ICEHOGS TO FACE TUCSON FOR FIRST TIME IN 2018-19

By: Chris Robinson
ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Rockford IceHogs, in conjunction with the American Hockey League, today announced the team’s opponent breakdown for the upcoming 2018-19 season. The IceHogs will host a total of 11 different opponents at the BMO Harris Bank Center next year, including the team’s first-ever matchup against the Tucson Roadrunners, the AHL affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes. 
 
The IceHogs will welcome the Roadrunners to Rockford for two games next year and are also set for their first road trip to Arizona with a pair of matchups at the Tucson Convention Center. The Roadrunners won the Pacific Division during the 2017-18 campaign and reached the Division Finals of the Calder Cup playoffs.
 
Rockford will also battle teams from the AHL’s Eastern Conference eight times in 2018-19, marking the most matchups against the Eastern Conference in team history. The eight-game slate features four contests against the Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets), who moved from the Central Division to the North Division during the league’s division realignment this offseason, and home-and-home series against the Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals) and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins). 
 
The AHL’s division realignment also pits the IceHogs against their rivals from the Western Conference Finals, the Texas Stars (Dallas Stars), in eight games in 2018-19. The two teams squared off four times during the regular season last year, before the Stars ultimately eliminated the Hogs from the playoffs in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals.
 
Rockford rounds out its schedule of opponents with 12 matchups with the Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights) and Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predator), 10 games against the Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings) and Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild), eight tilts with the San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues) and four meetings with the Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets).
 
Below is a breakdown of the number of times the IceHogs will play their 13 opponents during the upcoming season:
 
Opponent: Games:
Chicago 12
Cleveland 4
Grand Rapids 10
Hershey 2
Iowa 10
Manitoba 4
Milwaukee 12
San Antonio 8
Texas 8
Tucson 4
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2
 
Season Tickets for 2018-19 on Sale Now:
Don’t miss a moment of the action by reserving your seats for the IceHogs’ 20th season of professional hockey in Rockford and 12th as the top AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. The IceHogs’ home opener is set for Oct. 13 and ticket packages begin as low as $105 for a seven-game mini pack. Please contact us at (815) 847-6399 or visit icehogs.com to claim your spots for this upcoming season.