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HOGS GO DOWN FIGHTING, FINISH SEASON WITH 42 WINS

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:59:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

04/22/2013 1:00 PM

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo by Darren Abate

Rockford caps regular season with pair of victories in Texas

Week 28 Results:
Friday, April 19: Rockford 9 at San Antonio 4
Saturday, April 20: Rockford 5 at Texas 3

Week 28 Recap:
A 42-win season on the Rockford IceHogs’ season resume wasn’t enough to qualify the Chicago Blackhawks affiliate for the Calder Cup Playoffs, despite a pair of dramatic road victories during the final week of the regular season. In two games during Week 28, Rockford tallied 14 goals and overcame a two-goal third period deficit over the Western Conference champion Texas Stars to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Hogs traveled to San Antonio on Friday and defeated the Rampage 9-4 and then followed it up the proceeding night for the season finale in Cedar Park, Tex. as they rallied for five consecutive goals to cap a 5-3 victory over the Stars. Despite the sweep in Texas, the Hogs needed the Milwaukee Admirals to drop just one of their four Week 28 tilts, however, the Admirals rattled off four consecutive victories to snag the eighth and final Western Conference playoff position. Rockford finished the season 42-31-2-1 for 87 points, just two shy of playoff hockey.

Bacon Bits:
- Despite winning 42 games, the same amount or more than five of the eight Western Conference playoff qualifiers, Rockford missed out on the Calder Cup Playoffs for the third straight season

- The IceHogs are the first team in the 77 year history of the American Hockey League to not qualify for the postseason with 42 wins

- Grand Rapids failed to make the postseason in 2004-05 despite winning 41 contests

- Rockford won eight of their final nine games and dating back to Feb. 5, the team finished their final 31 tilts with a record of 22-8-1-0, a .726 winning percentage

- Over that same time period, Milwaukee finished their final 33 games 22-10-1-0 (.681)

- Center Brandon Pirri became the first IceHogs skater to claim the overall league scoring title as he finished 2012-13 with 75 points (22g-53a), four more than Hershey’s Jeff Taffe

- Over his last four games, Pirri totaled 2g-10a-12pts with a +7

- After missing seven games due to injury, winger Ben Smith returned for Rockford’s final four games and notched 8g-3a-11pts with a +9

- Smith scored the game-winning goal in three of Rockford’s final four games and set a new IceHogs single season record with eight game-winning goals

- The IceHogs had three players finish in the top-15 in scoring, including Brandon Pirri (75pts), Martin St. Pierre (59pts) and Jeremy Morin (58pts)

- Morin became the third IceHogs player in the team’s AHL era to reach the 30 goal plateau

- Defenseman Adam Clendening finished third in scoring among all AHL defensemen with 46 points, including an AHL best 37 assists

- Goalie Kent Simpson earned his first career AHL win on Saturday, coming in relief of Henrik Karlsson and stopping all 32 shots faced

- It was Simpson’s third career appearance for Rockford as he also started the season finale in 2011-12 against Charlotte in a 4-3 shootout loss

- Rockford led the AHL in penalty minutes with 1,716, 22 more PIMs than Bridgeport and an average of 22.58 PIMs per game

- Rockford set a franchise record and finished third in the AHL with a 20.6% power play

- The team’s penalty kill finished tied for 12th in the AHL with an 83.6% kill, but third on the road at 86.8%

- The IceHogs finished with a team record 11 shorthanded goals, tied for fourth most in the AHL

- The IceHogs were the highest scoring third period team in the AHL as they notched 90 third period goals, five more than Charlotte, the next closest team

- Rockford set a single game team AHL record with nine goals on Friday in San Antonio

- Rockford earned their 11th third-period come-from behind victory of the season on Saturday in Texas, four more than the next closest team

- Rockford finished the season 11-24-2-0 when behind after two periods and 13-14-1-0 when trailing after the first frame, also an AHL high for wins

- Rockford had the second most goals in the AHL in 2012-13, scoring 246 times, an average of 3.24 per game, just one goal behind league leading Syracuse

- Over Rockford’s last eight games, the team averaged 4.63 goals per contest, scoring 37 times and that includes getting shutout in Peoria on April 10

- Rockford led the AHL in shots on goal, firing an average of 33.68 shots per game

- Over their last 17 road games, Rockford finished 13-3-1-0 (.794)

Hot Hog: Week 28
Ben Smith Right Wing
Winger Ben Smith continued his domination since returning from injury on April 10. Smith totaled 4g-1a-5pts with a plus/minus rating of +5 in Week 28. Smith began the Hogs two-game week by notching two goals and an assist in a 9-4 romp in San Antonio over the Rampage. Smith then helped lead the charge in Rockford’s 11th third period come-from-behind victory of the season on Saturday in Texas when he scored his team-leading eighth game winning-goal and added an insurance marker for his third multi-point game in four outings. In 54 games this season, Smith finished with 27g-20-47pts and tied for a team high plus/minus rating of +17.

The IceHogs Broadcasting Network:
Catch every IceHogs game, home and road, in 2013-14 on 23.2 Antenna TV. The games can also be viewed on Comcast cable channel-436, Charter cable channel-970 or Mediacom-101 in the Rockford market and online through AHLlive.com. Every game will be streamed through IceHogs.com as well and inside the BMO Harris Bank Center on 104.3 FM. For a complete listing of TV stations carrying IceHogs games, visit IceHogs.com. Every broadcast will start with the U.S. Cellular Pregame before Mike Peck calls the action.

Season Tickets On Sale For 2013-2014!
Five months is a long time to wait for the next season of Rockford IceHogs hockey, but fans can start preparing for October right now. Season ticket packages for the 2013-14 season are now on sale. To find a ticket package that suits your hockey needs, call (815) 847-6399.

Illinois Lottery Cup Standings

Teams    Record    Points
Rockford    13-10-0-1    27
Peoria       11-9-2-0      24
Chicago   10-11-1-0   21

Rockford vs. Chicago   6-5-0-1
Rockford vs. Peoria      7-5-0-0

PIRRI CLAIMS SCORING TITLE

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:58:00 +0000

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04/21/2013 7:29 PM

By: Jason Chaimovitch

Photo by Jim Orlando

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Brandon Pirri of the Rockford IceHogs has won the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the leading scorer in the American Hockey League for the 2012-13 campaign.

Pirri played all 76 games for Rockford this season and set career highs with 53 assists (tying for the AHL lead) and 75 points, including 19 points in his last nine games as the IceHogs were bidding to reach the Calder Cup Playoffs. Pirri also had a plus-11 rating for the season and scored six game-winning goals for Rockford.

A 22-year-old Toronto native, Pirri has totaled 57 goals and 117 assists for 174 points in 212 games over his three AHL seasons. The second-round draft pick by the Chicago Blackhawks (2009) also has two assists in six career NHL contests.

The AHL’s leading-scorer trophy was originally named after Wally Kilrea, who held the AHL’s single-season scoring record when the award was instituted in 1947-48. That year, Carl Liscombe broke Kilrea’s record, and the award was renamed in his honor. In 1955, the AHL Board of Governors voted to name the trophy after John B. Sollenberger, a long-time contributor to the league as manager and president of the Hershey Bears and former Chairman of the AHL Board of Governors. Previous winners of the John B. Sollenberger Trophy include Fred Glover (1957, ’60), Willie Marshall (1958), Bill Sweeney (1961, ’62, ’63), Don Blackburn (1972), Paul Gardner (1985, ’86), Bruce Boudreau (1988), Peter White (1995, ’97, ’98), Derek Armstrong (2001), Jason Spezza (2005), Darren Haydar (2007), Alexandre Giroux (2009), Keith Aucoin (2010), Corey Locke (2011) and Chris Bourque (2012).

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Sixteen clubs will continue to vie for the league’s coveted championship trophy when the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs get underway on Friday.

TEXAS STUNNER, HOGS BATTLE BACK FOR A 5-3 WIN

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:49:00 +0000

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By: Mike Peck

04/20/2013 10:00 AM -Four third period goals keeps Hogs hopes alive

Rockford, Ill.- Down 3-1 entering the third period against the Western Conference Champion Texas Stars and with a possible playoff berth on the line, the Rockford IceHogs pulled off a stunning 5-3 victory at Cedar Park Center to help Kent Simpson earn his first AHL win.

The win, Rockford's 42nd on the season, marked their AHL best 11th third period come-from-behind victory on the campaign and kept them tied with the Milwaukee Admirals for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

In order to get into the Calder Cup Playoffs, Rockford needs the Peoria Rivermen to knock off Milwaukee in Peoria on Sunday afternoon at 5:05 p.m.

Down 3-1 entering the third period, Rockford tied the contest with two goals in 43-seconds. Martin St. Pierre picked up a Christopher Nilstorp rebound in the slot and tucked his 26th goal of the season under the crossbar and in at 7:50.

The game was then tied at 8:33 of the final frame on a nice passing sequence. Standing back door. Brandon Svendsen picked up a cross-ice pass from Adam Clendening and beat Nilstorp in the open net for his sixth tally.

Ben Smith continued his goal scoring binge as he bagged the eventual game winner at 11:28. Brandon Pirri found Smith on the circle and the winger found the back of the net to give Rockford their first lead of the game. Smith added insurance off of another Pirri feed at 17:35 for his 27th goal to push the Hogs advantage to 5-3.

Pirri leads the AHL with 75 points, four more than Hershey's Jeff Taffe, who concludes his season on Sunday.
The game also marked the fourth time in four head-to-head meetings between Rockford and Texas that the road team battled back from a three-goal deficit to claim the win.

For the second time in nine days, Rockford eclipsed 50 shots as they fired 54 of them on Christopher Nilstorp. The two teams combined for an IceHogs single-game record 101 shots on goal and Simpson stopped all 32 of the ones he faced in relief of Henrik Karlsson.

Texas struck first on Saturday on a goal scored from just inside the center ice line. Radek Faksa won a neutral zone faceoff back to Kevin Connauton and the d-man's dump in deflected off of Karlsson's stick and in at 10:57 for his ninth goal of the season.

Two quick strike goals early in the second period chased Karlsson from the game. Just 22-seconds into the middle frame, Scott Glennie followed a Justin Dowling rebound and beat Karlsson for his fifth goal on the season. Then at 1:04, Luke Gazdic beat Karlsson five hole for his fourth tally on the campaign, making it 3-0.

Rockford got on the board at 8:41 of the second period to make it a 3-1 game. Defenseman Adam Clendening picked off a Stars clear-out attempt and beat a screened Christopher Nilstorp over the shoulder for his for his ninth goal of the year.

