Rockford IceHogs Preview: 2020-21 Season & February Schedule
(Photo by Todd Reicher via IceHogs Flickr)
The time has finally come. The Rockford IceHogs kick off their 2020-21 season this Friday, February 5, at 6:00 pm CST against the Cleveland Monsters.
This AHL season looks different in a lot of ways. The divisions have been realigned, one of our divisional rivals isn’t playing, there won’t be fans at the BMO, and there are significantly less games. In addition to that, there are currently no plans for awarding a Calder Cup. That could change down the road, but that’s where we’re at right now.
Overview of the season by the numbers:
30 Regular Season Games
15 Home Games
15 Away Games
4 Opponents
10 Games against Iowa Wild
8 Games against Grand Rapids Griffins
8 Games against Chicago Wolves
4 Games against Cleveland Monsters
The 2020-21 season may be different, but it’s also very exciting for fans of both the Rockford IceHogs and Chicago Blackhawks. The IceHogs have a very young roster featuring many Blackhawks prospects that the fans and front office have been excited about. It’s a great year for development. While that may not always result in wins, it’ll be very interesting to see how the individual players perform and progress throughout the season.
I took a look at the players attending Training Camp to give you some insights on who we may see hit the ice. You can find those here: Goaltenders | Defense | Forwards
I know it’s hard not being able to attend games. I miss the BMO and my seat up in 203 a lot. But, the IceHogs are doing the best with what they’ve got. I reached out to Mike Peck, Director of Business Operations for the Rockford IceHogs, to see what we can look forward to this year. Of course, I had to throw in a question about Scott Darling. The people demand news about Scotty!
What can fans look forward to and be excited about this season?
Mike Peck: The most important thing is, we have IceHogs hockey returning! It truly won’t be the same, however, without fans in the stands. But we are going to make each game as interactive as possible with different elements like first goal predictions, check-into our app each game to win prizes and a jersey raffle. We want to keep our engagement at the highest possible level with our fans while they enjoy some IceHogs hockey on TV or on the radio! It’s going to be a different season, but let’s make the best of it and work at getting back to “normal” as soon as possible.
What are the best ways for fans to connect and interact with the team while we can't go to games in person?
MP: All games will be broadcast live this season, so that’s definitely the easiest way. Whether it’s through AHLTV.com, Antenna TV 23.2, 1330 AM or SportsfanRockford.com, fans will have several different ways to tune into IceHogs hockey this season. With the interactions, the best way will be through the official IceHogs team app or by visiting our social media channels.
Of course I must ask - How's it been having Scott Darling back at the BMO? The fan excitement is QUITE noticeable.
MP: Scott Darling is such an easy guy to root for because he is such a quality person. Add in the history that he has with the IceHogs and of course the Blackhawks as a Stanley Cup Champion, it’s easy to predict that the fans are also rooting for him. From a playing standpoint, there are four really good goalies competing for playing time, so that’ll be up to the hockey operation guys to sift through and determine if and where he fits in. But personally, I’m really excited to see him back in Rockford and I’m hoping he can find success here and get another change to play in the NHL.
If you aren’t following the team on social media yet, here are easy links for you:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockfordIceHogs
Twitter: https://twitter.com/goicehogs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockfordicehogs/
Now, let’s take a look at the schedule for February.
For reference — 2019-20 Rockford IceHogs: 63 GP 29-30-2-2 62pts .492% 5th in the Central Division
Cleveland Monsters (2/5, 2/6, 2/27, 2/28)
The IceHogs have two back-to-backs in February. They’re both against Cleveland and they bookend the rest of the month. How fun! There’s good and bad news. The good news is that if the IceHogs don’t match up well against the Monsters, they only see them four times this season - all in February. The bad news is that if the IceHogs match up really well against the Monsters and put some wins in the bank, they only see them four times this season - all in February.
It’s near impossible to predict how teams will perform this year with the rosters being so different. But here’s a look at the 2019-20 Monsters. In 62 games last season, Cleveland had a record of 24-31-5-2 with a .444 points percentage. They finished last in the North Division.
The IceHogs roster is mostly made up of players new to the team. We don’t know how they’ll match up against any team. But, if Cleveland performs the same way this season, they’ll be a good opponent to start the year.
Iowa Wild (2/13)
The Iowa Wild is a team that always gives Rockford fits, especially last season. Which is *GREAT* news as they’re the opponent the IceHogs faceoff against most in 2020-21. February sees the first of 10 games against the Wild. If it goes poorly, the IceHogs have time to adjust before they see them again in March.
In 63 games last season, Iowa had a record of 37-18-4-4 with a .651 points percentage. That was good for 2nd in the Central Division - behind only the seemingly unbeatable Milwaukee Admirals.
Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that they’re a bit more average this year.
Grand Rapids Griffins (2/18)
Before finishing off February with another back-to-back against Cleveland, The Grand Rapids Griffins are coming to town for a Thursday night game.
The Griffins had a good, young team last season. But, much like the IceHogs, they had a pretty up and down year. If the season had been allowed to play out, and wasn’t rudely interrupted by COVID-19, the Griffins were one of the teams that Rockford would have battled for a playoff spot. The games are always fun, especially for fans, because of the Blackhawks and Red Wings rivalry. It trickles down into the AHL clubs and makes for some good chirping from the stands. We’ll have to be extra loud in a virtual way this year.
In 63 games last season, the Grand Rapids Griffins had a record of 29-27-3-4 with a .516 points percentage.
Warm up those vocal cords for some loud “DETROIT SUCKS” chants from your living room. Yes, they’re from Grand Rapids. But, it’s always good to remind them. :)
February is a light schedule compared to March and April. It’s a good time for this team to adapt to each other and form some chemistry before ramping it up for a busier schedule. We all want the IceHogs to come out flying right away. If they don’t, you have to keep in mind how new this roster is. They’ve had a week and a half of training camp so far. It may not be pretty and polished right away, but it’ll be exciting.
Get ready. The puck drops on the 2020-21 season Friday night at 6:00 pm CST.
Where to watch: AHLTV.com or Antenna TV 23.2 (Rockford)
Where to listen: 1330 AM or SportsfanRockford.com