Although the Chicago Blackhawks season is over, there is some playoff action that their fans might be interested in: the IceHogs will be facing off against the Grand Rapids Griffins in the first round of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
It’ll be a best-of-five series starting Saturday night at the at BMO Center in Rockford. This is the IceHogs’ third straight postseason appearance but, after being knocked out in the division semifinals the last two years, Rockford is hoping to advance beyond the second round for the first time since 2018, when they made it to the Western Conference Finals.
The winner of the Central Division Semifinal matchup will advance to face either the Milwaukee Admirals, Manitoba Moose, or the Texas Stars in the Central Division Final.
How We Got Here: Rockford finished third in the Central Division
Rockford’s season can be divided into three parts: the mediocre, the ugly, and the rise from the ashes.
The IceHogs started solid with a record over .500 in the first 15 games, but the team cooled quickly after and dropped like a rock in the standings by the end of 2023. The stretch of games from Nov. 25 to Feb. 9 was a struggle for the IceHogs, losing 20 of 27 games in that span and enduring two losing streaks of at least seven games. However, starting in mid-Feburary, the IceHogs started to finally play together in a sustainable, cohesive way that led to a sharp upswing in their record, winning 23 of their final 30 games.
The team clinched a playoff berth with a 2-1 shootout win over the Admirals on April 2 with almost 10 games remaining — a vast improvement over last season, when it took until the final day to determine the IceHogs’ playoff fate. Finishing in third place in the Central Division, just one point shy of second, is a testament to how the IceHogs did not give up despite the bleak outlook at points.
The roster construction for the IceHogs isn’t dramatically different from last season with a forward group led by AHL veterans, a sprinkling of forward prospects, a defense core loaded with defensemen who could be NHL-quality eventually, and topped off with young potential-heavy goalies.
The IceHogs top veterans from last season — Brett Seney, David Gust, and Luke Philp — were back again this season, though 2022-23 Rockford MVP Philp missed a lot of time after needing surgery on his Achilles before the season started. Seney and Gust, though, played in a majority of games and led the IceHogs in production with 63 points (23 G, 40 A) in 68 games and 42 (16 G, 26 A) in 62, respectively. The two played a good bit of the season together on the top line, but they were also often split up — especially in the latter half of the season — to balance the roster out more. Philp, who led Rockford last season with 29 goals, re-joined the team in early March and, while it was obvious he was still getting up to game speed, he managed to add two goals and four assists in 15 games in a lower-line role.
The IceHogs also signed Anders Bjork (27 points in 40 games) this past offseason after the forward was with the Blackhawks the year prior, but he went down with a right shoulder injury in March and is expected to miss the rest of the season following surgery.
Speaking of injuries, the Blackhawks had several this season that impacted the IceHogs, though mostly in a positive way. Yes, the Blackhawks did borrow some prospects during this time, but not many of the key players on the IceHogs. Instead, the Blackhawks primarily acquired placeholder players from outside the organization, and those players ended up being extremely helpful for the IceHogs at the end of the season.
The most notable was Rem Pitlick, who was traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 6 and spent nine games with the Blackhawks before being assigned to Rockford. Before the trade, Pitlick had played in 32 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL, registering eight goals and 24 points in 32 games, and he continues that strong play with the IceHogs, adding another 14 goals and 33 points in 27 games. Despite playing just half the season in Rockford, he was top-six on the team in points, predominantly in a top-line role. The other placeholder player the Blackhawks picked up was Zach Sanford, also on Jan. 6 but this time off waivers, and he yo-yoed between the AHL and NHL in the Arizona system prior to the trade. Between Tucson and Rockford, he only had 10 points (4 G, 6 A) in 29 AHL games, so he was not quite the offensive addition Pitlick was, but Sanford was a useful, physical checker in the IceHogs’ bottom six. Unfortunately, he is currently out with an upper-body injury and it’s unknown if he’ll be available for the start of the playoffs.
Jackson Cates rounded out the IceHogs veteran forward group, after signing a PTO on Dec. 12 during the worst of the organization’s injury issues. Cates has 25 points (11 G, 15 A) in 50 games playing mostly on the third line, but he’s recently been acting as top-line center.
After the vets, the IceHogs are pretty stacked with forward prospects, though most of them are longshots for the NHL. The older prospect contingent was led by Cole Guttman with 40 points (16 G, 24 A) in 39 games, whose over a point-per-game rate was tops on the team. Next there was Mike Hardman, who rebounded from a mediocre 2022-23 season to a 22-goal and 37 point season, and Michal Teplý, who actually had a slight year-over-year drop in production rate from 0.45 point-per-game to 0.42. Guttman suffered an upper-body injury — likely due to a slash on his hand — on April 9 with the expectation that he would miss 3-4 weeks. That likely puts him just shy of being ready for the playoffs that start on Saturday, but it’s possible he’ll get into a game, depending on how long the IceHogs last.
