The Rockford IceHogs, the Chicago Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate, will face the Manitoba Moose, the Winnipeg Jets’ minor league team, in the Central Division final round of the Calder Cup playoffs.
Rockford swept the Chicago Wolves in the first round to advance, while the Moose needed five games to oust the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The IceHogs and Moose split their four-game season series, with the IceHogs winning two games in Manitoba. The winner of this playoff series will face the Pacific Division final series winner of Tucson and Texas.
It’s the third time the IceHogs have advanced to the second round as the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate. They previously fell in seven games to the Wolves in 2008 and in five games to Grand Rapids in 2015.
Manitoba will have home-ice advantage and host Games 1 and 2, and Games 6 and 7, if necessary. The series starts at 7 p.m. Friday, May 4 in Manitoba and shifts to BMO Harris Bank Center on May 9. The teams will have three days off before Game 3 in Rockford.
Here’s the full schedule:
IceHogs vs. Stars schedule
| Game | Date | Time | Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Friday, May 18 | 7 p.m. | Rockford at Texas |
| Game 2 | Sunday, May 20 | 5 p.m. | Rockford at Texas |
| Game 3 | Tuesday, May 22 | 7 p.m. | Texas at Rockford |
| Game 4 | Thursday, May 24 | 7 p.m. | Texas at Rockford |
| Game 5* | Friday, May 25 | 6 p.m. | Texas at Rockford |
| Game 6* | Monday, May 28 | 7 p.m. | Rockford at Texas |
| Game 7* | Tuesday, May 29 | 7 p.m. | Rockford at Texas |
*if necessary