Playoff Tickets On Sale: IceHogs Fans can take advantage of buy-one get-one free playoff tickets. The deal is good through Thursday and if the IceHogs qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs, they would host Game 1 (Friday, April 26) and Game 2 (Saturday, April 27) of the quarterfinal round at the BMO Harris Bank Center. For tickets, visit IceHogs.com, call (815) 494-8968 or at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office and any Ticketmaster outlet.

ICEHOGS SET ALL-TIME AVERAGE ATTENDANCE RECORD

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:55:00 +0000

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04/15/2013 4:00 PM

By: Mike Peck

Photo by Dan Anelli

AHL team averaged 4,560 fans for the 2012-13 season

Rockford, Ill.- The 38-regular season home schedule is complete for the Rockford IceHogs and the 2012-13 attendance was the most successful in team history.

Following the club’s fifth sellout and largest crowd of the season on Friday, where the team drew 6,228 fans, the IceHogs finished the season with a franchise record 4,560 average at the BMO Harris Bank Center in 2012-13.

Overall, the IceHogs brought in 173,292 fans to downtown Rockford, up 7.4% from the team’s total in 2011-12 (161,286). The club’s overall attendance total was just 1,126 shy of the team’s all-time attendance mark (174,418) set in 2010-11 when the IceHogs played two more home games. In addition to the increase in attendance, merchandise sales increased more than 30 percent this season, a strong indicator of fan affinity.

“From celebrating our two-millionth fan to setting a new all-time attendance record, we’ve had a really fantastic season,” said RAVE Board Chairman Mike Dunn. “This year we’ve really been able to reach and attract new fans from throughout the region and show them high-quality and affordable entertainment here in Rockford.”

The IceHogs averaged 4,816 fans in 19 games following the National Hockey League’s lockout after Jan. 19 compared to 4,304 fans per contest during the lockout.

This season, the IceHogs increased the team’s regional awareness by reallocating marketing efforts to focus on the I-90 corridor and draw attendees from the northwest suburbs, DeKalb and the southwest tier of Wisconsin.

“The IceHogs have grown into more than just Rockford’s team. With our regional approach, families and fans from outside of Rockford have found that you can have a fun and affordable night out with the IceHogs,” said RAVE Executive Director/General Manager Gordon Kaye. “As we continue to build our regional presence, I expect our attendance to continue its strong growth for seasons to come.”

In 14 seasons of professional hockey in Rockford, the IceHogs have drawn over two million fans to the BMO Harris Bank Center. Since joining the AHL prior to the 2007-08 campaign, the IceHogs have averaged 4,142 fans per game in six seasons, compared to 3,700 in eight campaigns in the now defunct United Hockey League. That’s an average attendance increase of 11.9%.

Over the past three seasons, the IceHogs have averaged 4,388 fans per game, drawing 508,996 during that time span.

HOGS CAP WEEK 27 WITH MUCH-NEEDED VICTORIES

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:53:00 +0000

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04/15/2013 11:20 AM

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo By Greg Hamil

Rockford holds final playoff spot entering final week of regular season
Week 27 Results:
Wednesday, April 10: Rockford 0 at Peoria 4
Friday, April 12: Chicago 3 vs. Rockford 7
Saturday, April 13: Rockford 3 at Milwaukee 1

Week 28 Schedule:
Friday, April 19 at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 20 at Texas, 7 p.m.

Week 27 Recap:
Three games were slated during Week 27 for the Rockford IceHogs and to gain ground in the Western Conference playoff race, each was a must-win tilt. Despite stumbling in Peoria on Wednesday, the Hogs came roaring back for the regular season home finale on Friday by blowing out fellow Western Conference playoff hopefull, the Chicago Wolves. Rockford followed up the high-octane contest by defeating another Western Conference playoff contender in the Milwaukee Admirals at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. With half of the Western Conference playoff teams booked for post-season play, the Hogs will look for help from their foes in the final week of the season, as they enter Week 28 just two points ahead of Milwaukee and Chicago. The Admirals and Wolves each have four games scheduled this week (two head-to-head), while the Hogs have just two games, both on the road at San Antonio and Texas to close out the regular season.

Bacon Bits:
- Center Brandon Pirri has 14 points (2g-12a) over the past two weeks, spanning seven games

- Pirri notched an IceHogs franchise record five assists and six overall points in Friday’s 7-3 win over Chicago

- Entering the 28th and final week of the regular season, Pirri is tied with former IceHogs center and linemateJeff Taffe of the Hershey Bears, with 70 for the league lead in points

- By notching 70 points this season, Pirri becomes just the second IceHogs skater in the team’s AHL era to reach the 70 point plateau, joining Martin St. Pierre (07-08; 88 pts)

- Ben Smith returned to the IceHogs lineup on Friday after missing seven games due to injury and notched his first career hat trick and added an assist

- Smith scored the game winning goal in both games over the weekend to grab the team lead with seven game winners and had 4g-2a-6pts in the two games

- Smith (23) joined Jeremy Morin (29), Martin St. Pierre (25), Jimmy Hayes (23) and Brandon Pirri (21) as 20 goal scorers for the IceHogs this season

- In his 12 games with the IceHogs this season, Rostislav Olesz has 7g-9a-16pts

- Carter Hutton has won three straight starts while compiling a 1.66 goals against average and a .937 save percentage

- After starting the season 1-6-0-1 against the Midwest Division, Rockford went 22-13-1-0 (.625) over the last 36 games against the Division to finish with a 23-19-1-1 record

- Rockford claimed the 2nd Annual Illinois Lottery Cup with their 7-3 win over Chicago Friday

- Rockford had a season-high 10 power play chances on Saturday against Milwaukee

- The IceHogs reached the 40-win mark for the first time since 2009-10.

- Since the IceHogs joined the AHL in 2007-08, only two teams have failed to qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs after winning 40 games during the regular season (San Antonio-40, 2010-11; Bridgeport-40, 2007-08)

- The IceHogs set an all-time average attendance record, averaging 4,560 fans per game this season

- The team hosted their fifth sellout of the season during Friday’s home regular season finale at the BMO Harris Bank Center

Hot Hog: Week 27
Brandon Pirri Center
Center Brandon Pirri set IceHogs’ franchise records for assists and points in a game and surged to the 70-point mark during Week 27. The Toronto native now shows 14 points over the past two weeks, including 2g-12a-14pts over the seven game stretch. After getting shutout on Wednesday in Peoria, Rockford, led by Pirri, exploded for seven goals on Friday. Pirri put up a goal and five assists in the 7-3 win over Chicago to set the club record in both categories. Then on Saturday, Pirri marked an assist on the IceHogs game-winning goal in a 3-1 win in Milwaukee over the Admirals.

Upcoming Games:
Friday, April 19 at San Antonio: Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. as the Hogs head to Texas to close out the campaign with their last stop in San Antonio against the Rampage at the AT&T Center. The Hogs are 2-1-0-0 in the first three tilts this year against the Florida Panthers’ affiliate.

Saturday, April 20 at Texas: Puck drops at 7 p.m. as the IceHogs close out the regular season with a tilt against the Texas Stars in Cedar Park, Tex. The previous time Rockford and Texas squared off was on Feb. 5 when Rockford overcame a three-goal deficit and claimed a 5-4 victory via shootout. Overall, the Hogs are 1-2-0-0 against the Dallas Stars affiliate this season and 6-3-1-0 all-time at the Cedar Park Center.

Bud Light Hog Talk Returns Tonight:
Bud Light Hog Talk returns tonight to District Bar and Grill from 6-7 p.m. District is located at 205 West State St., one block north of the BMO Harris Bank Center. Fans can join Mike Peck from 6-7 p.m. most Mondays as they chat with IceHogs players, coaches and front office members. This week’s guests include forwardsBrandon Pirri and Kyle Beach, and head coach Ted Dent. Take advantage of food and Bud Light specials at District. The show will be re-aired on Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. on 23.2 Antenna TV.

The IceHogs Broadcasting Network:
Catch every IceHogs game, home and road, in 2012-13 on 23.2 Antenna TV. The games can also be viewed on Comcast cable channel-436, Charter cable channel-970 or Mediacom-101 in the Rockford market and online through AHLlive.com. Every game will be streamed through IceHogs.com as well and inside the BMO Harris Bank Center on 104.3 FM. For a complete listing of TV stations carrying IceHogs games, visit IceHogs.com. Every broadcast will start with the U.S. Cellular Pregame before Mike Peck calls the action.

Illinois Lottery Cup Standings

lllinois Lottery Cup Series Standings
Teams      Record      Points
Rockford   13-10-0-1 27
Peoria        11-9-2-0    24
Chicago    10-11-1-0      21

Rockford vs. Chicago 6-5-0-1
Rockford vs. Peoria    7-5-0-0

ICEHOGS PLAYOFF TICKETS GO ON SALE MONDAY

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:47:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

04/13/2013 11:34 PM

By: Nate Haeni

Photo by Dan Anelli

Fans can get buy-one get-one free tickets

Rockford, Ill. – With two games left on the 2012-13 regular season slate for the Rockford IceHogs, the club is fighting for their first postseason berth since the 2009-10 campaign.

A special pre-sale for 2012-13 Calder Cup playoff tickets will be available for the general public on Monday, April 15 at 10 a.m. until Wednesday, April 17 at 11:59 p.m. where fans can receive a buy one ticket, get one free offer for the first two playoff games.

Tickets can be purchased at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office, through any Ticketmaster outlet, online at IceHogs.com or by phone by calling (815) 968-5222. Following the pre-sale, tickets will return to their regular price.

With two big wins over the Chicago Wolves and Milwaukee Admirals over the weekend, the IceHogs (40-31-2-1 -- 83 points) are currently tied for seventh place in the Western Conference with Oklahoma City. However, the Barons have three games in hand on the Hogs, while Milwaukee (81 points) and Chicago (81 points) have two games in hand but are currently outside of the playoff picture.

The IceHogs conclude their regular season schedule in Texas on Saturday, April 20 and should the Hogs make the postseason, the American Hockey League’s playoff schedule will be released on IceHogs.com when it becomes available.

Thank You Fans!: Thanks to you, the Rockford IceHogs set a new franchise record for average attendance in 2012-13. Season tickets for the 2013-14 are currently on sale by calling (815) 847-6399.

STANTON, KARLSSON LEAD ROCKFORD TO VICTORY

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:48:00 +0000

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04/02/2013 7:05 PM

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo by Greg Hamil

IceHogs defeat the Admirals 2-1 at the BMO

Rockford, Ill. - First and second period goals for the Rockford IceHogs proved to be enough, as the Hogs defense and stingy goaltending held on the rest of the way to defeat the Milwaukee Admirals 2-1 at the BMO Harris Bank Center Tuesday evening.

