WEEK 9 SPLIT KEEPS HOGS IN WEST DIVISION RACE

Three-game week looms for Rockford in Week 10

Week 9 Recap
After Friday night’s game in Quad City, the Rockford IceHogs had not lost in regulation in five contests. That streak came to a halt on Saturday in Chicago, dropping Rockford from first to fourth in the tight West Division. Rockford has a chance to climb the division ladder once again in Week 10 as they play three more divisional foes.

Week 9 Results
Friday, Dec. 5: Rockford 3 at Quad City 2
Saturday, Dec. 6: Rockford 1 at Chicago 6

Week 10 Schedule
Thursday, Dec. 11 vs. Iowa, 7:05 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 12 at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 13 vs. Chicago, 7:05 p.m.

Bacon Bits:
-Personal streaks by Pascal Pelletier (four games, goals), Jack Skille (seven games, points), Tim Brent (four games, assists), Petri Kontiola (eight games, points) and Mike Radja (four games, points) all came to an end this weekend

-Rockford’s longest active point streak is held by Danny Groulx (1g-2a-3pts, 3 games)

-Saturday’s loss to the Wolves was the first time in 2008-09 that Rockford goalies have split time in a game

-It happened 14 times last season with the first coming Nov. 16, 2007

-Saturday’s game was goalie Joe Fallon’s first career AHL appearance

-After Rockford’s 3-2 win in Quad City on Friday, the Hogs are 6-2-0-2 in one-goal games

-The IceHogs are .500 (6-6-0-2) since starting the season 7-2-0-0 in October

-Rockford is 2-0-2-0 on Thursdays in the AHL era and play their first Thursday game of the season this week

-In 12 games all-time against the Wolves, seven have been one-goal contests including four overtimes or shootouts

-In the other five, the Wolves have defeated the Hogs by five or more three times

-Rockford’s power play is 1-for-19 in the last four games and 0-for-14 in the last three

-In that four-game stretch, the Hogs have given up seven goals on the penalty kill

-Antti Niemi has started four straight games, the longest regular season stretch for an IceHogs goalie since Corey Crawford finished 2007-08 with eight starts

Hot Hog Week 9:
Rockford defenseman Danny Groulx has been steady on the blue-line for the IceHogs this season on both ends of the rink. Groulx added a goal and an assist for Rockford during Week 9. Overall this season, Groulx leads all Rockford d-men with 1g-12a-13pts and a plus/minus of +2.

Upcoming Games:
Thursday, Dec. 11 vs. Iowa Chops. Game time is slated for 7:05 p.m. The Rockford IceHogs return from a brief weekend road swing to face the Iowa Chops for the third time in 2008-09 and the first of three meetings in December. One lucky fan will win a pair of tickets to the Winter Classic game at Wrigley Field. Also, Harlem Globetrotters tickets will be given away throughout the night along with three pairs of Blackhawks tickets to Chicago’s game on Sunday, Dec. 14 against Columbus. MembersAlliance Credit Union will be celebrating their 70th Anniversary as well.

Friday, Dec.12 at Milwaukee Admirals. The road test begins at 7 p.m. Rockford’s swing through the West Division continues on Friday when they travel north of the border to the Bradley Center in Milwaukee to face off against the Admirals. The game is the fourth of the season between the two clubs including the third in Milwaukee.

Saturday, Dec. 13 vs. Chicago Wolves. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. Redeem is the theme. Rockford looks to rebound from a 6-1 loss against the Wolves from a week earlier. The first 2,000 will receive an IceHogs winter scarf courtesy of McDonald’s. Saturday is also the IceHogs Annual Teddy Bear Toss for charity. Bring a new stuffed animal to the game and after the IceHogs score their first goal, fans can toss the stuffed animals onto the ice. The stuffed animals will be distributed to underprivileged children in the Rockford area.

The IceHogs Broadcasting Network:
Rockford IceHogs fans can catch all of the IceHogs regular and post-season games on the Hogs flagship radio station Rockford’s Voice, WNTA-AM 1330 and 30 regular season games on ESPN Radio 1380-AM, WTJK. Fans can also watch and listen to the Hogs on the World Wide Web with AHL Live! Visit the IceHogs Web site (icehogs.com) and click on the “click here to watch the AHL Live” icon, and for just $6, you can catch all of the IceHogs action on your computer. Also, fans with Comcast Cable television can tune in to Channel 57 for all the IceHogs hockey action this season. The broadcast begins with the Pregame Show 30 minutes before the puck drops. Make sure to give your opinion during the Comcast Post-Game Call-In Show following each game at (815) 874-8255.

Hog Talk Returns Tonight At Cousin’s Bar and Grill:
Bud Light Hog Talk returns tonight at Cousin’s Bar and Grill. Join Mike Peck from 6-7 p.m. at Cousin’s as he chats IceHogs hockey with Hogs Head Coach Bill Peters. Tonight’s show will also feature forwards Petri Kontiola and Pascal Pelletier. Stop out to Cousin’s, located on the corner of East State St. and Perryville in Rockford, and take advantage of some great food and Bud Light specials. If you can’t make it out to Cousin’s, tune into 1330 AM, WNTA.

Where to Watch the IceHogs:
IceHogs fans can now catch every IceHogs regular season game live on TV! Every IceHogs home game during the 2008-09 season can be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel-57. When the IceHogs are on the road log onto the IceHogs official team Web site, www.icehogs.com, and watch the IceHogs through AHL Live for just $6. Fans can also stop out to the Sports Page, located on Broadway near Alpine Road in Rockford, and watch the IceHogs when the team is on the road.

Tickets Now On Sale!
IceHogs individual game tickets are now on sale! Call (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any IceHogs regular season game during the 2008-09 season. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Rockford MetroCentre Box Office in downtown Rockford, at Hogs Headquarters inside Cherryvale Mall or on the Web at www.metrocentre.com. Tickets start at just $10.