The new American Hockey League season got underway last Saturday at the BMO Harris Bank Center as the Rockford IceHogs battled the Milwaukee Admirals. (News Bulletin photo)

Rockford IceHogs are back for 16th season

Outside the downtown BMO Harris Bank Center fall colors were just starting to take hold last Saturday.

Inside it was already winter and time for hockey.

The Rockford IceHogs kicked off their 2014-15 American Hockey League season with a well-played effort in a 3-2 season-opening loss to Milwaukee.

But winning games is just one objective. As the Chicago Blackhawks’ top minor league affiliate, a top task is preparing IceHog players to move up to the National Hockey League.

And the Rockford staff has more than delivered.

“The pipeline to Chicago has been good,” said IceHogs head coach Ted Dent. “We take a lot of pride in the guys that go to Chicago. Our job is to try to make the better players to be able to play with the Blackhawks.”

Rockford IceHogs mascot “Hammy” greets fans in the stands during last Saturday’s American Hockey League season opener against the Milwaukee Admirals. (News Bulletin photo)

Ten former IceHogs have played on Chicago’s 2010 and 2013 Stanley Cup winners. Through the past seven seasons more than 60 different have played in both Rockford and Chicago.

Last year nine IceHogs were called up to the Blackhawks at various points and three made their National Hockey League debuts.

More of the same is likely this season.

“It’s a great group of guys, really good character in the room and so much talent,” said  goalkeeper Scott Darling, a 25-year-old Lemont, Ill. native. “This roster top to bottom is stacked and it’s going to really exciting to see it all click and get going.”

Last year the IceHogs recorded their 10th straight winning season, finished three wins above 500 and went unbeaten in 11 games in February. But they narrowly missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

Dent hopes for improvement after the near playoff miss.

“Our goal as a team is to get better every day and ultimately to make the playoffs and try to be part of the playoff picture,” he said. “I really like the character of the players we have and their commitment to their profession so far.”

A healthy crowd — announced at 5,228 — welcomed the IceHogs home for the first time since last April.

Former Rockford IceHog players hoist the Stanley Cup on new banners outside the IceHog locker room. (News Bulletin photo)

Many fans wore oversized Blackhawks sweaters featuring the classic native American logo on front and the names of favorite Chicago players on the back (Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews were top choices). The IceHogs also incorporate the Blackhawks logo on their uniform shoulder.

The fan-friendly IceHogs offer reasonably priced tickets. Full season packages start at $399 with free parking and other benefits. Partial-season packages as low as $98 for seven games are also available.

Rockford, now in the eighth year of a 10-year affiliation agreement with the Blackhawks, plays a 76-game regular season schedule (38 home, 38 away) that concludes in late April, followed by AHL playoffs.

According to IceHog figures, more than 2 million fans have watch games since the team’s inaugural 1999-2000 season.

BMO Harris Bank Center, the former Rockford MetroCentre, was built in 1981 and received a major renovation in 2007.

It can hold up to 6,500 fans for hockey and attracted a record 7,420 for a 2,002 game agains the Quad City Mallards.

The IceHogs play their next three games on the road and return to BMO Harris Bank Center on for back-to-back games against the Chicago Wolves (Oct. 25) and Lake Erie (Oct. 26).

—Jack McCarthy