A scoreless affair through most of the period, IceHogs forward Kyle Beach put Rockford on the board with less than two minutes remaining. Byron Froese passed to Beach in the slot, who wristed a shot low through traffic and past Milwaukee goaltender Magnus Hellberg for his 15th goal of the season.

It marked Froese’s second consecutive game with an assist and defenseman Ryan Stanton also picked-up the secondary assist on the play for his 20th helper on the campaign.

In the second period, after Rockford was called for too many men on the ice, the Ads tied the game. Milwaukee’s Brad Winchester passed cross-ice to Juuso Puustinen who found Michael Latta on the doorstep to complete the tic-tac-toe passing, evening the score at 1-1.

The tie wouldn’t last long as Brandon Pirri found Stanton streaking in the Milwaukee zone. The defenseman took advantage of a stick-less Milwaukee blueliner in Scott Ford and sniped his second goal of the season past Hellberg to give Rockford the 2-1 lead.

Back-and-forth throughout the third period, Rockford managed to keep the Admirals at bay and more importantly off of the scoring sheet as IceHogs goaltender Henrik Karlsson made 14 saves during the period and finished the night with 31 overall.

Rockford fired 23 shots on Hellberg. Rockford was unsuccessful on three man-advantages, while killing off four out of five Milwaukee power play opportunities.

Next Home Game: Sunday, April 7 vs. Peoria Rivermen at 5:05 p.m. It’s the Hogs 14th annual jersey auction as the IceHogs will don special “Abrahammy Lincoln” jerseys that will be auctioned off following the game. The first 2,500 fans to the game will receive a commerative Abrahammy Lincoln coin, compliments of Lou Bachrodt.

BLACKHAWKS RECALL MORIN FROM ROCKFORD

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 21:39:00 +0000

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03/30/2013 10:22 AM

By: Chicago Blackhawks

Photo by Greg Hamil

Rockford, Ill. - The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled forward Jeremy Morin from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.

Morin, 21, ranks third on the IceHogs with a career-high 49 points (27G, 22A) in 59 games this season. He is tied for fifth in the AHL in goals and shares 17th overall in points. Morin has registered 15 multiple-point games this season, including a season-high three points (2G, 1A) on March 9 at Oklahoma City.

The Auburn, N.Y., native has appeared in 12 career NHL games with the Blackhawks, posting three points (2G, 1A) in those contests. Morin made his NHL debut on Nov. 6, 2010 at Atlanta, recorded his first point (1A) on Nov. 30 vs. St. Louis and scored his first goal on Dec. 8 vs. Dallas. The 6-1, 192-pound forward has recorded 101 points (53G, 48A) in 150 career AHL games with Rockford.

Morin was originally selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the second round, 45th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and was acquired by Chicago from Atlanta on June 23, 2010. He will wear number 26 for the Blackhawks.
Next Home Game: Saturday, March 30 vs. Oklahoma City Barons at 7:05 p.m. The Hogs and Barons close out their regular season series at the BMO Harris Bank Center. Thus far, the Hogs hold a 2-1-0-0 record against the Edmonton Oilers affiliate. The first 1,500 fans to the contest will receive an IceHogs gym bag, courtesy of Peak Fitness.

HOGS COME UP SHORT IN LOSS TO ADS

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 21:32:00 +0000

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03/29/2013 7:05 PM

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo by Kris Gray

Rockford, Ill. – With both the Rockford IceHogs and Milwaukee Admirals fighting for playoff contention, three consecutive goals to open the contest from the Admirals proved to be too much as the Hogs fell 3-2 Friday night at the BMO Harris Bank Center.

Milwaukee’s first goal came just before the end of the first frame. In the dying moments of the period, the Admirals moved the puck up ice in transition. Michael Latta delivered a pass to a trailing Ryan Ellis, who one-timed his shot from the high slot into the back of the net to give the Admirals a 1-0 lead.

Just 11 seconds into the second period, Milwaukee struck again when Mark Van Guilder sent a pass to Kevin Henderson at the faceoff circle, who fired the puck past IceHogs netminder Carter Hutton, increasing the Admirals advantage to 2-0.

The Ads third goal came 12:31 into the middle frame courtesy of Latta. On Milwaukee’s third power-play opportunity of the contest, Hutton turned away a flurry of shots, however Latta picked-up Brad Winchester’s shot attempt and potted the goal for his third point of the contest.

Rockford ceased Milwaukee’s scoring frenzy when Adam Clendening picked up a rebound and sent a quick pass to Brandon Svendsen, who one-timed a shot past an out-of-position Jeremy Smith, cutting into the Ads lead, 3-1.

The Hogs pulled to within one goal when Terry Broadhurst forced a turnover in the Admirals zone and hit a wide open Martin St. Pierre in front of the net, who deked out Smith to bury his 22nd goal of the season.

A late flurry which saw the IceHogs send 18 shots in on the Milwaukee net in the final frame was not enough to draw an equalizer. Hutton stopped 41 saves in the losing effort, while Smith turned away 35 of 37 Rockford shots. Milwaukee capitalized on one of five power-play chances, while the Hogs failed on all four man-advantages.

Next Home Game: Saturday, March 30 vs. Oklahoma City Barons at 7:05 p.m. The Hogs and Barons close out their regular season series at the BMO Harris Bank Center. Thus far, the Hogs hold a 2-1-0-0 record against the Edmonton Oilers affiliate. The first 1,500 fans to the contest will receive an IceHogs gym bag, courtesy of Peak Fitness.

MORIN, HOGS MASH MARLIES 4-1

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:18:00 +0000

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03/27/2013 7:05 PM

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo by Greg Hamil

Rockford, Ill. – To keep pace in the tight Western Conference playoff race, the Rockford IceHogs need to keep winning, and Wednesday night at the BMO Harris Bank Center the Hogs did just that by defeating the North Division leading Toronto Marlies in 4-1 fashion.

Jeremy Morin led the way for Rockford as he potted his 26th and 27th goals of the season, both coming on the special teams.

With the score 1-0 in the second period and on the Hogs third power play chance, Brandon Pirri set-up Morin on the doorstep, who one-timed the puck past Toronto goaltender Drew MacIntyre and evened the score at one apiece.

Ten minutes later it was Morin again, this time shorthanded. The winger picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated in on a breakaway, where he hesitated at the faceoff circle before sniping his 27th goal of the season over MacIntyre’s right shoulder, giving Rockford the 2-1 edge.

In the third, Steve Montador gave Rockford some insurance. Pirri found the veteran defenseman on the top of the faceoff circle, who blasted in his second goal of the season, upping the Hogs lead to 3-1.

Toronto pulled MacIntyre with two minutes left in the contest in a desperation attempt to claw back into the contest. But Rockford kept the Marlies at bay and with 21.3 seconds remaining, Brad Mills potted the empty-netter to solidify the Hogs victory, 4-1.

The Marlies opened the scoring in the first period when IceHogs goaltender Carter Hutton blocked Toronto forward Tim Connolly’s shot from the point, however Spencer Abbott was on the doorstep to clean up the rebound and flicked in his 10th goal of the season. Greg Scott also assisted on the play to give the Marlies the 1-0 advantage.

Morin’s shorthanded goal was his team-leading third on the campaign and also set an IceHogs AHL-era record 10th shorthanded goal on the campaign.

Rockford entered the contest with a league-best 22.1% power play and connected on one of their five opportunities, while the penalty kill unit dismissed Toronto’s two man-advantages.

Hutton made 19 saves in the winning effort, while MacIntyre finished with 26 saves.

Next Home Game: Friday, March 29 vs. Milwaukee Admirals at 7:05 p.m. The Midwest Division showdown between the IceHogs and Admirals is the ninth meeting between the two teams on the campaign, with each squad holding a 4-3-1-0 record in the season series.

TWISTS AND TURNS GIVE BROOKBANK MEMORABLE CAREER

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:16:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

03/27/2013 9:23 AM

By: Mike Peck

BROOKBANK

During a recent road trip to Oklahoma City, Rockford IceHogs veteran winger Wade Brookbank was reminiscing about his career. Oklahoma City was an appropriate spot to be doing so for the 15th year pro.

For one, Brookbank never thought his hockey playing career would last very long, let alone 15 years. Secondly, Oklahoma City was home to his second stop on his professional hockey journey and at the time of the conversation, the IceHogs and Barons featured four players, including Brookbank, who were teammates on the 2001 Orlando Solar Bears (IHL) Turner Cup Championship team.

"Most of those old teammates are coaches now," laughed Brookbank. "Darcy Hordichuck and Bret Clark are still playing here in OKC. Other than that, I really don't run into many other of those guys on the ice.

"A couple might be in the NHL still, but most have moved on. It is funny how many old teammates used to talk about how their old teammates are coaching here and there and hearing them talking about how they used to play with them back in the day and that's what's happening with me now."

Clark has since found his way back into the NHL with the Minnesota Wild and to Brookbank's point, the fourth player from that Solar Bears squad is IceHogs' assistant coach Ben Simon.

Unexpected Journey

Ice time isn't as frequent as it used to be for the Lanigan, Saskatchewan native, but he has a new-found enjoyment of the game.

"As you get older, you don't take this job for granted as much as you would have in the past," said Brookbank. "I definitely have enjoyed hanging around the rink and dressing room more. At the end of the day now, I have a lovely family to go home to now. It's completely different and it's all about family away from the rink and it has made me help appreciate everything around the rink even more."

The 6-4 forward broke into pro hockey at the tail end of the 1997-98 season with the West Coast Hockey League's (WCHL) Anchorage Aces. Brookbank wasn't really sure what the WCHL was or how long he'd play hockey for a pay check.

At first thought, it was a chance to be a pro hockey player for a couple of years before enrolling at the University of Saskatchewan. After spending the 1998-99 season in Anchorage, Brookbank signed on in the Central Hockey League with the Oklahoma City Blazers.

In his second year with the Blazers in 2000-01, Brookbank got his first taste of AAA hockey in Orlando. The winger earned a rare double championship in his third full pro campaign as the Blazers claimed the CHL's President's Cup and a week later Brookbank, was with Orlando when they cinched the IHL's Turner Cup.

"That's when I first started getting serious about playing pro hockey," said Brookbank. "Then the third offseason I got offered an NHL deal with Ottawa and the minute I got offered an NHL contract is when I realized this could turn into something. Before that, I was just using this as a winter job and then go back in the summer time and work a summer job. But once you start getting phone calls from NHL teams that's when things get serious in a hurry."

Unexpected Turns

In a sport where careers are frequently ended early because of injury or because the business side gets the best of a player, longevity isn't something that should be taken lightly in professional hockey.

