THREE NEW TEAMS ON ROCKFORD�S 2017-18 SCHEDULE

Rockford, Ill. – The Rockford IceHogs, in conjunction with the American Hockey League, announced on Thursday the opponent breakdown for the 2017-18 season. The IceHogs schedule will feature three new opponents at the BMO Harris Bank Center and a total of 13 different teams will make their way to Rockford.

The IceHogs will battle two teams from the AHL’s Eastern Conference, marking the first time since the 2008-09 season that Rockford has clashed with a foe from the East. The home-and-home matchups include a pair of Pennsylvania-based teams in the Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals), the oldest franchise and charter member of the American Hockey League, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins).

The IceHogs have not faced an opponent from the Eastern Conference since going head-to-head with the Norfolk Admirals during the 2008-09 campaign. During the team’s AHL era, Rockford has only played against two other Eastern Conference-based teams – the Manchester Monarchs and Providence Bruins.

For the third consecutive year, the IceHogs will take on a new team from the golden coast. Rockford and the Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers) will meet once at the BMO Harris Bank Center and once at the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, Cal. The swing through California will also include a matchup against the San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks), who the IceHogs last visited for San Jose’s first-ever home game on Oct. 9, 2015, and the Ontario Reign (L.A. Kings).

In addition, the AHL announce the new divisional alignment and the Charlotte Checkers have moved to the league’s Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The AHL features three new teams in the Belleville Senators, Binghamton Devils, and Laval Rocket, all of which will play in the North Division. The new alignment for the 2017-18 season is:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Charlotte Checkers
Hartford Wolf Pack
Hershey Bears
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Providence Bruins
Springfield Thunderbirds
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

North Division
Belleville Senators
Binghamton Devils
Laval Rocket
Rochester Americans
Syracuse Crunch
Toronto Marlies
Utica Comets

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
Chicago Wolves
Cleveland Monsters
Grand Rapids Griffins
Iowa Wild
Manitoba Moose
Milwaukee Admirals
Rockford IceHogs

Pacific Division
Bakersfield Condors
Ontario Reign
San Antonio Rampage
San Diego Gulls
San Jose Barracuda
Stockton Heat
Texas Stars
Tucson Roadrunners

The format for the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs will be finalized by the Board of Governors at its Annual Meeting in Hilton Head Island, S.C., July 2-6, and the complete playing schedule for the 2017-18 regular season, which begins Oct. 6, will be announced this summer.

A breakdown of the number of times the IceHogs will battle against the 13 opponents for the upcoming campaign is below:

Season Tickets for 2017-18 on Sale Now: Don’t miss a moment of the action by reserving your seats for the IceHogs 19th season of professional hockey and 11th as the top AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. Opening night is Oct. 14 and ticket packages begin as low as $105 for a seven-game mini pack. Please contact us at (815) 847-6399 or by visiting icehogs.com to claim your spots for this upcoming season.