Former IceHogs Forward Rob Klinkhammer Hired as Assistant Coach

The Rockford IceHogs today announced that former forward Rob Klinkhammer has been hired as an assistant coach, joining Head Coach Anders Sorensen’s current staff of Jared Nightingale, Peter Aubry and Adam Gill.

“I’m thrilled to be back,” exclaimed Klinkhammer. “It’s going to be so cool to be back in Hawks camp and involved with an NHL organization. As a player, we were treated so well in Rockford and the Blackhawks run a first-class program. They gave us all the opportunities and resources to succeed and that’s what made it easy for me to come back."

Klinkhammer, 35, skated with the IceHogs from 2008-12 and ranks eighth all time in games played with 242 appearances and recorded 44 goals and 65 assists for 109 points. During the 2010-11 season, the Lethbridge, Alberta, native became the 36th IceHogs player to reach the NHL when he made his debut with the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 8 vs. Dallas.

“We are very excited about adding Rob and his family to our IceHogs Group,” said IceHogs Head Coach Anders Sorensen. “Rob’s playing career speaks for itself, having played in the NHL, AHL and over in Europe. that experience will be a good foundation to the start of his coaching career & an engaging asset while working with our young prospects.”

After his time with the IceHogs, he played for current Chicago Blackhawks Head Coach Luke Richardson while with the Ottawa Senators (NHL) during the 2011-12 campaign. Richardson was an assistant coach while Klinkhammer appeared in 15 contests (2A).

Over parts of seven seasons in the AHL (2007-13, 15-16), Klinkhammer totaled 236 points (96G, 140A) in 423 games with Norfolk, Rockford, Binghamton, Portland and Bakersfield and dressed in 193 career NHL matchups over six seasons with Chicago, Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Ottawa adding 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points.

Before moving into the coaching ranks, he spent the last six seasons overseas in the KHL with five different clubs and registered 157 points (81G, 76A) in 269 games. In 2017-18, he won the KHL’s Gagarin Cup with Ak Bars Kazan and claimed a bronze medal with Team Canada in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang.

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