You don't have to be around for 15 seasons like Brookbank to see some wacky things or experience odd situations. One look at Brookbank's player bio, the 2003-04 season sticks out as one that wasn't normal.

Young players are usually oblivious to the business side of the game and Brookbank was no different. It appeared that Brookbank was going to get his first opportunity to play in the NHL with Ottawa in 2003-04 until something happened to him that he didn't even know could happen.

"I didn't even know about waivers until I was leaving the rink at Ottawa training camp and one of the older guys came up to me and said that there was a pretty good chance that I was going to be getting picked up on waivers," explained Brookbank. "I said to explain the waivers because I didn't know what it was.

"He explained it and I went home, had lunch and sure enough I got a call an hour later from the GM in Ottawa telling me that I got picked up by Nashville. I had a flight at 5 p.m. and I had to pack up quickly and get to Nashville for an exhibition game that next day."

It didn't take long for that dose of reality to sink in before Brookbank was on the move again. When 2003-04 was all said and done, Brookbank had played in 43 games between five teams. That's a lot of handshakes and introduction between new teammates.

"Every time the phone rang and I didn't recognize the number, it was like I was walking on egg shells," joked Brookbank. "To this day I don't like to answer numbers that I don't know who it is. I have a phobia or something."

With all the twists and turns during a 15 year career, there are plenty of highlights. Brookbank made his NHL debut during that crazy 2003-04 season with Nashville and scored his first NHL goal Jan. 31, 2004 with Vancouver.

During his NHL career, Brookbank played in 127 games, notched 6g-3a-9pts with 345 PIMs, including 43 fighting majors with Nashville, Vancouver, Boston and Carolina.

Off Into The Sunset?

Brookbank knows that the his playing career is winding down, but still has plans to play as long as possible. He does realize that the time will come when it's time to hang up the skates, but no decision has been made for beyond 2012-13.

The tough winger has never been placed in a skill role during his 15-year playing career, but his role has changed over the past few seasons.

Said Brookbank, "I'm in the position that if there is a prospect that is ready to play ahead of me, they are going to play, it's as simple as that. I'm not anybody's prospect anymore.
"I'm kind of here to help these young guys along anyway I can on and off the ice, wait my turn when it's my time to play. Show these guys that just because I'm not playing, I can still contribute somehow. I try to bring a positive influence to the team any way possible."

Brookbank knows his role and job on the IceHogs, but it doesn't make it any easier for him as he still wants to be on the ice playing. Not playing is the hardest part for any hockey player.

Being around the game has been a good antidote for the veteran though. He knows that once his playing career is over, there is no replacing the camaraderie that comes with being on a team and in the locker room.

"That's definitely going to be the hardest part," said Brookbank. "You're never going to be able to hang out in a real locker room like that and be one of the guys. I might be able to go back and hang out with somebody that I know or be in the dressing room, but I will never be one of the guys like right now when we are all together."

As for life after his playing career, it has crossed Brookbank's mind and he's actually been there briefly. He didn't officially retire following the 2010-11 campaign, but didn't begin the season on the ice either. Brookbank got a taste of scouting in the first half of 2011-12 for Vancouver before signing on in Rockford in January 2012.

After 15 seasons in pro hockey as a player, Brookbank wants to remain in the game, hoping he can continue from the coaching side.

"I just want to be around the game as long as possible and try to get set up with something in hockey when my hockey career is done," said Brookbank." Being around a hockey team, around coaches, you get to know so many people and get to see so many different ways to coach teams and systems and I just want to soak it all in so that at the end of my career I can be of some use to somebody.

"Here I am, 35 and getting ready to call it quits...or maybe not, you never know!"

NORTH OF THE BORDER: HOGS TAKE THREE OF FOUR

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:04:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo By Clint Trahan

03/25/2013 12:00 PM -Rockford snatches three points in Abbotsford over weekend

Week 24 Recap:
Friday, March 22: Rockford 5 at Abbotsford 2
Saturday, March 23: Rockford 3 at Abbotsford 4 OT

Week 25 Schedule:
Wednesday, March 27 vs. Toronto, 7:05 p.m.
Friday, March 29 vs. Milwaukee, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 30 vs. Oklahoma City, 7:05 p.m.

Week 24 Recap:
In the thick of the densely populated Western Conference playoff race, the Rockford IceHogs traveled to Abbotsford, B.C. for a weekend series with the Abbotsford Heat. With four valuable points on the line, the Hogs managed to capture three of the four points in order to maintain pace in the Western Conference. As the Hogs enter Week 25, they’ll host a trio of teams also fighting for a playoff spot in the Toronto Marlies, Milwaukee Admirals and Oklahoma City Barons.

Bacon Bits:
- Rockford is 8-2-0-1 on the road over their past 11 games dating back to Feb. 20

- The IceHogs lost just their second overtime game of the season on Saturday, falling 4-3 in Abbotsford

- All four of Rockford's overtime decisions (2-2) have come on the road this season

- The IceHogs power play went 3-8 over the weekend in Abbotsford against the fifth ranked penalty kill in the AHL and the unit continues to pace the league with a 22.1% conversion rate

- Rockford's power play is 5-15 (33.3%) over their past three games, breaking out of a 2-20 slump over their prior six contests

- After Saturday's game, Brandon Pirri (19g-34a-53pts), Martin St. Pierre (21g-29a-50pts) and Jeremy Morin (25g-22a-47pts) were all in the top 20 in the AHL in scoring

- Morin has 8g-4a-12pts in eight March games and 15g-15a-30pts in 27 games since Jan. 9

- On Saturday Pirri became the fifth different IceHogs skater to play in his 200th career game with Rockford during the team's AHL era

- In the 16 games since Feb. 13, Pirri has 6g-13a-19pts and Rockford is 11-4-1-0 (.719) over that time period

- Rostislav Olesz returned to game action on Friday for the first time since April 1, 2012 and registered 2g-1a-3pts over the two game weekend in Abbotsford

- Olesz tied Saturday's game with a power play goal with 10 seconds remaining in regulation, the second time Rockford has tied a game in the final 10 seconds over the past eight games

- Henrik Karlsson had his personal four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday in Rockford's 4-3 overtime loss

- Brad Mills was awarded Rockford's fifth penalty shot attempt on Friday and became the first IceHogs skater to convert this season

- Mills' penalty shot goal was shorthanded, setting a new IceHogs single-season record as the team now has nine shorthanded goals

- Seven different IceHogs skaters have tallied a shorthanded goal this season with Jimmy Hayes andJeremy Morin leading the way with two shorties apiece

- Ben Smith has points in three-straight games, totaling 1g-4a-5pts during his hot stretch

- Steve Montador wired home the game-winning goal for Rockford on Friday, his first AHL goal since the 2002-03 season when he was with the Saint John Flames

Hot Hog: Week 24
Rostislav Olesz Left Wing
Returning to action for the first time in nearly a year due to an injury, Rostislav Olesz stepped right in and helped the IceHogs take three of four points from the Abbotsford Heat in Week 24. In his first game back since April 1, 2012, Olesz chipped in a goal and assist in the Hogs’ 5-2 win over the Heat on Friday. The following night, with the IceHogs trailing late in the game, Olesz netted his second goal of the season with 10 seconds left to force overtime. Olesz finished the weekend with two goals and an assist in two contests.

Upcoming Games:
Wednesday, March 27 vs. Toronto Marlies: Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. as the Hogs welcome the Toronto Marlies to the BMO Harris Bank Center for the annual meeting in Rockford between the two Western Conference squads. It marks the second and final meeting between the Marlies and Hogs this season, as the Toronto Maple Leafs affiliate captured a 5-2 victory in the first matchup in Toronto in January. It’s also is a WXRX Dollar Day at the BMO, where beers, hot dogs, soft drinks and companion tickets are just a dollar each.

Friday, March 29 vs. Milwaukee Admirals: Puck drops at 7:05 p.m. for a Midwest Division showdown between the IceHogs and Admirals. It marks the ninth meeting between the divisional rivals on the campaign, with each squad holding a 4-3-1-0 record in the season series.

Saturday, March 30 vs. Oklahoma City Barons: Beginning at 7:05 p.m. the IceHogs and Barons duel for the final time this season as the Hogs hold a 2-1-0-0 edge over the Edmonton Oilers affiliate thus far. The first 1,500 fans to the BMO Harris Bank Center will receive an IceHogs gym bag, courtesy of Peak Fitness.

Bud Light Hog Talk Returns Tonight:
Bud Light Hog Talk returns tonight to District Bar and Grill from 6-7 p.m. District is located at 205 West State St., one block north of the BMO Harris Bank Center. Fans can join Mike Peck and Slavko Bekovic from 6-7 p.m. most Mondays as they chat with IceHogs players, coaches and front office members. This week’s guests include forwards Byron Froese and Joakim Nordstrom and assistant coach Ben Simon. Take advantage of food and Bud Light specials at District. The show will be re-aired on Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. on 23.2 Antenna TV.

The IceHogs Broadcasting Network:
Catch every IceHogs game, home and road, in 2012-13 on 23.2 Antenna TV. The games can also be viewed on Comcast cable channel-436, Charter cable channel-970 or Mediacom-101 in the Rockford market and online through AHLlive.com. Every game will be streamed through IceHogs.com as well and inside the BMO Harris Bank Center on 104.3 FM. For a complete listing of TV stations carrying IceHogs games, visit IceHogs.com. Every broadcast will start with the U.S. Cellular Pregame before Mike Peck calls the action.

Tickets On Sale for 2012-2013!
IceHogs individual game tickets are on sale! Call (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any IceHogs regular season game during the 2012-13 season. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office in downtown Rockford, any Ticketmaster outlet or on the web at www.IceHogs.com. Tickets start at just $7.

Illinois Lottery Cup Standings

Teams      Record    Points
Peoria      10-7-2-0   22
Chicago   10-9-1-0    21
Rockford 10-9-0-1    21

Rockford vs. Chicago   5-5-0-1
Rockford vs. Peoria      5-4-0-0
Upcoming Illinois Lottery Cup Games:
April 6: Rockford at Peoria, 7:05 p.m.
April 7: Peoria vs. Rockford, 5:05 p.m.
April 10: Rockford at Peoria, 7:05 p.m.

OLESZ'S LATE GOAL HELPS HOGS EARN A POINT IN ABBOTSFORD

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:44:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

03/23/2013 11:42 AM

By: Mike Peck

Rockford snags three of four points in Abbotsford
Abbotsford, BC-Third period comebacks aren't anything new for the Rockford IceHogs. On Saturday, a late third period goal by Rostislav Olesz forced overtime in a 4-3 OT loss to the Abbotsford Heat.

