ICEHOGS REPEAT AS ILLINOIS LOTTERY CUP CHAMPIONS

Chicago, Ill. - For the third time in five years, the Rockford IceHogs claimed the Illinois Lottery Cup after a 4-2 victory Saturday against the Chicago Wolves at Allstate Arena.

The victory gave the IceHogs 14 points in the head-to-head series and puts them out of range of Chicago’s seven points with only three Illinois Lottery Cup games remaining.

"On behalf of the entire organization, we are thrilled to be crowned Illinois Lottery Cup Champions for the second-straight season and third overall,” said Blackhawks General Manager Minor League Affiliations Mark Bernard. "It's always an intense rivalry with a team as highly skilled as the Chicago Wolves and we're thankful for the support of the Illinois Lottery for enhancing the season series."

Since the Cup’s inception in the 2011-12 season, the IceHogs have taken it home three times, winning their first title in 2012-13.

The Lottery Cup is a competition between the American Hockey League teams that call the state of Illinois their home – the IceHogs and Wolves, adding an extra level of intensity to each matchup. The winner is determined by most points in the 12-game head-to-head series between the two teams.

Originally, three teams existed in the series: the Chicago Wolves, Peoria Rivermen, and Rockford IceHogs. The Rivermen have since moved to the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL).

Even with the IceHogs already winning the cup, the season series isn’t over. Fans can still enjoy the intrastate rivalry action, March 18 (at Chicago), March 19 (at Rockford), and March 30 (at Chicago).