AHL Rockford IceHogs

IceHogs Visit Wild for Final Regular Season Meeting

April 9, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rockford IceHogs News Release


DES MOINES, Iowa - A four-game week for the Rockford IceHogs sets sail tonight at Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines, Iowa against the Iowa Wild. Rockford will also play three games this weekend as a part of a stretch that features six games in 10 days.

After a 3-1 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday, Rockford is up to 75 points on the season and is five points behind second place Grand Rapids in the Central Division table. The Hogs have won five of their last six, eight of their last 10, and 15 of their last 18. This stellar 18-game span for the Hogs reaches back to a two-game set with the Wild which ended in a 3-1 win on Feb. 21, kick-starting a seven-game win streak for Rockford.

Rockford: 34-24-5-2, 75 points (3rd, Central Division)

Iowa: 24-35-4-3, 55 points (7th, Central Division)

Last Game: 3-1 Win vs. Grand Rapids (Apr. 6)

The IceHogs won a tightly contested game 3-1 against the Grand Rapids Griffins last Saturday at the BMO Center. The win moved Rockford to with five points of Grand Rapids with one game left between the two sides.

Carter Mazur led off the scoring with a goal scored immediately after a faceoff in the Rockford zone in the first period.

Luke Philp answered back with his second goal of the season on a play in transition involving Michal Teply and David Gust. After Philp's tying tally, Mike Hardman bagged his 20th goal of the campaign during a 5-on-3 in the third frame.

Jaxson Stauber grabbed his 11th straight win with 19 saves on 20 Grand Rapids shots. The victory marked the second straight start for Stauber in which he allowed just one goal.

Last Game vs. Iowa: 6-3 Win (Feb. 24)

The last meeting between Rockford and Iowa brought a 6-3 win for the IceHogs on Feb. 24 at the BMO Center. Six different IceHogs found the back of the net, and Rockford tied a season high with four goals in the second period. 56 penalty minutes were handed out in the contest.

New High for Hardy

Mike Hardman scored his 20th goal of the season on Apr. 6 against Grand Rapids. His total this season surpasses the 19 goals he recorded as a rookie in the 2021-22 season with Rockford and is a new career best. The Boston College product has seen a resurgence this season after only tabbing five goals and 13 assists in 58 games past season. His 34 points this season (20G, 14A) is also a career high.

Kaiser Returns

The IceHogs received rookie defenseman Wyatt Kaiser back from the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Kaiser has 15 points (3G, 12A) in 32 games with the IceHogs this season and seven assists in 31 contests with the Blackhawks. The former Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog has seen time on Rockford's top power-play group, and seven of his assists with Rockford have come on the man-advantage. In his most recent stint with the Hogs, a 16-game sample size from Feb. 9 to Mar. 17, the blueliner found an offensive groove and recorded 12 points (2G, 10A) in those 16 games.

Postseason Dancing

With two points against Milwaukee in a 2-1 shootout win last Tuesday, Rockford clinched a berth in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs with nine games left in the regular season. Last season, Rockford's playoff fate was uncertain, and there were 27 outcomes that could've unfolded as the IceHogs battled for the postseason with the Iowa Wild and Chicago Wolves until the last game of the regular campaign. Eight of the 27 combinations resulted in Rockford missing the playoffs. 2024 marks the third straight season that the Hogs have reached the postseason, with Rockford losing the Division Semifinal Round each of the last two seasons.

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 The365! 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 4-2 - Recap, Highlights

Sat., Nov. 18 @ Iowa: W 4-3 - Recap, Highlights

Sun., Nov. 19 @ Iowa: W 3-1 - Recap, Highlights

Tue., Dec. 5 @ Iowa: L 6-1 - Recap, Highlights

Fri., Dec. 15 vs Iowa: L 2-1 - Recap, Highlights

Sat., Dec. 16 vs Iowa: W 6-2 - Recap, Highlights

Sat., Jan. 20 vs Iowa: W 4-1 - Recap, Highlights

Mon., Feb. 19 @ Iowa: L 3-1 - Recap, Highlights

Wed., Feb. 21 @ Iowa: W 3-1 - Recap, Highlights

Sat., Feb. 24 vs Iowa: W 6-3 - Recap, Highlights

Tue., Apr. 9 @ Iowa

IceHogs vs Iowa, All-Time

55-40-11-5

Check out the Rockford IceHogs Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from April 9, 2024


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