Trailing 3-2, Abbotsford took a holding penalty with 1:05 to play, putting Rockford on a power play. Ben Smith found Olesz in front of the Abbotsford net and the winger fired his second goal of the season under the cross bar and over Danny Taylor with 10-seconds left in regulation.

Rockford's AHL best power play unit finished 2-4 for the game while the Hogs took just one penalty, a season low.

In overtime, Abbotsford snagged the extra point. Sven Baertschi sprung Roman Horak on a breakaway and the winger beat Henrik Karlsson between the legs at 2:17 of the extra frame to give the Heat the win.

With Rockford pressuring in the Abbotsford zone in the second period, it was the Heat who struck first in transition. Karlsson turned away a Ben Street shot, but Ben Walter followed and knocked in the rebound for his 13th goal of the season at 11:49.

A giveaway in the Rockford zone late in the second period put the Heat up 2-0. Klas Dahlbeck's clear out attempt was picked off by Tyler Rugsegger in the slot and he fired his eighth goal of the year over the glove of Karlsson.

Rockford got on the board with a power-play goal 4:27 into the third period. Brandon Pirri picked up a loose puck in a scrum in front of Taylor and flipped his 19th goal of the season over the goalie to make it 2-1.

The Hogs then tied with another battle in front on Taylor. This time it was Smith cleaning up the loose change, sliding his 19th goal of the campaign past Taylor. Baertschi put the Heat back on top when he slapped home a perfect centering pass from Max Reinhart at 15:35 of the third.

Rockford outshot the Heat 42-26 in the contest and took three out of a possible four points in the two-game weekend set in British Columbia.

Next Home Game: Wednesday, March 27 vs. Toronto Marlies. Game time is 7:05 p.m. Dollar Days return when the Marlies make their lone visit to the Forest City in 2012-13. Fans can take advantage of $1 beers, hot dogs, soft drinks and companion tickets.

THREE HOGS SUSPENDED

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:11:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RocfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

By: Jason Chaimovitch

03/19/2013 12:51 PM -SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The American Hockey League today announced that Rockford IceHogs forwards Jeremy Morin and Wade Brookbank and defenseman Shawn Lalonde have been suspended for one (1) game each and Chicago Wolves defenseman Adam Polasek has been suspended for three (3) games as a result of their actions during an incident in a game between the teams at Chicago on Mar. 17.

In addition, both teams have been fined an undisclosed amount.

Morin, Brookbank and Lalonde will miss Rockford’s game Friday (Mar. 22) at Abbotsford.

Polasek will miss Chicago’s games Friday (Mar. 22) vs. Toronto, Saturday (Mar. 23) at Peoria and Sunday (Mar. 24) vs. Milwaukee.
Next Home Game: Wednesday, March 27 vs. Toronto Marlies. Game time is 7:05 p.m. Dollar Days return when the Marlies make their lone visit to the Forest City in 2012-13. Fans can take advantage of $1 beers, hot dogs, soft drinks and companion tickets.

HOGS TRIUMPHANT TWICE DURING WEEK 23

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:13:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

03/18/2013 11:30 AM

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo By Greg Hamil

Rockford downs Chicago twice, drops tilt to Peoria

Week 23 Results
Friday, March 15: Chicago 3 vs. Rockford 4
Saturday, March 16: Rockford 0 vs. Peoria 4
Sunday, March 17: Rockford 2 at Chicago 1

Week 24 Schedule
Friday, March 22 at Abbotsford, 9 p.m.
Saturday, March 23 at Abbotsford 9 p.m.

Week 23 Recap:
Facing a second consecutive weekend with three games in three days, the Rockford IceHogs battled a pair of Midwest Divisional opponents in Week 23, earning four out of a possible six points. The Hogs knocked off the Chicago Wolves in a couple of one-goal contests, while suffering a shutout loss to Peoria. Entering Week 24, the IceHogs (66 points) sit in a three-way tie for ninth place in the Western Conference playoff race, just a single point back Abbotsford and Chicago, who hold the final playoff spots.

Bacon Bits:
-Jeremy Morin has 6g-2a-8pts over his past five games with two game winning goals

-In 17 games since Feb. 2, Morin has 11g-12a-23pts

-Morin notched his 25th goal of the season on Sunday, becoming the fifth different IceHogs skater to reach 25 goals during the IceHogs AHL era

-Rockford and Chicago have played seven-straight one-goal games dating back to Dec. 8

-Of those seven one-goal games, four of them have been decided by a 2-1 score

-The IceHogs picked up points in four of the six games at the Allstate Arena this season, going 3-2-0-1

-Chicago’s 100 minutes of penalty time on Sunday was a season high for an IceHogs opponent and marked the fourth time this season an IceHogs opponent committed 56 or more PIMs in a game against the Hogs

-Rockford had 70 PIMs in Sunday’s contest, the third highest PIM total this season and sixth time in which the IceHogs were called for 52 or more PIMs in a tilt

-For the second time in five games, the IceHogs held an opponent to just one shot on goal in a period as Chicago tallied just one shot in the first frame on Sunday

-Oklahoma City also managed just one shot on Rockford in the third period on March 9

-The IceHogs lead the AHL in penalty minutes, averaging 24.11 PIMs per game

-Rockford is tied for the AHL lead in power play percentage, converting 21.6% of their man advantages

-Goalie Henrik Karlsson has won three straight games dating back to 3/9/13 and has a .900 save percentage and a 2.67 goals against average during the streak

-After ending a six-game losing streak on Feb. 3, Rockford is 12-5-0-0 in the 17 games since

-The IceHogs have won seven of their last nine contests on the road

-Rockford picked up their AHL-leading ninth third period come-from-behind victory on Friday

-Rookie defenseman Adam Clendening had his seven-game point streak come to an end on Saturday after totaling 1g-8a-9pts in the seven contests

-Rockford was shutout for a fourth time this season on Saturday in a 4-0 loss to Peoria

Hot Hog: Week 23
Jeremy Morin Right Wing
Third-year winger Jeremy Morin continued his second-half tear during Week 23 notching a pair of game-winning goals in helping the IceHogs to a pair of wins. On Friday night against Chicago, Morin scored the game-winning short-handed goal with just 2:36 left in regulation, his second tally of the game, in leading Rockford over the rival Wolves 4-3. After Rockford was blanked on Saturday against Peoria, Morin and the IceHogs came back on Sunday to knock off Chicago 2-1. In the win, Morin figured in on both Rockford goals, including his second game-winning goal, breaking a 1-1 tie in the second period with a power play tally.

Upcoming Games:
Friday, March 22 at Abbotsford Heat: Game time is set for 9 p.m. as the IceHogs make their annual trip to Abbotsford. The contest marks the third meeting on the campaign between the Hogs and Heat. Rockford took the first two games of the season series.

Saturday, March 23 at Abbotsford Heat: Puck drops at 9 p.m. for the rematch between the Hogs and Heat. The tilt also marks the season finale between the two Western Conference playoff contenders. The IceHogs have an all-time record of 4-2-0-0 at the Abbotsford Sports and Entertainment Centre and a 9-4-0-1 all-time overall record.

Bud Light Hog Talk Returns Tonight:
Bud Light Hog Talk returns tonight to District Bar and Grill from 6-7 p.m. District is located at 205 West State St., one block north of the BMO Harris Bank Center. Fans can join Mike Peck and Slavko Bekovic from 6-7 p.m. most Mondays as they chat with IceHogs players, coaches and front office members. This week’s guests include forward Jeremy Morin and defenseman Joe Lavin, and head coach Ted Dent. Take advantage of food and Bud Light specials at District. The show will be re-aired on Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. on 23.2 Antenna TV.

The IceHogs Broadcasting Network:
Catch every IceHogs game, home and road, in 2012-13 on 23.2 Antenna TV. The games can also be viewed on Comcast cable channel-436, Charter cable channel-970 or Mediacom-101 in the Rockford market and online through AHLlive.com. Every game will be streamed through IceHogs.com as well and inside the BMO Harris Bank Center on 104.3 FM. For a complete listing of TV stations carrying IceHogs games, visit IceHogs.com. Every broadcast will start with the U.S. Cellular Pregame before Mike Peck calls the action.

Tickets On Sale for 2012-2013!
IceHogs individual game tickets are on sale! Call (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any IceHogs regular season game during the 2012-13 season. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office in downtown Rockford, any Ticketmaster outlet or on the web at www.IceHogs.com. Tickets start at just $7.

Illinois Lottery Cup Standings

lllinois Lottery Cup Series Standings
Teams      Record    Points
Chicago      10-8-1-0      21
Rockford   10-9-0-1 21
Peoria          9-7-2-0       20

Rockford vs. Chicago 5-5-0-1
Rockford vs. Peoria     5-4-0-0

Upcoming Illinois Lottery Cup Games:
April 6: Rockford at Peoria, 7:05 p.m.
April 7: Peoria vs. Rockford, 5:05 p.m.
April 10: Rockford at Peoria, 7:05 p.m.

SPLIT 'EM

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:37:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

03/04/2013 11:59 AM

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo By Greg Hamil

Rockford takes one of two home tilts during Week 21

Week 21 Results
Friday, March 1: Peoria 1 vs. Rockford 4
Saturday, March 2: Milwaukee 3 vs. Rockford 2

Week 22 Schedule
Friday, March 8 at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 9 at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 10 at Chicago, 4 p.m.

Week 21 Recap:
Entering Week 21, the Rockford IceHogs were riding a season-long five-game winning streak. Friday night they extended that streak to six games by defeating the Peoria Rivermen, which tied the team’s AHL-era record for most consecutive games without losing. However, the Hogs had their streak snapped by the Milwaukee Admirals the following night in front of a soldout BMO Harris Bank Center. Rockford will look to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race during Week 22, when they travel to Oklahoma City and then return to Illinois with a stop at the Allstate Arena.

