NATHAN LUTZ HEADLINES ALUMNI NIGHT ON MARCH 23
ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Rockford IceHogs are honoring their 20 seasons of hockey in the Forest City with an alumni night, presented by Dental Dimensions and Window World, at the BMO Harris Bank Center at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 23 against the Milwaukee Admirals.
The IceHogs are expected to welcome back several team alumni for the event, including Scott Burfoot, Matt Gens, Oak Hewer, Corey Hessler, Raitis Ivanans, Nathan Lutz, Preston Mizzi, JF Rivard and Joe Statkus. Gens, Hessler, Lutz and Mizzi were each a part of the 2006-07 IceHogs squad that won the 2007 Colonial Cup in the United Hockey League.
The evening’s festivities will include a ceremonial puck drop from Lutz, alumni events and recognition during each intermission, a special theme to the Pig Pen gameday program and a tribute on the video board.
Fans are also invited to meet and receive autographs from the IceHogs alumni on the concourse prior to the start of the IceHogs and Admirals game. The Hogs alumni will be signing autographs along the jersey wall on the concourse from 5 – 5:45 p.m., and during second intermission.
The IceHogs earlier this season unveiled their 20th anniversary logo, which featured the primary Hammy logo encircled by a ribbon with the inaugural date of the 1999 season and 2018 for the current campaign. Behind the blue and white ribbon in large numbers is “20” in red font, marking the 20 years of professional hockey for the Rockford IceHogs.
As part of the season-long 20th-anniversary season, the Hogs welcomed their 3 millionth fan on Dec. 2. The lucky fan won the Ultimate IceHogs Fan Pack, which included free season tickets for the remainder of the 2018-19 campaign.
Overall, the IceHogs’ 20-year history has featured more than 100 Rockford alumni reaching the NHL level, including 84 with the Chicago Blackhawks. In addition, 22 former IceHogs skaters have won the Stanley Cup with Chicago, with eight of those players winning multiple Stanley Cup titles.
Next Home Game: March 16 vs. Cleveland | 6 p.m.
The Rockford IceHogs host Dino Night on March 16 at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive a FREE bobblehead of Jane, the T-Rex, which is displayed in Rockford's own Burpee Museum of Natural History, courtesy of Register Star Media.