Weekend Warriors: Ice Hogs Edition

It was an action-packed weekend for the Rockford IceHogs as they wrapped up a three-game stretch against two of the American Hockey League’s Central Division heavyweights. After a gritty road victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Hogs split a home-and-home with the Chicago Wolves, showcasing both offensive firepower and resilience between the pipes.

Jan. 16: IceHogs 3, Griffins 1 — Road Upset in Grand Rapids

Rockford shocked many by stealing a 3-1 victory at Van Andel Arena against the division-leading Griffins. After two scoreless periods, the IceHogs erupted in the third:

• Ryan Gagnier opened the scoring early in the final frame, depositing the first goal.

• Dominic Toninato followed with a back-breaker to extend the lead.

• Samuel Savoie sealed it with an insurance tally late.

Grand Rapids’ lone goal came from John Leonard, who cut the deficit but couldn’t ignite a comeback. The Ice Hogs handed Grand Rapids just their third regulation loss on the season. Rockford did a nice job staying discipline the entire game only committing 3 penalties and letting the game come to them.

Standout Performer: Goaltender Stanislav Berezhnoy was key, stopping 31/32 shots and keeping Rockford in striking range. This included Rockford being outshot 11-2 in the first period Berezhnoy was the difference in the game.

Photo Credit: Chase Heuer/1410 AM WRMN

Jan. 17: Wolves 5, IceHogs 2 — Chicago Pushes Back in Rosemont

In the first of two meetings with the Wolves, Chicago delivered a strong response at Allstate Arena:

• Evan Vierling struck first, giving the Wolves an early lead.

• Rem Pitlick answered for Rockford with a power-play strike.

• Chicago pulled away with goals from Bradly Nadeau and Ryan Suzuki (who scored twice) before an empty-netter by Gleb Trikozov put the game out of reach.

Kevin Lombardi added a late IceHogs goal

The Chicago Wolves had their forechecking going earlier and often in this game. The Wolves won a lot of puck battles and controlled the pace of play for much of the contest. The Ice Hog defense was allowing inside positioning most of the night to Wolves skaters. Goaltender Owen Flores had a night to forget making 14 saves on 18 shots. It appeared the Grand Rapids contest the night before had taken a toll on the stamina of Rockford.

Jan. 18: IceHogs 6, Wolves 5 (SO) — Shootout Thrill at the BMO Center

Back home, Rockford responded in spectacular fashion, nipping Chicago in a back-and-forth affair that needed a shootout to decide:

• Martin Misiak got the Hogs started with the first goal.

• Justin Robidas and Bradly Nadeau traded tallies for the Wolves before Dillon Boucher knotted it up.

• Rem Pitlick continued his hot weekend with multiple goals in regulation.

• Cavan Fitzgerald capped regulation with a late equalizer to force overtime.

In the shootout, Pitlick buried the decisive attempt to seal the win for Rockford.

Standout Performer: Rem Pitlick was everywhere— he tallied two goals on Sunday including the shootout winner and was a catalyst for the IceHogs’ balanced attack. On the weekend Pitlick totaled three goals and three points on the weekend.

Central Division Snapshot

As of the most recent AHL standings, the IceHogs (16-20-2-2 36 points) sit in 4th place in the Central Division, trailing division leaders such as the Griffins and Wolves, but still within striking distance of a playoff spot.

Looking Ahead: Upcoming Games & 2026 All-Star Classic

Rockford’s schedule continues to challenge them as they look to build momentum:

• Jan. 23, 2026 — vs. Texas Stars

• Jan. 24, 2026 — vs. Chicago Wolves

Meanwhile, the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic is set for February 10-11, 2026, at the BMO Center in Rockford. This two-day event features a skills competition and the All-Star Challenge, spotlighting the league’s top talent—including Kevin Korchinski and Nick Lardis IceHog standouts named to the Central Division squad.

- Daulton Cooper/Olde City Sports Network

- Photo Credit: Chase Heuer/1410 AM WRMN