Bacon Bits:
- Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Milwaukee ended Rockford’s six game winning streak, tying an AHL era team record
- The six game stretch marks the third time the Hogs have won six in a row since joining the AHL in 2007-08, including 1/11/08-1/19/08 and 10/12/08-10/26/08
- Goaltender Carter Hutton turned away 23 of Peoria’s 24 attempts to win his season-best fifth straight game
- During his hot stretch, Hutton has a 1.38 goals against average, .953 save percentage and one shutout
- Forwards Jeremy Morin and Ben Smith each netted two goals to carry Rockford to a 4-1 win over Peoria on Friday
- Both Morin and Smith have now tallied three multi-goal games on the season
- The IceHogs have five skaters closing in on 20 goals on the campaign, and six with 14 or more
- Forwards Jimmy Hayes, Jeremy Morin and Martin St. Pierre are each one goal away from 20, whileBrandon Pirri and Ben Smith need three more each to reach the mark
- Hayes chipped in his 19th goal of the season on Saturday against Milwaukee and has now accumulated 13 goals and six assists in his last 20 contests
- With four assists in Rockford’s two tilts over the weekend, Brandon Pirri extended his point streak to eight games
- Pirri shows four goals and seven assists in his last eight contests, dating back to 2/13/13
- Jeremy Morin saw his point streak end at seven games as he was held scoreless in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Milwaukee
- Morin chipped in 10 points (3g-7a) during his seven game point streak
- Rockford’s penalty kill unit completed a perfect weekend, denying the opponent on 12 power play chances
- Over their last five tilts, the Hogs PK has squandered just one goal in 27 shorthanded situations (96%)
- Before Saturday, the IceHogs recorded a power-play strike in seven straight tilts, converting on 11 of their 36 attempts (30.5%) and now rank 2nd in AHL (21.9%).
- A crowd of 6,170 packed into the BMO Harris Bank Center on Saturday, marking the fourth sellout of the season

Hot Hog: Week 21
Brandon Pirri Center
Center Brandon Pirri extended his point streak to eight games by dishing out four assists in Rockford’s two games during Week 21. Pirri opened the week assisting on three of the IceHogs four goals against Peoria on Friday. It marked his eighth multi-point game of the season and second three-point output. The forward followed it up with another helper in Rockford’s 3-2 loss to Milwaukee on Saturday. Pirri now shows four goals and seven assists over his last eight games, dating back to 2/13/13.

Upcoming Games:
Friday, March 8 at Oklahoma City Barons: Puck drops at 7 p.m. as the IceHogs travel to Oklahoma City for the first time this season, and for the first of a pair of weekend matchups. The two squads met once this season in Rockford, with the Barons edging out the Hogs 4-3 on Jan. 26.

Saturday, March 9 at Oklahoma City Barons: Game time is set for 7 p.m. as Rockford and Oklahoma City rematch at the Cox Convention Center. It marks the third of four contests between the two teams this season with the final matchup set for March 30 in Rockford.

Sunday, March 10 at Chicago Wolves: A 4 p.m. start, the IceHogs return to Illinois with a stop at the Allstate Arena for a matinee affair with the Wolves. The Illinois Lottery Cup matchup will be the ninth meeting this season between the in-state rivals.

Bud Light Hog Talk Returns Tonight:
Bud Light Hog Talk returns tonight to District Bar and Grill from 6-7 p.m. District is located at 205 West State St., one block north of the BMO Harris Bank Center. Fans can join Mike Peck and Slavko Bekovic from 6-7 p.m. most Mondays as they chat with IceHogs players, coaches and front office members. This week’s guests include forward Jimmy Hayes, goaltender Henrik Karlsson and assistant coach Ben Simon. Take advantage of food and Bud Light specials at District. The show will be re-aired on Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. on 23.2 Antenna TV.

The IceHogs Broadcasting Network:
Catch every IceHogs game, home and road, in 2012-13 on 23.2 Antenna TV. The games can also be viewed on Comcast cable channel-436, Charter cable channel-970 or Mediacom-101 in the Rockford market and online through AHLlive.com. Every game will be streamed through IceHogs.com as well and inside the BMO Harris Bank Center on 104.3 FM. For a complete listing of TV stations carrying IceHogs games, visit IceHogs.com. Every broadcast will start with the U.S. Cellular Pregame before Mike Peck calls the action.

Tickets On Sale for 2012-2013!
IceHogs individual game tickets are on sale! Call (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any IceHogs regular season game during the 2012-13 season. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office in downtown Rockford, any Ticketmaster outlet or on the web at www.IceHogs.com. Tickets start at just $7.

Illinois Lottery Cup Standings

lllinois Lottery Cup Series Standings
Teams       Record    Points
Chicago   9-7-1-0      19
Peoria    8-7-2-0      18
Rockford    8-7-0-1      17

Rockford vs. Chicago 3-4-0-1
Rockford vs. Peoria     5-3-0-0

Upcoming Illinois Lottery Cup Games:
March 10: Rockford at Chicago, 4 p.m.
March 15: Chicago vs. Rockford, 7:05 p.m.
March 16: Peoria vs. Rockford, 7:05 p.m.

ROCKFORD EXTENDS STREAK TO SIX, DOWNS PEORIA 4-1

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 15:42:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

03/01/2013 7:05 PM

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo By Greg Hamil

Smith, Morin help Rockford capture 4-1 victory

Rockford, Ill. – Despite giving up an early first period goal, the Rockford IceHogs rattled off four straight tallies on the visiting Peoria Rivermen and captured a 4-1 victory in an Illinois Lottery Cup tilt at the BMO Harris Bank Center on Friday night. The Hogs have now won six consecutive games, tying a franchise-high in the AHL era.

The Rivermen opened the scoring at the 3:07 mark when Mark Cundari’s shot from the blueline was initially stopped by Carter Hutton, but the puck trickled through the Rockford goaltender and over the goal line.

But the Hogs only let Peoria’s lead last for 5:20, as Ben Smith lit the lamp with a shot from the slot off a tape-to-tape pass from Brandon Svendsen. Mathieu Beaudoin also assisted on the play, starting the rush with a touch-pass to Svendsen in the defensive zone.

Less than four minutes later and on the power play, Smith picked up a rebound off of a Brandon Pirri shot, but Jake Allen made a pad save on Smith’s first put-back attempt. The puck came right back to Smith, and he flipped it over a sprawled out Allen, giving the Hogs the 2-1 lead with his second goal of the night and his 17th on the season.

Rockford added on another goal early into the second period. While on their third power play of the contest, Pirri’s cross-ice pass to Jeremy Morin was one-timed into the back of the net, upping the Hogs advantage to 3-1.

Later in the period, Morin tallied once again, this time on a 4-on-3 man-advantage. With possession of the puck behind the net, Morin stick handled through the barren Peoria zone. The winger wristed a shot on net from in close that ricocheted off Allen and into the back of the net, increasing the Hogs advantage to 4-1.

Rockford’s defense and penalty kill unit held on the rest of the way, as they killed off all seven Peoria man-advantage opportunities, including four during the third period.

Hutton finished the night with 23 saves to earn his 21st win of the season, while Rockford fired 30 shots on Allen. The Hogs power-play unit finished three for six, and has now converted on power-play goals in seven consecutive games. Pirri and Morin each extended their point streaks to seven-straight games.

Next Home Game: Saturday, March 2 vs. Milwaukee Admirals. The puck hits the BMO Harris Bank Center ice at 7:05 p.m. as the IceHogs host the Milwaukee Admirals for a Midwest Division matchup. The first 1,500 fans through the turnstiles will get an IceHogs Sock Monkey thanks to BMO Harris Bank. BMO Harris Bank is also hosting a sock drive benefiting Project Undershare.

T-SHIRT AND SOCK MONKEY GIVEAWAYS THIS WEEKEND

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 23:34:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

By: Mike Peck

WEEKEND PROMOS

02/26/2013 3:28 PM -Hogs host Peoria and Milwaukee this weekend

Rockford, Ill.- After a hot end to the month of February, the Rockford IceHogs hope to carry the momentum over to March beginning with a pair of home games this weekend at the BMO Harris Bank Center.

On Friday night, the IceHogs host the Peoria Rivermen in an Illinois lottery Cup matchup at 7:05 p.m. The first 1,500 fans to the game will pick up a “Hog Nation” glow in the dark T-shirt courtesy of Toyota. Rockford is just three points behind Peoria and four behind the Chicago Wolves in the Illinois Lottery Cup standings.

Then on Saturday, the first 1,500 fans to the game will pick up an IceHogs Sock Monkey sponsored by BMO Harris Bank when the Milwaukee Admirals visit at 7:05 p.m. BMO Harris Bank is also hosting a sock drive as every fan that brings a new pair of kid’s socks to the BMO this weekend will receive a voucher good for a buy-one get-one free IceHogs ticket at select remaining home games.

All the socks will be donated to Project Undershare and the initiative is also sponsored by the United Way of the Rock River Valley. Donation bins will be located at both entrances of the arena and socks can be dropped off all week at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office.

For tickets to either game this weekend or any upcoming contest, call 815-968-5222, online through IceHogs.com or in person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office and any Ticketmaster outlet.

HOGS BLAZE THROUGH MIDWEST

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:55:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo By Greg Hamil

02/25/2013 11:35 AM -Rockford capitalizes on all three divisional contests

Week 20 Results:
Wednesday, Feb. 20: Rockford 4 at Peoria 0
Friday, Feb. 22: Grand Rapids 3 vs. Rockford 4
Sunday, Feb. 24: Rockford 2 at Chicago 1

Week 21 Schedule:
Friday, March 1 vs. Peoria 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 2 vs. Milwaukee 7:05 p.m.

Week 20 Recap:
Coming off of a pair of victories heading into Week 20, the IceHogs extended their winning streak to a season-high five straight games by defeating three different Midwest Division opponents. The Hogs took care of Peoria, Grand Rapids and Chicago to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race, and will continue the divisional tilts through Week 21 with a couple of home games against Peoria and Milwaukee.

Bacon Bits:
- Rockford has won a season-high five straight games dating back to 2/16/13

- Since losing six straight contests, Rockford has rebounded and won seven of their last nine contests

- Rockford went 7-4-0-0 in February, the team’s top mark in a month in 2012-13

- Winger Jeremy Morin is riding a six-game point streak dating back to 2/13/13, totaling 1g-7a-8pts

- Morin has points in nine of his last 10 games overall, racking up 3g-10a-13pts during that stretch

- Brandon Pirri also has a six-game point streak dating back to 2/13/13, notching 4g-3a-7pts

- Pirri notched his sixth game-winning goal of the season on Friday, tied for second in the AHL and running his franchise record total to 12

- The goalie combo of Carter Hutton (4-2-0-0, 2.16 GAA, .933 SPCT) and Henrik Karlsson (3-2-0-0, 1.98 GAA, .926 SPCT) combined to go 7-4-0-0 in February with a 2.08 GAA and a .930 SPCT

- Rockford has power-play goals in six straight games dating back to 2/13/13, going 8-30 (26.7%) during the hot stretch

- The unit, which has goals in nine of the Hogs last 10 games, ranks second in the AHL, converting 21.7% of their power play opportunities this season

- The power play is ranked third in the league on home ice (21.6%) and second on the road (21.9%)

- Since Jan. 9 when Rockford lost Nick Leddy, Marcus Kruger, Andrew Shaw and Brandon Bollig following the NHL lockout, the team has converted 24.4% (19-78) of their power plays, up from 20.4%

- After scoring two first period goals on Sunday, Rockford is now outscoring its opponents 58-57 in the opening frame, the first time since Oct. 25 that the Hogs have had more first period tallies than their opponents

- In the club’s 16 games since 1/18/13, they’ve outscored their opponents 23-14 in the first period and have lit a lamp in the opening frame in 14 of the 16 games

- The 14 goals against includes allowing four goals in the first period on both 1/19/13 vs. Grand Rapids and 2/5/13 at Texas

- Rockford has outshot their opponents 583-475 in the third period this season

Hot Hog: Week 20
Jeremy Morin Right Wing
Third-year winger Jeremy Morin continued his hot streak in Week 20, registering a point in all three games for the IceHogs. On Wednesday in Peoria, Morin tallied Rockford’s second goal in their 4-0 win over the Rivermen. Morin came back on Friday night and marked a pair of assists in Rockford’s 4-3 triumph over the first place Grand Rapids Griffins. To cap the week, Morin added an apple on Sunday, assisting on the eventual game-winning goal in Rockford’s 2-1 win over the Chicago Wolves in Rosemont. Morin is currently riding a six-game point streak dating back to 2/13/13, totaling 1g-7a-8pts.

