IceHogs Ring in the New Year with Tilt vs. Admirals
December 31, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rockford IceHogs News Release
ROCKFORD, Ill. - Tonight is the final game of the 2023 calendar year for the Rockford IceHogs as the club prepares to face the Milwaukee Admirals for the second straight night. This evening is the fifth of 12 meetings between the two Central Division foes, and each of the previous four matchups have gone to overtime.
Bring the whole family out to celebrate New Year's Eve on another Meijer Family Pack game with packages starting at just $40! Meijer Family Pack games are presented by media partners WTVO 17, FOX 39 and B103. The IceHogs have also teamed up with WIFR to offer 2 upper level tickets for $23 for NYE so take your pick of these two great NYE ticket offers.
It's also "1999 Night". Before we turn the calendars to 2024, we're turning them back to the year the IceHogs made their debut. That's right, we're gonna party like it's 1999!
2023-24 Season Records
Rockford: 11-13-3-1, 26 points (5th, Central)
Milwaukee: 17-9-1-0, 35 points (2nd, Central)
Last Night vs. Milwaukee
Down 4-1 heading into the third period, Rockford battled back to force overtime and earn a point in a 5-4 shootout loss to Milwaukee. Michal Teply scored the game's first goal midway through the first, but Jasper Weatherby answered for the Admirals just 20 seconds later to tie the game. Milwaukee then scored three goals in the last four minutes of the second period to take a commanding lead. In Rockford's comeback, Nolan Allan scored his first professional goal and Antti Saarela and Logan Nijhoff each recorded their third scores of the season. Troy Grosenick stopped 40 of 44 Rockford shots while Jaxson Stauber stopped 33 of 37.
Allan's First Pro Goal
As part of a three-goal comeback in the third period last night, IceHogs rookie defenseman Nolan Allan scored his first professional goal with Rockford. Allan also has four assists on the season and joins the pro ranks after four full campaigns in the WHL. Last season, Allan posted 11 goals in 57 WHL contests split between the Prince Albert Raiders and the Seattle Thunderbirds. The blueliner was drafted 32nd overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
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 (MarcelMarcel 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.
Howarth Called Up, Dach in Concussion Protocol
The IceHogs announced today that the team has recalled forward Kale Howarth from the Indy Fuel of the ECHL. In addition, forward Colton Dach has been placed in concussion protocol. Howarth, 26, had been in concussion protocol himself until he was cleared and returned on loan to the Fuel on Dec. 17. Since then, Howarth has racked up four points (3G, 1A) in five games with Indy, including three power-play goals. The 6-foot-5, 201-pound forward skated in one game with Rockford this season before injury.
Power Play Reignites
After a perfect 2-for-2 outing on Wednesday against Grand Rapids and a 1-for-3 effort last night against Milwaukee, the IceHogs now have power-play goals in three straight games and two power-play goals in two of their last three contests. Heading into last Friday's game against San Diego, the Hogs ranked 22nd in the AHL on the power play at 16.7%. After the last two games, Rockford has climbed to 12th in the league rankings and now sit at 19.5%. The Hogs now have five games this season in which they have scored multiple power-play goals.
Cates Earns Contract
After originally signing the center to a PTO on Dec. 11, the IceHogs signed Jackson Cates to an AHL contract on Dec. 29. The agreement runs through the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Cates has five points (3G, 2A) in seven games for Rockford since joining the club, and he posted three points (1G, 2A) against the Iowa Wild on Dec. 16. More than simple point production, the pivot is also a faceoff specialist and has easily the best faceoff percentage of any IceHogs skater this season at 65%. The next closest Rockford player is Mike Hardman at 55%. The team average is 50%. Skating in virtually every situation on the ice, Cates already has a power-play goal, an even strength goal, and a shorthanded empty-netter under his belt. The former University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog had 23 points (11G, 12A) in 65 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season.
Close Calls
Five of Rockford's last seven 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 18 games since have found themselves in 9 contests decided by one score. This season, Rockford is 4-2-3-1 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 last night.
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
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 The365 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.
2023-24 Head-to-Head Schedule (All Times Central)
Fri., Nov. 17 vs. Milwaukee - OTL 4-5 - Recap, Highlights
Fri., Nov. 24 vs. Milwaukee - OTW 2-1 - Recap, Highlights
Sat., Nov. 25 at Milwaukee - OTL 2-3 - Recap, Highlights
Sat., Dec. 30 at Milwaukee - SOL 4-5 - Recap, Highlights
Sun., Dec. 31 vs. Milwaukee, 4 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 26 at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 1 at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 29 at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Tues., Apr. 2 vs. Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Sat., Apr. 13 vs. Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Sun., Apr. 14 vs. Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Sat., Apr. 20 at Milwaukee, 6 p.m.
IceHogs vs Admirals, All Time
74-71-11-13
American Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2023
- Reign Blanked by Saville, Henderson - Ontario Reign
- Checkers End 2023 with 5-2 Win in Lehigh Valley - Charlotte Checkers
- Checkers Snag Phantoms in 2023 Finale - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Brad Lambert Tallies Two Points Moose Loss - Manitoba Moose
- Monsters Come Up Short In 5-1 Loss To Griffins - Cleveland Monsters
- Gust Rings in New Year with Game Winning Goal - Rockford IceHogs
- Stars Score Twice Late to Stun Moose for Series Sweep - Texas Stars
- Ads Fall to Hogs to End 2023 - Milwaukee Admirals
- Reign Sign Forward Nathan Burke to PTO - Ontario Reign
- Morning Skate Report: December 31, 2023 - Henderson Silver Knights
- Askarov Reassigned to Milwaukee - Milwaukee Admirals
- Providence Bruins Reassign Ethan Ritchie to Maine Mariners - Providence Bruins
- Admirals' Zach L'Heureux Suspended for Two Games - AHL
- Rangers Assign Adam Edström to Wolf Pack - Hartford Wolf Pack
- IceHogs Ring in the New Year with Tilt vs. Admirals - Rockford IceHogs
- IceHogs Recall Howarth, Dach in Concussion Protocol - Rockford IceHogs
- Gulls Downed by Roadrunners, 3-2 - San Diego Gulls
- Trent Cull Named 2024 All-Star Coach - Calgary Wranglers
- Silver Knights Fall, 7-1, to Reign in First Half of Back-To-Back - Henderson Silver Knights
- Reign Down Silver Knights, 7-1 - Ontario Reign
- Season-High Crowd Sees Season-High 5th-Straight Roadrunners' Win - Tucson Roadrunners
- Barracuda Clawed by Condors, 4-2 - San Jose Barracuda
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