DOWELL ADDED TO ALL-STAR ROSTER

IceHogs captain earns spot in the Midseason Classic

Rockford, Ill. – The American Hockey League announced on Tuesday that Jake Dowell has been added to the Western Conference All-Star roster. The AHL All-Star Classic presented by Toyota will be held Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 at the Onondaga County War Memorial Arena in downtown Syracuse, N.Y.

Dowell, 30, leads the IceHogs with 24 points and is tied for the team lead in assists with 17 in 39 games this season. He owns the longest Rockford point-streak on the year, picking up 11 points (4G-7A) over a seven-game span from Dec. 2 through Dec. 18. The veteran center also is listed among the AHL leaders in plus/minus rating, where he is currently tied for fifth with a +20 rating.

A native of Eau Claire, Wis., Dowell has skated in 420 AHL games for Rockford, Hamilton, Iowa, Houston, and Norfolk, notching 132 point on 45 goals and 87 assists. Dowell served as the captain of Rockford on two separate occasions (2015-16 and 2009-10), and was also the captain of the Iowa Wild in 2013-14. His NHL experience includes 157 games with Chicago, Dallas, and Minnesota, where he has contributed 33 points (11G-22A).

Dowell joins right wing Ryan Hartman and goaltender Michael Leighton as an All-Star selection, marking the first time in IceHogs history that the team has been represented by three players in the AHL All-Star Classic.

Along with Jake Dowell, other players added to the AHL All-Star rosters are Portland Pirates defenseman Cameron Gaunce and Providence Bruins forward Alexander Khokhlachev (Atlantic Division); St. John’s IceCaps defenseman Morgan Ellis (North Division); Manitoba Moose goaltender Eric Comrie and Lake Erie Monsters forward T.J. Tynan (Central Division); and Ontario Reign forward Sean Backman and San Jose Barracuda forward Ryan Carpenter (Pacific Division).

In addition, the AHL announced that Bridgeport forward Joe Whitney, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman Derrick Pouliot, St. John’s defenseman Mark Barberio, Manitoba goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Lake Erie forward Kerby Rychel, Milwaukee forward Vladislav Kamenev, Ontario forward Michael Mersch and Texas forward Travis Morin will all be unavailable for the event.

The 2016 All-Star rosters now feature 41 first-timer participants, nine AHL rookies and 18 former first- and second-round NHL draft choices. In addition, 24 of this year’s All-Stars have appeared in a National Hockey League game already this season.

For more information about the All-Star game, click here.

Next Home Game: Wednesday, Jan. 27 vs. Charlotte Checkers at 7 p.m. Rockford hosts the second-place team in the Central Division in a mid-week showdown on BMO Harris Bank Night. The first 1,500 fans in the building will receive a Zamboni Bank courtesy of BMO Harris Bank. The game marks another Winning Weekday; if the IceHogs win, every fan in attendance can redeem their ticket for a free ticket to the next weekday game.