IceHogs Open Home-and-Home Weekend Series vs. Iowa Tonight in Des Moines

Rockford, IL – The Rockford IceHogs, proud American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), take on the Iowa Wild tonight at 7:00 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA. Tonight is the ninth of 10 scheduled meetings between the two clubs this season.

Tune in on the IceHogs Broadcast Network Presented by BMO Harris Bank
Fans can watch all of this season’s action LIVE on AHLTV and 23.2 Antenna TV WIFR (home games)! Tune in to every broadcast for free on SportsFanRadio 1330 AM, Sportsfanradio1330.com, IceHogs.com, and the IceHogs app!

Join the Hogs@Home Gameday Experience on the IceHogs Mobile App
Enjoy the Hogs@Home on the IceHogs mobile app! Play the Meijer First Goal Frenzy for a chance to win a $25 gift card and check-in for a chance to grab dinner for two from Texas Roadhouse! The IceHogs Gameday Jersey Raffle is back too! Download the App and Play!

IceHogs and Wild Close Season Series This Week
The IceHogs and Wild wrap up their 10-game season series this week with a home-and-home battle on Friday at Sunday between Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA, and BMO Harris Bank Center. Both clubs hold matching 4-3-1-0 head-to-head records heading into Friday night in Des Moines. The IceHogs earned a 5-3 win in Iowa in their most recent meeting with the Wild on Apr. 24. The victory snapped the Wild’s nine-game home winning streak against the IceHogs dating back to Nov. 4, 2018.

Power of Three
In the head-to-head series against the Wild, four IceHogs skaters are tied for the team lead with three goals against the Central Division foe. Defenseman Cody Franson and forwards Chris Wilkie, D.J. Busdeker, and Garrett Mitchell are all locked up with three goals each against the Wild. Franson (three goals, three assists), defenseman Nicolas Beaudin (two goals, four assists; currently with the Chicago Blackhawks) and forwards Reese Johnson (two goals, four assists) and Dylan McLaughlin (one goal, five assists) are tied for the team lead with six points against the Wild.

Hogs Wrap Up Season Series with Griffins in Thrilling Shootout
On Monday, the IceHogs closed their eight-game season series against the Grand Rapids Griffins with a thrilling 3-2 shootout win at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI. The IceHogs completed the series with a 4-4-0-0 head-to-head record including a 3-1-0 record in Grand Rapids. All three IceHogs wins in West Michigan were decided beyond regulation time (Pair of 2-1 overtime wins on Mar. 13 and Mar. 16 and the shootout win on May 3).

Meijer First Goal Frenzy Continues to Rise After Weekend vs. Grand Rapids
Forward Brandon Pirri's first-period goal on Saturday vs. Grand Rapids and Evan Barratt's goal in the opening period on Monday at Grand Rapids added to the Meijer First Goal Frenzy donation! When the IceHogs score the first goal of each game this season, Meijer will donate $50 to Rock House Kids, a 501(c)(3) foundation helping feed Rockford’s inner-city youth in a safe nurturing environment. Fans can guess who scores the first IceHogs goal of the game on the IceHogs mobile app for a chance to win a $25 gift card to Meijer.

Goals? If You Guessed a Handful, You’d Be Correct
Each of the last three games for the IceHogs and four of their last five has been decided by 3-2 scores. The IceHogs fell 3-2 at Iowa on Apr. 23 and to Grand Rapids on Apr. 28 and claimed back-to-back 3-2 wins on May 1 and May 3 against the Griffins.

Power of Three – 2.0
Reaching the three-goal mark (or more) in a game has played a major key for success for teams over the seasons, especially during the 2021 campaign. In the last six consecutive IceHogs games and 18 of the 27 IceHogs games played this season, a team (IceHogs or the opposition) has scored exactly three goals. The IceHogs are 4-4-0-0 this season when scoring three goals in a game and 4-5-1-0 when allowing three goals in a contest. Looking at a bigger picture, the IceHogs are 9-7-0-0 when scoring three or more goals in a game this season.

It’s A Two-Point Party
Monday’s game at Grand Rapids featured three skaters earning two-point contests as forwards Evan Barratt (one goal, one assist), Andrei Altybarmakian (two assists), and Chad Yetman (one goal, one assist) helped the IceHogs to their 3-2 shootout win. The accomplishment is the third time this season three skaters have earned multi-point games in a single contest (Mar. 3 vs. Grand Rapids: Kalynuk, Beaudin, Pirri; Mar. 28 vs. Chicago: Franson, Barratt, Kalynuk) and one skater shy of the season-high four players in a single game with multiple points (Mar. 22 vs. Iowa: McLaughlin, Johnson, Wilkie, Beaudin).

The Rockford IceHogs close their 10-game season series against the Iowa Wild on Sunday, May 9 at 4:00 p.m. at BMO Harris Bank Center. Watch all of the action LIVE on AHLTV and 23.2 Antenna TV WIFR (home games)! Tune in to every broadcast for free on SportsFanRadio 1330 AM, Sportsfanradio1330.com, IceHogs.com, and the IceHogs app!

Every active full IceHogs Season Ticket Holder and 20-Game holder who have paid for their tickets in full or who have a deposit down on their tickets for 2020-21 will receive FREE access to every IceHogs game through AHLTV on the IceHogs Broadcast Network presented by BMO Harris Bank! Want to upgrade to a Full Season or 20-Game plan? Contact us at (815) 968-5222 or email us at ticketservices@icehogs.com!

2020-21 Regular-Season Records:
Rockford: 11-15-1-0, 23 points (6th, Central Division)
Iowa: 13-12-4-0, 30 points (4th, Central Division)

2019-20 Regular-Season Records:
Rockford: 29-30-2-2, 62 points (5th, Central Division)
Iowa: 37-18-4-4, 82 points (2nd, Central Division)

2020-21 Head-to-Head Schedule (all times Central):

Feb. 13 IceHogs at Wild 2-3 Overtime Loss Recap and Highlights

Mar. 6 Wild at IceHogs 3-2 Win Recap and Highlights

Mar. 7 Wild at IceHogs 4-3 Overtime Win Recap and Highlights

Mar. 19 Wild at IceHogs 3-5 Loss Recap and Highlights

Mar. 20 Wild at IceHogs 6-1 Win Recap and Highlights

Apr. 13 IceHogs at Wild 1-4 Loss Recap and Highlights

Apr. 23 IceHogs at Wild 2-3 Loss Recap and Highlights

Apr. 24 IceHogs at Wild 5-3 Win Recap and Highlights

May 7 IceHogs at Wild 7 p.m.

May 9 Wild at IceHogs 4 p.m.

IceHogs vs. Wild 2020-21 Head-to-Head Record
4-3-1-0

IceHogs vs. Wild, All-Time
39-27-5-3

Head Coaches
Rockford: Derek King (2nd season with IceHogs)
Iowa: Tim Army (2nd season with Wild)

NHL Affiliate
Rockford: Chicago Blackhawks
Iowa: Minnesota Wild