Rockford, IL -  The Rockford IceHogs will host the Grand Rapids Griffins tonight, November 7th, for Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) Night at the BMO Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The first 3,000 fans will receive a Hammy Sugar Skull Bobblehead, and the Day of the Dead Specialty Jersey Auction will include a portion of the proceeds benefiting La Onda and the Rock Valley College Association of Latin American Students.

Alongside the Day of the Dead celebrations, the IceHogs will be honoring Brett Seney prior to puck drop. The captain became the IceHogs' all-time leading scorer in their last home game versus the Texas Stars, and currently stands at 218 IceHogs points.

The Matchup:

Last Time Out: The IceHogs and Griffins last played on 10/18/26 in Grand Rapids, with the Griffins getting the win on their home ice, 5-1. The game was much more contested than the score might indicate. Trailing 2-0 in the 3rd, Gavin Hayes netted a goal assisted by Jiri Felcman and Dylan Anhorn to make it a one-goal game with less than 20 minutes to go. 

The Griffins then scored three uninterrupted goals, and John Leonard walked out with a hat trick to power Grand Rapids to a victory. 

2026-27 Team Leaders: 

Rockford -  

Points: Gavin Hayes - 14 points

Goals: Gavin Hayes - 8

Assists: Derrick Pouliot - 10 

Grand Rapids -  

Points: Dominik Shine - 15 points

Goals: Dominik Shine - 9

Assists: Ondrej Becher & Jacob Bryson - 8

THREE THINGS TO KNOW: 

Two of the Best: Rockford and Grand Rapids both bring an elite scorer to the ice tonight. Grand Rapids' Dominik Shine ranks 3rd in the AHL in total points (15) and 2nd in goals scored (9). For Rockford, the leader of the offense has been Gavin Hayes. Hayes is 5th in the AHL in total points (14) and 6th in goals scored (8). 

Rapid Separation: The Grand Rapids Griffins have been on a tear to open up the season. Grand Rapids stands atop the entire American Hockey League with 20 points, coming from a 9-1-1-1 record. The Griffins have only lost one game in regulation this entire season, and it was almost a calendar month ago on 10/10/26 against Milwaukee. 

Some Extra Time: The IceHogs are coming off only their second overtime game of the season, and their first decided by shootout. The Wild held strong on their home ice, beating the IceHogs 4-3 in penalty shots. Despite the loss, the IceHogs showed off their scoring chops. Seney scored two goals in the 3rd to send the game to OT, and three IceHogs (Seney, Hayes, & Connor Mackey) scored in the shootout. 

2026-27 Season Matchups: 

Pregame Preview:

The IceHogs will be right back home on Sunday, November 8th at 4:00 p.m. Rockford will welcome the Iowa Wild for Toy Story Night, with a postgame skate with IceHogs players scheduled. Learn more and find tickets for tonight's and tomorrow night's matchups here.