IceHogs to Become Mighty Oaks for Live Jersey Auction Fundraiser

To pay homage to a little-known piece of franchise history, the IceHogs will rebrand under the name Rockford Mighty Oaks for the team's annual postgame live jersey auction, presented by Insurance King, on Saturday, April 5 for their 7 p.m. game against the Grand Rapids Griffins!

The Live Auction

Fans will have a chance to bid on their favorite player's game-worn Mighty Oaks jersey immediately following the game. Players will enter the ice one at a time and our live auctioneer will start the bidding for each player (and Hammy). The annual live auction serves as the lead fundraiser for the IceHogs Community Fund. Last year alone, the live auction generated over $85,000. Over the last two years, the IceHogs Community Fund has awarded over $250,000 in grants and sponsorships to local nonprofit organizations in the greater Rockford region.

Online Auction on DASH

A collection of unique items will also be available to bid on Saturday exclusively through DASH, including customizable IceHogs specialty jerseys, Kevin Korchinski and Cole Guttman autographed AHL All-Star jerseys, a special postgame meet and greet with Brett Seney, and a number of additional autographed items available only through this auction. All proceeds from the DASH auction will also benefit the IceHogs Community Fund.

Mighty Oaks Apparel and Collectibles

The team store will be stocked with exclusive Rockford Mighty Oaks apparel and collectibles, including Mighty Oaks replica jerseys. Act fast because once these items are gone they are GONE!

Why the Mighty Oaks?

In 1999, as Rockford was about to welcome a new sports team to its great city as the newest member of the United Hockey League, a "Name the Team" contest was held in conjunction with the Rockford Register Star. The name IceHogs, submitted by Belvidere resident Breanna Roush, was selected as the name of the new Rockford hockey franchise, edging out other finalists, including Ice Rangers, Rhinos, Ricochet, Rockets, Roughnecks, and Mighty Oaks.

The April 5 rebrand will envision what might have been had Mighty Oaks been selected as the team’s name. The rebrand includes the design of two Rockford Mighty Oaks logos and a specialty jersey that pays tribute to Rockford’s history and one of its best-known nicknames – “The Forest City.” The jerseys will highlight the team’s primary red, black and white color scheme and will feature a “character” named “Mighty Oak”’ on the crest. The secondary logo ties together the theme of “The Forest City” with a rendition of a mighty oak tree supported by hockey sticks at the tree’s base.

The Tale of Rockford's "Mighty Oak"

The story you are about to read is how we imagine the inspiration for the name “Mighty Oaks” could have come about. Some of what you are about to read is true, while other parts have been completely fabricated or “jazzed up” for effect. Which parts are true, and which are complete and utter nonsense only Wikipedia knows for sure.

As legend has it, around the year 1835, a man named Arthur Oakley settled with his family in a prominent two-story home on the west bank of the Rock River in Winnebago County on land that was then known as the village of Midway.

While the home was an impressive sight in its own right, the first thing most passersby would notice about the Oakley dwelling was the massive oak tree that towered over the house from the backyard. The tree was a beautiful symbol of the four seasons enjoyed by Midwesterners; its reflection visible in the waters of the Rock River in summer, its leaves transforming to a stunning shade of red in fall, its naked branches glistening with snow in the winter, and finally its glowing green buds sprouting once more in spring.

While the whole neighborhood was full of foliage, it was the Oakley’s oak tree that, both literally and figuratively, stood above them all.

By 1837, the village of Midway was renamed Rockford and the Oakley’s oak tree continued to grow proud and strong, symbolizing the growth Rockford was experiencing as more and more transplants from the Northeastern United States and upstate New York moved to the city. Later that same year, a great tornado swept through the region along the Rock River. The destruction was enormous. Yet somehow the Oakley’s oak tree remained, seemingly unscathed by the devastating storm.

Instead of a symbol of growth, the Oakley’s tree had now become a symbol of Rockford’s strength with residents affectionately nicknaming it “Mighty Oak.” Some believe the aftermath of the storm and distribution of the “Mighty Oak’s” seeds and acorns led to more and more oak trees sprouting along the Rock River in subsequent years. By 1852, coincidentally the same year Rockford was officially chartered as a city, the banks of the river were littered with oak trees. A year later, Rockford was for the very first time referred to as the "Forest City" by the New York Tribune.

The original “Mighty Oak” remains in Rockford to this very day, standing as a proud representation of the city’s gritty spirit.