After the Iowa Wild lost 3–2 in overtime against the Milwaukee Admirals Saturday night, the Rockford IceHogs clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The contest ended during the third period of Rockford’s matchup against the Tucson Roadrunners, a game the Hogs won in overtime, 2–1. Following a 2–1 loss to the Admirals on Sunday, Rockford’s record sits at 30–31–6.
Rockford will face either the Grand Rapid Griffins or the Chicago Wolves in a first round, best-of-three matchup. This will be Rockford’s fourth consecutive playoff appearance.
Player comments
Paul Ludwinski celebrates his goal against the Tucson Roadrunners on April 12. (Photo courtesy of Jimmy Doles / Rockford IceHogs)
Captain Brett Seney, when asked about making the playoffs, expressed appreciation.
“Every year, it feels like our division is always so tight … it’s the time of year you want to be playing hockey and it’s going to be a good experience for some young guys and as an older guy, it’s something that I want to win,” explained Seney.
“I’ve played playoff hockey … I’m really looking forward to having a good, long run with this year with this group, and I know the group’s excited.”
Young forward Paul Ludwinski also spoke about making the playoffs in his post-game interview.
“Looking back … the growth our team has had … proves that we belong in the mix and we’re looking to make some noise in the playoffs,” said Ludwinski.
“With such a great locker room and great leadership, everyone is feeling more comfortable,” Ludwinski continued. “Playoff hockey is the best hockey, it’s the hardest to win … to be able to fight for a spot to get in, to play in the playoffs is exciting for me … going to be a learning curve but I’ll embrace the challenge.”
With three games remaining, and being six points behind the Wolves for the fourth seed, Rockford will hold the fifth seed for the playoffs.
Regular season outlook
Ethan Del Mastro, one of four skaters from the Chicago Blackhawks who will join Rockford for the playoffs, returned to the IceHogs on April 11. (Photo courtesy of Jimmy Doles / Rockford IceHogs)
With three regular season games remaining, the IceHogs have a chance to get healthy. After facing injuries to key forwards in Seney and Joey Anderson over the last month, they returned to the lineup this weekend, contributing to back-to-back wins over Tucson. Now, with a playoff spot guaranteed, key contributors can rest and avoid injury.
With key contributors resting, Rockford has a chance to give Chicago Blackhawks prospects experience at the professional level. Rockford has already seen Taige Harding, a Blackhawks third-round pick from 2021, signed his entry-level contract (ELC) on April 1. Since signing, Harding has dressed in five games with the Hogs on an amateur tryout (ATO), recording two assists.
Another Blackhawks prospect, Aidan Thompson, who signed his ELC on April 12, has joined Rockford on a professional tryout for the remainder of the season. Thompson, a 2022 third-round pick, made his debut with the Hogs on April 13 against Milwaukee. In his debut, Thompson played on the first line with Cole Guttman and Gerry Mayhew.
Along with Harding and Thompson, Rockford will have three skaters currently on the Blackhawks available for the playoffs. After the Blackhawks’ regular season ends on Tuesday, defensemen Kevin Korchinski and Artyom Levshunov, along with forward Colton Dach, can join the Hogs for the final three regular season games. They will join Ethan Del Mastro, who rejoined the Hogs on April 11 after two months with Chicago.