The newly added prospects for the season were 2021 second-rounder Colton Dach, 2021 seventh-rounder Jalen Luypen, and 2020 fifth-rounder Ryder Rolston. All three were very useful to the IceHogs, but Dach is obviously the headliner: in a season riddled with injuries, he still managed a respectable 0.57 point-per-game rate in 48 games, using his power-forward abilities well when healthy. Neither Luypen (0.31) nor Rolston (0.31) popped off offensively like they probably wanted, but the two speedy puck hounds were excellent in defensive roles, often being relied on in key moments on the penalty kill and late in games. Antti Saarela (0.22 PPG), a 2019 fourth-rounder, was another defense-first forward prospect added this season, but he only managed to make it into 27 games due to injuries. He’s available for the playoffs but the Hogs coaching staff may lean more on players who played all season.
The IceHogs will have some potential reinforcements for the playoffs: top prospect from last year’s squad, Lukas Reichel, was assigned to Rockford at the end of last season. He only played in 10 AHL games this season (1 G, 9 A), but he’ll add some finesse and skill to the roster up front. Additionally, several Blackhawks CHL prospects joined the IceHogs in recent weeks, including Paul Ludwinski, Nick Lardis, Martin Misiak, and Samuel Savoie. Alex Pharand just joined the team this past week, and Gavin Hayes joined Friday officially. Last year, Savoie did get to play with the IceHogs in the playoffs, but it’s unknown whether any of these prospects will get the chances this season — although Ludwinski did suit up for five games before the end of the regular season while Lardis and Misiak each got a game as well.
Now, the blue line was once again the highlight in terms of Blackhawks prospects. Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan shined as a duo, creating a strong dual-threat pairing that was often tasked with shutting down top opponents. Del Mastro easily led defensemen in points with 37 (7 G, 30 A) in 69 games. His production was so good, he ended up as the fifth leading scorer on the team, beating out a majority of the foreards. Allan’s 17 points in 60 games were less flashy but very solid for a player who really is all about defense. Both impressed with their skating, defensive capabilities, and size throughout the season. It’s worth noting, though, that Allan was injured on April 2 and given a 3-4 week recovery timeline, so whether he’ll be available for the start of the playoffs is up in the air.
The other top defenseman was Wyatt Kaiser, a late addition to the team, as he started the season in Chicago with the Blackhawks. It didn’t take long for Kaiser to start eating the most minutes while playing in all situations for the Icehogs. While he wasn’t as offensively gifted as Del Mastro, Kaiser is more of a fully realized product at this stage, being a little older, and the coaching staff seemed to love relying on him whenever possible. Kaiser finished with four goals and 14 assists while averaging almost 25 minutes in 37 games.
Del Mastro, Allan, and Kaiser are one of the most dangerous trios in the AHL: they’re all elite skaters, have great positioning and gap control, smart with play reads and blocks (shots or passes), and know when to jump into the play offensively. They’re also all 21 or younger in their rookie seasons, so may have less professional experience than some other top defense groups they’ll face in the playoffs.
Isaak Phillips, Louis Crevier, Filip Roos, Austin Strand round out the defense core for the IceHogs. Phillips (14 points in 29 games) and Crevier (11 in 41) spent a decent amount of time in the NHL this season, but they were useful mostly bottom-pairing defensemen when with Rockford. Roos also played an understated but steady game for the IceHogs, shuffling around the pairings depending on where he was needed. Strand was acquired from the Chicago Wolves on Dec. 11, mostly to fill in while Phillips and Crevier were up in Chicago, but Strand carved out a role with the team and played in a majority of games even with the two prospects returned to Rockford. While this foursome didn’t quite have the same impact as the three mentioned above, they were integral to the success of the IceHogs this season and showed they could play up or down the pairings.
In net, the IceHogs have relied on two younger netmidners in Drew Commesso (21) and Jaxson Stauber (24) throughout the season, and while neither have impressive season numbers, both really showed out in the last quarter of the season. Commesso and Stauber had .906 and .902 save-percentage on the season, respectively, but they also put up an identical .921 save-percentage in their final 15 games each. It’s likely Commesso will get the start in the playoffs simply because he’s the player the Blackhawks are more invested in, but Stauber could be an easy swap in if his younger counterpart struggled at all.
Overall, the IceHogs are a decently deep team this season, if a bit on the young side in terms of defensemen and goalies. They were still in the bottom half of the league in generating offense (2.99 goals per game), but that number did trend up in the final 30 games (3.18). Defensively, they were just outside the top 10 for the season in terms of goal against (2.88), but this is another stat that got slightly better as the season wrapped (2.76).
What’s Next: Facing off against the Grand Rapid Griffins
The Griffins’ season started much like the IceHogs and the two teams were actually battling for fifth in the Central in December, but the Michigan team’s turnaround started a little earlier at the start of the new year. They went on to ride an 18-game point streak — the second-longest run in franchise history — up the standings until they landed in second place in the division by mid-February. And while they were never able to really compete for the first-place spot owned by the Milwaukee Admirals for a majority of the season, the Griffins finished strong and even clinched a playoff berth on March 28, a handful of days before the IceHogs did. This season saw the Griffins with their most wins and points on home ice since the 2016-17 campaign, when they went on to be the eventual Calder Cup champions.
