Rockford, IL- The Rockford IceHogs (19-30-2-2) open up a string of four consecutive road games against the Grand Rapids Griffins (41-18-3-1) tonight at 6 p.m. at Van Andel Arena. The IceHogs will then head west to battle the San Diego Gulls for the final two games of the season series. 

The Matchup:

All Time Series: 76-67-7-5

Season Series: 1-4-0-0

Tale of the Tape: The IceHogs will battle the league-leading Griffins tonight and will look to snap their two game skid. The Griffins took a split against the Iowa Wild last weekend at Van Andel Arena and became the first team to clinch a spot in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs. Rockford earned their first win over Grand Rapids back on Jan. 16 with a 3-1 win, snapping their four-game skid to begin the season series with the Griffins. The IceHogs will look for more success on the road after struggling at home during the month of February. The Hogs have an 11-13-1 record away from from home this season and had only two road games last month. The Griffins have a 22-6-2-0 record at Van Andel Arena this season. 

Team Leaders: 

Grand Rapids:

 Points- John Leonard- 40 points 

 Goals- John Leonard- 26G 

 Assists- Amadeus Lombardi- 22A

Rockford:

Points- Brett Seney- 39 points  

Goals- Nick Lardis- 16G

Assists- Brett Seney- 28A

Three Things To Know: 

Kuzmin Picking Up Points: Defenseman Dmitry Kuzmin tallied an assist in the lone IceHogs' goal Saturday night against Hershey. The Belarus native now has points in three of his last four games and is now second in points among active Rockford defensemen. The Rockford blueliner joins Ryan Mast and Ethan Del Mastro as the only defensemen with a net positive plus/minus rating this season. In 69 games with Rockford dating back to last season, Kuzmin has a +4 rating. 

Grounding the Griffins: The last time the Hogs traveled to Grand Rapids, they shut down the high-powered Griffins in a 3-1 victory. Grand Rapids broke through with only 15 seconds remaining to avoid the shutout. At the time it was just the third regulation loss the Griffins had suffered in the season. Rockford got goals from Ryan Gagnier, Dominic Toninato and Samuel Savoie to secure the IceHogs' first win over the Griffins this season. 

Roster Moves: The Chicago Blackhawks recalled defenseman Ethan Del Mastro Tuesday morning. The move comes after Chicago traded defenseman Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2028 second round pick. Del Mastro has skated in 42 games with Rockford this season, racking up 18 points (2G, 16A). The IceHogs have signed a pair of defensemen to PTO contracts, signing Jake Murray from the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Brayden Hislop from the Jacksonville IceMen. 

2025-26 Matchups: 

Up next, the IceHogs will take on the San Diego Gulls for a two game series that begins Friday, March 6 at 9:00 p.m. The Hogs will return to the BMO Center Friday, March 13 against the Chicago Wolves for a $2 beer night presented by Bud Light. Tickets are available at IceHogs.com