The partnership has been a hit both on the ice and as well as the nearby streets of downtown Rockford.
A nine-year association between the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team and Rockford IceHogs will continued for at least another six years after the parties agreed to a contract extension last week.

Rockford officials have been delighted with hockey’s positive economic impact. It’s also been a winner for the Blackhawks, who’ve had a string of players come from Rockford en route to winning three Stanley Cup championships since 2010.

The Blackhawks and the IceHogs — their American Hockey League affiliate — announced a five-year contract extension late last week that runs through the 2021-22 season while calling the BMO Harris Bank Center their minor league home.

“What we’ve been able to accomplish is the revitalization we’ve seen in downtown Rockford,” said Craig Thomas, chairman of the Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment Authority (RAVE). “It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Blackhawks are the foundation of all the good things you see happening downtown today.”

Top Blackhawks executives joined RAVE and IceHogs officials at a signing ceremony and celebration last Thursday at the downtown arena.

The IceHogs will remain as the Blackhawks top minor league affiliate, an link which began in 2007. The new deal takes effect after this coming season, the last in an original 10-year affiliation agreement that helped secure an AHL franchise for the city.

“What that does for us as a community is that it helps us build our sense of self-worth,” said Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey. “When we (first) heard of this opportunity, we knew we were going to do everything we could to make sure this didn’t become part of our Rockford folklore of failure.

“(Instead) this is the anchor operating element drawing people down to our community.”

The IceHogs have had nine straight winning seasons during their Blackhawks association. The link with one of the top organizations in professional hockey gives them access to players, coaches and management expertise.
The Blackhawks, in turn, have a stable partner for player development.

“It’s so important to draft and to develop and let these players have the requisite amount of time here in Rockford before they’re ready to come to Chicago,” said John McDonough, Blackhawks president and chief executive officer.

“But most importantly, this is about relationships and the people that we’ve come to know and the comfort we have with dealing with the people of Rockford,” McDonough added. “We’re proud to call Rockford home. We want to grow together we want to succeed together.”

Last season, 22 past and current IceHog players appeared in Blackhawks games and 67 have played for both teams since 2007.

A total of 22 IceHogs players have shared Stanley Cup triumphs with the Blackhawks. Ex-Rockford defenseman Nicholas Hjalmarsson has played on all three recent Cups winners while eight others have played on two championship teams.

The IceHogs have seen a 23 percent rise in attendance since the affiliation began. Last season, they set attendance records with 190,492 fans and an average of 5,013 per game.

“We had 11 sold out home games and we broke the 5,000 average in attendance mark for the first time in the history of IceHogs hockey,” Thomas said. “And most importantly, in accomplishing that is the continued support by our fans the the ever-growing fan base that we have.”

For IceHogs coach Ted Dent, the affiliation has direct effects in his roles coaching a team, developing future players and serving as a liaison with the Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks called the fifth year coach “instrumental” in the development of Stanley Cup-winners Bryan Bickell, Corey Crawford, Scott Darling, Hjalmarsson, Andrew Shaw and Teuvo Teravainen.

“You don’t often see long-term relationships with the NHL and the American Hockey League,” said Dent. “For us as coaches down here, knowing that we’re going to be here as long as we’re doing our jobs and holding up our end of the bargain, it’s a nice piece of mind.

“And it’s been fun for sure.”

— Blackhawks, IceHogs reaffirm winning partnership on the ice —