games.
2023-24 Season Records
Rockford: 12-13-3-1, 28 points (4th, Central)
Texas: 18-8-2-1, 39 points (1st, Central)
Last Game: 4-3 Win vs. Milwaukee
2023 closed with a win for Rockford as the IceHogs claimed a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals on New Year's Eve at the BMO Center. The teams alternated goals through all three periods, starting with Brett Seney's five-on-three score in the first frame. The two sides combined for four goals (two each) in the middle chapter with Rockford maintaining the lead with goals from Ethan Del Mastro and Ryder Rolston. Denis Gurianov scored late in the third for Milwaukee to tie the game, but David Gust answered back the game-winner 18 seconds later. Gustavs Davis Grigals made his AHL debut in net for Milwaukee, and Mitchell Weeks made his season debut in net for Rockford.
Watch & Listen Live!
Download the IceHogs App!
Offense from the (opposite) Goal Line?
The IceHogs' crease features three rookie goaltenders in Drew Commesso, Jaxson Stauber, and Mitchell Weeks. In one of the odd statistical quirks of the season so far, all three goaltenders have recorded an assist this season. After Weeks picked up an assist on Gust's game-winner on Dec. 31 against Milwaukee, the IceHogs became the only team in the AHL to have three goaltenders who have recorded a point. This season's Rockford club is also the first-ever IceHogs AHL team to have three goaltenders who have recorded a point. The current trio is tied for the second-most productive goaltending group with the 2019-20 squad that featured Collin Delia and Matt Tomkins.
Howarth, Maksimovich Called Up
On Dec. 31, the IceHogs recalled Kale Howarth from the Indy Fuel of the ECHL. In five games with Indy, Howarth posted four points (3G, 1A) including three power-play goals. The forward was removed from concussion protocol on Dec. 17 and was subsequently loaned to Indy. Howarth was placed in concussion protocol after he took a hit in Rockford's first game of the season on Oct. 13 in San Jose. On Jan. 1, Kyle Maksimovich was recalled from loan to Indy. Maksimovich, 25, is tied for the Fuel lead in goals with 10 at the time of his call-up, and his 19 points ranked second on the team. The winger is in his first full professional season out of the University of Prince Edward Island.
World Junior Championship
The IIHF World Junior Championship is currently taking place in Sweden, and several of Rockford's players are watching their old national teams intently. Eight current IceHogs played for their countries at the U20 World Junior Championship at some point, including two for the Czech Republic (Marcel Marcel in 2023, Teply in 2020 and 2021), one for Finland (Saarela in 2020), three for Canada (Allan in 2023, Colton Dach in 2023, Ethan Del Mastro in 2022 and 2023), and two played for the United States (Anders Bjork in 2016, Wyatt Kaiser in 2022). Allan, Dach, and Del Mastro all captured a gold medal with Team Canada in last year's U20 tournament, and Del Mastro also won gold in 2022. Bjork won a bronze medal with Team USA's U20 team in 2016 and also won a gold medal with the U18 squad in 2014. Marcel's U20 Czechia group won silver in the 2023 tournament.
Power Play Buzzing
After a 2-for-7 effort on New Year's Eve against Milwaukee, the IceHogs now have power-play goals in four straight games and two power-play goals in three of their last four contests. Heading into the game on Dec. 22 against San Diego, the Hogs ranked 22nd in the AHL on the power play at 16.7%. After the last four games, Rockford has climbed to 11th in the league rankings and now sit at 20.0%. The Hogs now have six games this season in which they have scored multiple power-play goals.
Close Calls
Six of Rockford's last eight games and four of Rockford's last five losses have all been by just one goal. The Hogs played in just one one-goal game in the first 10 games of the season, and in the 19 games since have found themselves in 10 contests decided by one score. This season, Rockford is 5-2-3-1 in one-goal games. The Hogs are 2-3 in overtime games and 1-1 in shootout finals after the 5-4 shootout loss to Milwaukee on Dec. 30.
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 (Changing from 19.2 to The 365 starting on Dec. 31)! 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.
2023-23 Head-To-Head Schedule (All Times Central)
Wed., Nov. 8 vs Texas - L 5-1 - Recap, Highlights
Fri., Jan. 5 at Texas, 7 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 6 at Texas, 7 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 9 vs Texas, 7 p.m.
Tue., Feb. 13 vs Texas, 7 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 23 vs Texas, 7 p.m.
Tue., Mar. 12 at Texas, 7 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 13 at Texas, 7 p.m.
IceHogs vs Stars, All-Time
37-25-4-4
American Hockey League Stories from January 5, 2024
- Admirals Fly Past Eagles in OT - Milwaukee Admirals
- Griffins Hold Sole Possession of Third Place in Central Division with 4-1 Win Over Iowa - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Wranglers Top Silver Knights, 5-1, in First Game of Series - Henderson Silver Knights
- Amerks Take Down Monsters to Ring in New Year - Rochester Americans
- Wolves Beat Roadrunners in Tucson Controlled Contest - Tucson Roadrunners
- Rockford Falls 4-1 to First Place Texas - Rockford IceHogs
- Iowa Opens 2024 with 4-1 Loss to Grand Rapids - Iowa Wild
- Stars Skate Past IceHogs in Series Opener - Texas Stars
- Wolves Handle Roadrunners 4-1 - Chicago Wolves
- Askarov's 30-Save Shutout Leads Milwaukee to 1-0 OT Win Over Eagles - Colorado Eagles
- Penguins Hold off Thunderbirds for 2-1 Win - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Monsters Fall 3-1 Against Americans - Cleveland Monsters
- T-Birds Puzzled by Penguins, Fall 2-1 - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Comets Earn Point in 4-3 Shootout Loss to Rocket - Utica Comets
- Game Notes - HSK vs CGY - Calgary Wranglers
- Flames Recall Yan Kuznetsov - Calgary Wranglers
- Wranglers Recall Murphy, Add Rassell on PTO - Calgary Wranglers
- Bojangles Game Preview: January 6 at Bridgeport - Charlotte Checkers
- Haiskanen Returns to Reign on PTO - Ontario Reign
- Morning Skate Report: January 5, 2024 - Henderson Silver Knights
- Panthers Recall Mackie Samoskevich from Charlotte - Charlotte Checkers
- Blue Jackets Assign Defenseman Jake Christiansen to Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Checkers Announce Fan Fest Leading into Queen City Outdoor Classic - Charlotte Checkers
- Early Bird Offer for 2024-25 Amerks Full Season Ticket Memberships Now Available - Rochester Americans
- Condors Games in San Diego Postponed - Bakersfield Condors
- Condors-Gulls AHL Games Tonight, Saturday Postponed - AHL
- AHL Postpones this Weekend's Bakersfield at San Diego Games - San Diego Gulls
- Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Defensemen Jack Thompson, Emil Lilleberg, Reassign Defensemen Sean Day, Declan Carlile to Syracuse Crunch - Syracuse Crunch
- Game Preview: Iowa Wild vs. Grand Rapids Griffins - Iowa Wild
- Syracuse Crunch Sign Defenseman Ryan Orgel to PTO, Loan Forward Daniel Walker to Orlando Solar Bears - Syracuse Crunch
- Hogs Start 2024 with Road Test vs. Division-Leading Stars - Rockford IceHogs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