Upcoming Games:
Friday, March 1 vs. Peoria Rivermen: Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. as the Hogs welcome the Peoria Rivermen to the BMO Harris Bank Center for an Illinois Lottery Cup matchup. It’ll be the eighth meeting between the two Midwest Division rivals on the campaign with Rockford holding a 4-3-0-0 edge over Peoria thus far. The first 1,500 fans to the game will also receive a Hog Nation glow in the dark t-shirt courtesy of Toyota.

Saturday, March 2 vs. Milwaukee Admirals: The puck hits the BMO Harris Bank Center ice at 7:05 p.m. as the IceHogs host the Milwaukee Admirals for a Midwest Division contest. It marks the first meeting against the Admirals since Rockford’s overtime victory on Jan. 12. The first 1,500 fans through the turnstiles will get an IceHogs Sock Monkey thanks to BMO Harris Bank.

Bud Light Hog Talk Returns Tonight:
Bud Light Hog Talk returns tonight to District Bar and Grill from 6-7 p.m. District is located at 205 West State St., one block north of the BMO Harris Bank Center. Fans can join Mike Peck and Slavko Bekovic from 6-7 p.m. most Mondays as they chat with IceHogs players, coaches and front office members. This week’s guests include forward Mathieu Beaudoin, defenseman Kevin Quick and head coach Ted Dent. Take advantage of food and Bud Light specials at District. The show will be re-aired on Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. on 23.2 Antenna TV.

The IceHogs Broadcasting Network:
Catch every IceHogs game, home and road, in 2012-13 on 23.2 Antenna TV. The games can also be viewed on Comcast cable channel-436, Charter cable channel-970 or Mediacom-101 in the Rockford market and online through AHLlive.com. Every game will be streamed through IceHogs.com as well and inside the BMO Harris Bank Center on 104.3 FM. For a complete listing of TV stations carrying IceHogs games, visit IceHogs.com. Every broadcast will start with the U.S. Cellular Pregame before Mike Peck calls the action.

Tickets On Sale for 2012-2013!
IceHogs individual game tickets are on sale! Call (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any IceHogs regular season game during the 2012-13 season. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office in downtown Rockford, any Ticketmaster outlet or on the web at www.IceHogs.com. Tickets start at just $7.

Illinois Lottery Cup Standings

lllinois Lottery Cup Series Standings
Teams       Record    Points
Chicago     9-7-1-0      19
Peoria      8-6-2-0 18
Rockford    7-7-0-1      15

Rockford vs. Chicago    3-4-0-1
Rockford vs. Peoria   4-3-0-0

Upcoming Illinois Lottery Cup Games:
March 1: Peoria vs. Rockford, 7:05 p.m.
March 10: Rockford at Chicago, 4 p.m.
March 15: Chicago vs. Rockford, 7:05 p.m.

HOGS HANG ON FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT WIN

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:54:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

02/22/2013 7:05 PM

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo by Greg Hamil

Rockford nabs 4-3 victory in final showdown with Grand Rapids

Rockford, Ill. – Seeking their season-high fourth straight victory, and in their first matchup against the division-leading Grand Rapids Griffins since the bench-clearing altercation on Jan. 19, the Rockford IceHogs hung on and topped the Griffins 4-3 at the BMO Harris Bank Center on Friday evening.

The two squads averaged 91.7 combined penalty minutes per game in their first seven meetings, but Friday night the calls were limited as six total infractions were called for 12 penalty minutes.

Grand Rapids opened the scoring just 2:22 into the first period. An errant pass from Carter Hutton behind the net went right to Tomas Jurco who poked the puck into the open net to snag the 1-0 lead.

However, Rockford came back five minutes later with a goal from Jimmy Hayes. A shot from Martin St. Pierre was deflected by Griffins goaltender Petr Mrazek, but Hayes was there to crash the net and slip the puck into the back of the net while falling to even the score at 1-1.

In the closing minute of the first period, Mathieu Beaudoin lifted the Hogs into the lead as the forward ripped a shot from the right faceoff circle and past Mrazek to give Rockford the 2-1 advantage. The tally marked Beaudoin’s first in an IceHogs sweater.

At the 2:22 mark of the middle frame, and just one second after Rockford killed off the third Griffins man-advantage, Francis Pare picked up a pass from Riley Sheahan in front of the net and tallied on a diving effort to even the contest at 2-2.

But the tie lasted for just 24 seconds, as Hayes potted his second goal of the game on a pass from Jeremy Morin. Morin fought through a check along the boards and fired in a shot off Mrazek’s pads before Hayes picked up the rebound and slammed it home. It marked Morin’s second assist on the night, giving him his ninth multi-point game of the season.

Grand Rapids was called for too many men on the ice with 12 seconds remaining in the second period, and Brandon Pirri swiped in a Kyle Beach rebound with just 0.1 seconds left on the clock to bump Rockford’s lead up to 4-2 heading into the third period.

Pirri’s insurance tally became vital midway through the third period. At the 12:10 mark, Max Nicastro fired a shot off the far post causing Hutton to scramble for the rebound. Pare was on the doorstep and netted the Griffins’ third and final goal as the Hogs defense managed to hold on to grab the 4-3 victory.

Rockford fired 35 shots on Mrazek while Hutton turned away 28 Griffins shot attempts. The Hogs were successful on one of three power play attempts, while the Hogs penalty kill unit was perfect, dismissing all three Grand Rapids man advantages.

Next Home Game: Friday, March 1 vs. Peoria Rivermen. Game time is slated for 7:05 p.m. Rockford and Peoria meet for an eighth time this season. The first 1,500 fans to the game will pick up a Hogs Nation T-shirt courtesy of Anderson Toyota.

KARLSSON REASSIGNED TO ROCKFORD

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Blog Sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo By Greg Hamil

02/22/2013 1:15 AM -Goaltender Kent Simpson sent to Toledo

Rockford, Ill. – Chicago Blackhawks General Manager of Minor League Affiliations Mark Bernard announced on Friday that Henrik Karlsson has been reassigned to the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, and Kent Simpson has been reassigned to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.

Karlsson rejoins Rockford after being recalled to the Blackhawks on Feb. 14, where he fulfilled back-up duties for three games. The Swedish goaltender has appeared in four tilts with Rockford since being acquired in a trade from the Calgary Flames on Jan. 21. The 6’6” netminder holds a 2-2-0 record with the IceHogs, including a 2.23 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.

While Karlsson returns to Rockford, Simpson will head back to Toledo. The rookie netminder did not appear in any of the IceHogs three contests since being recalled to Rockford on Feb. 14. Simpson has appeared in one tilt for the IceHogs this season, making 29 saves in Rockford’s 6-3 loss to the Texas Stars on Jan. 21.

In 28 games this season with the Walleye, the Edmonton, Alberta native holds a 14-10-3 record, a GAA of 2.42 and a save percentage of .906. Simpson was named the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Week for Jan. 28-Feb. 3.

Next Home Game: Friday, March 1 vs. Peoria Rivermen. Game time is slated for 7:05 p.m. Rockford and Peoria meet for an eighth time this season. The first 1,500 fans to the game will pick up a Hog Nation T-shirt courtesy of Anderson Toyota.

ROCKFORD AND GRAND RAPIDS MEET TONIGHT AT BMO

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:29:00 +0000

Blog sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

By: Mike Peck

HOGS-GRIFFS FINALE

02/22/2013 10:32 AM -IceHogs have won three straight heading into finale with Griffs

Rockford, Ill.-There are plenty of story lines for tonight’s Rockford IceHogs-Grand Rapids Griffins matchup at the BMO Harris Bank Center at 7:05 p.m. The only one that the IceHogs care about, however, is that they need a win.

The first 2,500 fans to the game tonight will pick up an IceHogs water bottle courtesy of RockValley Culligan. For tickets, visit IceHogs.com, call (815) 968-5222 or in person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office or at any Ticketmaster outlet.

Tonight’s head-to-head season finale against Grand Rapids can be seen on 23.2 Antenna TV, Comcast Cable channel-436, Charter Cable channel-970 and Mediacom channel-101. To watch online or for the free audio web stream, visit AHLlive.com.

Rockford has won three-straight games and sits 10 points behind the division leading Griffins. But it’s the final playoff spot in which the IceHogs have their sights set on as they are five points behind the eighth position in the Western Conference.

In their last meeting on Jan. 19, Rockford and Grand Rapids combined for 230 penalty minutes, including 139 by the IceHogs, both franchise records. In the 12 games since, Rockford has been called for just 167 minutes of penalty time, 13.92 PIMs per contest.

Penalties aren’t just exclusive to the Jan. 19 game between these Midwest Division rivals. In the seven prior meetings, Rockford and Grand Rapids have combined for 642 minutes of penalty time, an average of 91.7 per game.

Tonight’s game is the eighth meeting in 2012-13 and for just the second time in Rockford’s AHL era, they won’t win the season series. Through seven games, Rockford is 2-5-0-0. The IceHogs went 1-2-0-1 against the Griffs in 2008-09.

Carter Hutton has been hot for Rockford, earning the win in all of the Hogs last three outings. Hutton hasn’t allowed a goal since the 10:16 mark of the first period on Sunday against Lake Erie. The Thunder Bay, Ont. native has gone 114:17 without allowing a marker, 13:41 shy of his team AHL record set last season and 19:04 short of Michel Robinson’s franchise mark.

Next Home Game: Friday, March 1 vs. Peoria Rivermen. Game time is slated for 7:05 p.m. Rockford and Peoria meet for an eighth time this season. The first 1,500 fans to the game will pick up a Hogs Nation T-shirt courtesy of Anderson Toyota.

