IceHogs and Wild Clash in Game 1 of First Round
April 19, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rockford IceHogs News Release
Rockford, Ill. - The Rockford IceHogs match up with the Iowa Wild tonight at the BMO Center at 7 p.m. for Game 1 of the First Round of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs.
2022-23 Season Records
Rockford: 35-28-5-4, 79 points (5th, Central Division)
Iowa: 34-27-6-5, 79 points (4th, Central Division)
*Tiebreaker: Regulation Wins (28-20 Iowa)
Players to Watch
Forwards Luke Philp (29G, 24A) and David Gust (26G, 33A) have some of the most postseason experience on Rockford's roster. Last season, Philp recorded five points (1G, 4A) in 10 Calder Cup Playoff games with the Stockton Heat while helping his team reach the Western Conference Finals. Gust racked up 12 points (5G, 7A) in 18 playoff games last season en route to a Calder Cup Championship with the Chicago Wolves. Combined, Philp and Gust have seven goals and seven assists against the Wild this season.
Forward Nic Petan paces the Wild with 62 points (23G, 39A) this season, and rookie forward Sammy Walker ranks fourth on the team with 48 points (27G, 21A) and leads the team in goals.
Last Game Highlights
The IceHogs clinched their berth into the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs with a 4-1 win against the Milwaukee Admirals on Sunday night. Forwards Bobby Lynch, Luke Philp, and Brett Seney all scored in the first period, and forward Rocco Grimaldi punched in an empty-netter in the third period. Arvid Soderblom was nearly perfect in his 15th win of the season, stopping 27 of 28 Milwaukee shots.
Best of Three
The IceHogs finished the season 35-28-5-4 and tied the Wild's 79 points. Now, Rockford and Iowa will face off in a best-of-three series in the First Round of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. The winner of the series will take on the Central Division Champion Texas Stars in the Central Division Semifinals.
Philp On Fire
Finishing the 2022-23 season, forward Luke Philp netted his 29th goal of the season and put the final stamp on his personal record-breaking campaign. The center also marked 24 assists for 53 points, beating his previous record of 44 points (21G, 23A) set last season with the Stockton Heat. In the last two months of the regular season, Philp racked up 17 points (12G, 5A) in the 18-game span.
Back At It Again
Forward David Gust is heading to the Calder Cup Playoffs for the second straight season. Last season, Gust was a 2022 Calder Cup Champion with the Chicago Wolves and finished the regular season with 36 points (16G, 20A) and totaled 12 points (5G, 7A) in the postseason. The Orland Park native set a new career high this season with the IceHogs, racking up 59 points (26G, 33A) in the 2022-23 regular season.
Previously vs. Iowa
The IceHogs finished this season 5-2-3-2 against the Wild and will face off against their Central Division foe for the first time in the postseason tonight. While Iowa won six of the first seven games this season, Rockford claimed four of the last five head-to-head meetings to close out the regular season. Most meetings between the two teams were close, low-scoring affairs, and only three of the 12 encounters featured more than five total goals.
Iron Arvid
IceHogs goaltender Arvid Soderblom started the last seven games of the season for Rockford and picked up five wins during the stretch. The Swede has not lost to Iowa in regulation yet this season and sports a 4-0-1-0 record, 1.93 goals-against average, and .936 save percentage against the Wild.
There's a First Time for Everything
David Gust captured the Calder Cup last year with Chicago, and Luke Philp and Andy Welinski both reached the Western Conference Finals with the Stockton Heat last season as well. Several other IceHogs have appeared in postseason action at various stops in their careers, but this season's IceHogs club has played relatively few postseason games. Only eight skaters on Rockford's roster have appeared in more than five postseason games in North America. If in the lineup tonight, Brett Seney, Alex Vlasic, Cameron Hillis, Jakub Galvas, Zach Jordan, Andrew Perrott, Louis Crevier, Kale Howarth, and Joey Anderson will be making their Calder Cup Playoff debuts. Welinski leads all active IceHogs with 47 Calder Cup Playoff appearances. Garrett Mitchell leads the team with 57 but is out indefinitely after shoulder surgery.
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 on 23.3 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.
2022-23 Playoffs Head-to-Head Schedule (all times Central):
GAME 1: Wednesday, Apr. 19 at BMO Center, 7 p.m.
GAME 2: Friday, Apr. 21 at Wells Fargo Arena, 7 p.m.
GAME 3*: Sunday, Apr. 23 at Wells Fargo Arena, 3 p.m.
(*if necessary)
2022-23 Head-to-Head Schedule (all times Central):
Sun., Nov. 6 vs. Iowa, 4-5 SOL Recap & Highlights
Fri., Dec. 9 vs. Iowa, 2-3 SOL Recap & Highlights
Sat., Dec. 10 vs. Iowa, 2-3 OTL Recap & Highlights
Tues., Dec. 13 at Iowa, 7-4 W Recap & Highlights
Sat., Jan. 7 at Iowa, 1-2 OTL Recap & Highlights
Sun., Jan. 8 at Iowa, 1-4 L Recap & Highlights
Tue., Jan. 24 at Iowa, 1-2 OTL Recap & Highlights
Fri., Feb. 3 vs. Iowa, 3-2 SOW Recap & Highlights
Sat., Feb. 4 vs. Iowa, 3-2 OTW Recap & Highlights
Sun., Feb. 19 at Iowa, 5-3 W Recap & Highlights
Fri., Feb. 24 at Iowa, 3-1 W Recap & Highlights
Sat., Feb. 25 vs. Iowa, 0-2 L Recap & Highlights
IceHogs vs. Wild, All-Time
48-36-11-5
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