HOGS GARNER FOUR POINTS IN WEEK 19

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:06:00 +0000

Blog sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

By: Fritz Stillings

Photo By Greg Hamil

02/18/2013 11:15 AM -Rockford victorious in both home tilts
Week 19 Results
Wednesday, Feb. 13: Rockford 3 at Peoria 5
Saturday, Feb. 16: Abbotsford 2 vs. Rockford 7
Sunday, Feb. 17: Lake Erie 1 vs. Rockford 2 SO

Week 20 Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 20 at Peoria 7:05 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 22 vs. Grand Rapids 7:05 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 24 at Chicago 3 p.m.

Week 19 Recap: After dropping a tilt downstate to their Midwest Division rivals on Wednesday, the Rockford IceHogs bounced back during the weekend with a pair of critical victories at the BMO Harris Bank Center. With the two wins, the Hogs captured four points to keep pace in the Western Conference and are just five points shy of the eighth position to start Week 20. Rockford will look to continue clawing back into the playoff picture with three Midwest Division contests slated this week against Peoria, Grand Rapids and Chicago.

Bacon Bits:
-For the second straight week, the IceHogs won two out of three games
-The IceHogs last three shootouts have gone a combined 24 rounds including a seven-round shootout on Sunday against Lake Erie
-Rockford’s next five games are all against Midwest Division opponents
-The IceHogs swept the Lake Erie Monsters in their four-game head-to-head series
-Rockford tied a franchise record with five goals in the first period on Saturday and notched a season-high seven goals in their 7-2 win over the Heat
-Defenseman Ryan Stanton had his franchise record 147 consecutive games played streak come to an end on Saturday
-Stanton last missed a game on Feb. 26, 2011 vs. Milwaukee in Rockford's 4-3 overtime victory
-The IceHogs faced two penalty shots in Week 19, attempted one, and have now participated in an AHL-high seven penalty shots this season
-Of the seven, Rockford has attempted four and faced three
-Rockford has failed to convert any of their four penalty shots while allowing one in three against
-Forward Jeremy Morin has points in six of his last seven games, totaling 2g-7a-9pts dating back to Feb. 3
-Over his last 16 games going back to Jan. 9, Morin has 6g-8a-14pts
-After scoring just one point in seven games, center Brandon Pirri had 3g-1a-4pts in three games over the weekend
-Carter Hutton ended a personal four-game losing streak on Friday and won both his outings over the weekend, stopping 56 of 59 shots (.949 save percentage)

Hot Hog: Week 19
Brandon Pirri Center
After a bit of a cold spell, Rockford center Brandon Pirri heated up in Week 19, totaling 3g-1a-4pts in three outings. Pirri began the week with a goal on Wednesday in Rockford’s 5-3 loss in Peoria. The third-year center then tallied his second multi-goal game of the campaign on Saturday in Rockford’s rout of Abbotsford. Pirri capped his four point week with the primary assist on Rockford’s lone regulation goal in a 2-1 shootout win over Lake Erie. In the shootout, Pirri lit one of the IceHogs three lamps.

Upcoming Games:
Wednesday, Feb. 20 at Peoria Rivermen: Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. as the Hogs and Rivermen battle in their third Illinois Lottery Cup contest during the month of February. The two Midwest Division foes split the first two February meetings at the Carver Arena with the Rivermen coming out on top in their last matchup. The two rivals will meet five more times this season.

Friday, Feb. 22 vs. Grand Rapids Griffins: With a puck drop slated for 7:05 p.m. the Hogs and Griffins square off in their final matchup of the season. The Hogs are 2-5-0-0 against the Griffins this season, including a lopsided 11-6 loss in their last meeting on Jan. 19 at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The first 2,500 fans to the tilt will receive an IceHogs water bottle courtesy of Rock Valley Culligan.

Sunday, Feb. 24 at Chicago Wolves: Game starts at 3 p.m. as the Hogs travel to Rosemont for an Illinois Lottery Cup duel with the Wolves. The contest marks the first meeting at the Allstate Arena between the Midwest Division rivals since Nov. 28 and the seventh of 12 on the campaign.

Bud Light Hog Talk Returns Tonight:
Bud Light Hog Talk returns tonight to District Bar and Grill from 6-7 p.m. District is located at 205 West State St., one block north of the BMO Harris Bank Center. Fans can join Mike Peck and Slavko Bekovic from 6-7 p.m. most Mondays as they chat with IceHogs players, coaches and front office members. This week’s guests include forward Brad Mills, defenseman Adam Clendening and assistant coach Ben Simon. Take advantage of food and Bud Light specials at District. The show will be re-aired on Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. on 23.2 Antenna TV.

The IceHogs Broadcasting Network:
Catch every IceHogs game, home and road, in 2012-13 on 23.2 Antenna TV. The games can also be viewed on Comcast cable channel-436, Charter cable channel-970 or Mediacom-101 in the Rockford market and online through AHLlive.com. Every game will be streamed through IceHogs.com as well and inside the BMO Harris Bank Center on 104.3 FM. For a complete listing of TV stations carrying IceHogs games, visit IceHogs.com. Every broadcast will start with the U.S. Cellular Pregame before Mike Peck calls the action.

Tickets On Sale for 2012-2013!
IceHogs individual game tickets are on sale! Call (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any IceHogs regular season game during the 2012-13 season. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office in downtown Rockford, any Ticketmaster outlet or on the web at www.IceHogs.com. Tickets start at just $7.

Illinois Lottery Cup Standings

Teams    Record    Points
Chicago    8-5-1-0       17
Peoria 6-3-2-0    14
Rockford 5-6-0-1   11

Rockford vs. Chicago 2-4-0-1
Rockford vs. Peoria    3-3-0-0

Upcoming Illinois Lottery Cup Games:
Feb. 20: Rockford at Peoria, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 24: Rockford at Chicago, 3 p.m.
March 1: Peoria vs. Rockford, 7:05 p.m.

FAMILY WEEKEND FULL OF GIVEAWAYS AT THE BMO

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:48:00 +0000

Blog sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

By: Nate Haeni

FAMILY WEEKEND

02/14/2013 4:26 PM -Rockford, Ill. – This weekend will feature giveaways for the young and old as the Rockford IceHogs will be in action for a pair of home tilts on Saturday and Sunday at the BMO Harris Bank Center.

The IceHogs begin the weekend on Saturday with a bout against the Abbotsford Heat at 7:05 p.m., followed by a 5:05 p.m. puck-drop on Sunday against the Lake Erie Monsters.

Saturday’s contest with Abbotsford is Floppy Hat giveaway night as the first 2,500 adults (21 and over) into the building will receive an IceHogs floppy hat thanks to Bud Light.

On Sunday, the team will give away a Hammy toothbrush holder to the first 1,000 kids (age 14 and under) courtesy of Riverside Dental. All fans planning to attend the game are encouraged to bring their ice skates to take part in the final “Skate with the Hogs” of the season. Following the game, fans with skates will be invited onto the BMO Harris Bank Center ice alongside their favorite players. Patrons without skates can still participate in the meet and greet by going to the lower endzone of sections 111-115 to get autographs.

For tickets to any IceHogs game, call (815) 968-5222, visit IceHogs.com or stop at any Ticketmaster outlet or the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office.

Additionally, at every IceHogs game in 2012-13, Toyota is giving one lucky fan a chance to win a brand new car during the second intermission in the Toyota Showcase Shootout. Fans can sign up to be selected to participate in the on-ice promotion at the U.S. Cellular fan zone located on the main concourse.

If you can’t make it to either of the games, tune in to all the action on 23.2 Antenna TV, Comcast 436, Charter 970 or Mediacom 101. A free radio web stream can also be found on AHLLive.com

To view the entire IceHogs promotions schedule, click here. All game dates, times and promotions are subject to change.
Next Home Game: Saturday, Feb. 16 vs. Abbotsford Heat. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m. The first 2,500 fans (21 and older) into the building will pick up an IceHogs floppy hat courtesy of Bud Light. The game is the second of four against Abbotsford on the season.

BACK AND FORTH AFFAIR GOES PEORIA'S WAY

noreply@blogger.com (Administrator) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:20:00 +0000

Blog sponsored by RockfordLink.com and Rockford For Sale By Owner LLC

By: Mike Peck

Photo by Nathan Kerley

02/13/2013 7:05 PM -Peoria, Ill.- Things happened quickly on Wednesday night in Peoria, including goals, lead changes and penalty shots. The Rockford IceHogs, however, dropped a 5-3 contest to the Rivermen at Carver Arena.

Down 2-1 entering the third period, Rockford began the frame on a 5-on-3 power play and capitalized. Just as Peoria got a skater back, Martin St. Pierre knocked down a clear out attempt and fed Jeremy Morin. Morin found Jimmy Hayes backdoor and the winger buried his 16th goal of the season at 1:26.

Less than a minute later Rockford reclaimed the lead. Brandon Pirri blew his 14th tally of the campaign over the shoulder of Mike McKenna at 2:22, giving Rockford the 3-2 edge.

Peoria responded later in the frame to tie the contest back up. On a delayed penalty, Chris Bruton fired his fourth goal of the season past Carter Hutton at 8:58 of the final frame.

It was Peoria's turn on a 5-on-3 advantage and Chris Porter would put the Rivermen back on top. Porter knocked in a Mark Cundari centering pass under Hutton at 13:43 for the eventual game winner. Porter added an empty netter to finish off Rockford at 19:32.

Rockford staved off a Peoria rally in their own zone and countered with the games first tally in the opening period. Hayes found Terry Broadhurst all alone in front of the Rivermen net and the rookie winger tapped in his second goal of the season at 14:52. Rockford was outshot 15-7 in the first period.

Peoria's strong first period puck possession carried over into the second frame where they tied the game. T.J. Hensick spotted Derek Nesbitt in front of the Rockford goal and the center found his wingman for his 16th goal of the season at 2:02.

Then a battle of penalty shots late in the second period gave both teams an opportunity to grab the lead. Brandon Svendsen was awarded the first attempt at 16:36 of the second period but was denied by McKenna.

Then less than a minute later Hensick got a chance for the Rivermen. Hensick beat Hutton five-hole at 17:29 for his 12th goal of the season to put Peoria up 2-1. The goal marked the first penalty shot goal Rockford had allowed during the AHL era.

Rockford was outshot 44-25 in the game.
Next Home Game: Saturday, Feb. 16 vs. Abbotsford Heat. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m. The first 2,500 fans (21 and older) into the building will pick up an IceHogs floppy hat courtesy of Bud Light. The game is the second of four against Abbotsford on the season.