As for their lineup, the similarities between the Griffins and IceHogs continues, especially in Grand Rapids’ top-six where they also have a combination of experienced AHL players mixed in with legit NHL prospects. Their top player by a clear mile was Jonatan Berggren, a former 2018 second-rounder and dominant offensive force in the AHL with 56 points (24 G, 22 A) in 53 games, which was tied for 15th in the AHL. He played mostly on the a line with other top prospects, 2022 first-rounder Marco Kasper (35 points in 63 games) and 2021 third-rounder Carter Mazur (37 in 60), a trio that got better as the season progressed. They were considered the second line, but Berggren typically played the most minutes among forwards.
There are a few other prospects in the forward group, like Amadeus Lombardi (2022, fourth-round) and Elmer Söderblom (2019, sixth-round), who bring different skills to the roster as well. Lombardi’s game is all about speed and playmaking and, while he was probably disappointed with just five goals and 21 assists in 70 games, there is something special about his passing. As for Söderblom, the 6-foot-8, 247-pound forward picked up a respectable 29 points (13 G, 16 A) in 61 games. Although he isn’t as overtly physical as you’d expected, he wins most battles anyway and can camp in front of the net for goals. Söderblom has missed time lately with a nagging illness and may not be available at the start of the post-season.
The top line for Grand Rapids was mostly comprised of AHL and NHL veterans. Dominik Shine, who has been with the Griffins for seven years, was third on the team in points with 33 (10 G, 23 A) in 63 games while his linemates are former NHL players Zach Aston-Reese (30 in 61) and Austin Czarnik (28 in 38). Joel L’Esperance and Taro Hirose occasionally mix up into the top-six as well, but primarily are veterans that help out in the bottom-six with the occasional offensive contribution. The vets tend to score more high-danger, often gritty goals, and play a bit more defensive than their prospect teammates.
As for defense, 2021 first-rounder Simon Edvinsson is a gem on the Griffins blue line, one of the most talented puck-handlers in the AHL currently with high-level in-zone instincts who smartly uses his 6-6, 216-pound frame well. But he’s far from the only prospect: William Wallinder (2022, second round) is a creative offensive defensive man while Albert Johansson and Antti Tuomisto (both selected in 2019, second round) are mobile skaters with above average defensive capabilities. Radim Simek and Josiah Didier, both 31, provide stable AHL experience on the back end for these impressive prospects.
Also, 2021 second-rounder Shai Buium recently joined the Griffins after his NCAA season with the Denver ended. He likely won’t play in the playoffs but, if he does, he’s a tricky, agile defensemen who can make opponents look silly and loves to set up his teammates with silky passes. He had seven goals and 27 assists in 43 NCAA games.
The Griffins goalie duo is an interesting mix of youth and experience. Sebastian Cossa, 21, has really flourished this season, breaking a 21-year-old franchise record by helping the Griffins earn points in 19 straight starts. He finished with a .913 save percentage and 2.41 goals-against average on the season. Michael Hutchinson, 34, was brought on to be both a veteran mentor thanks to his NHL experience and be a back-up for the Red Wings goalie tandem in the NHL. He ended up with just a .892 save percentage and 2.89 GAA. The Griffins will obviously lean on Cossa against the IceHogs.
Statistically, the Griffins have similar results to the IceHogs: they average 2.88 goals for (25th in the league and 2.81 goals against (7th), with their final 30 game totals being 3.11 and 2.71, respectively.
Who will win: Too close to call
During the regular season, the IceHogs and Griffins played each other 12 times with Rockford going 4-6-2, though Rockford did have momentum at the end of the series by winning three of the last five matchups. The games between these two were also typically close, with 10 of the 12 meetings being decided by two goals or less and with three being decided in overtime or the shootout. The IceHogs also ended the Griffins’ record home point streak at 19 with a decisive 2-0 victory on April 12, one of just a few instances when the Griffins were held off the score sheet in the back half of the season.
As mentioned many times above, the two teams really are built and play similarly. The Griffins arguably have the best forward prospect in the series in Berggren, but Guttman would give him a run for his money if he’s healthy enough to go. Reichel could be a difference maker as well, but he hasn’t been particularly successful the last two playoff runs for the IceHogs. Both teams have most of their prospect star power on the blue line and, while Grand Rapids’s Edvinsson is the cream of the crop here, Rockford has the better one-two punch of Kaiser and Del Mastro. Allan being ready would further tilt this in the IceHogs favor, though Wallinder will likely be trouble on the power play.
It might come down to a goalie battle. Cossa and Commesso both had incredible finishes to the season, though Cossa was more consistent. Cossa posted a 5-2-1 record against the IceHogs during the regular season while Commesso was 3-3-1 against the Griffitns. However, the IceHogs backup (Stauber) was much better than Hutchinson, so they have a bit more wiggle room if a swap is needed.
The Griffins seemed to be the more cohesive, smooth skating team earlier in the season and were able to take advantage of defensive breakdowns easily. However, in the final few games, the IceHogs simply outworked and out-maneuvered the Griffins, playing a more north-south grinding game that wore the Griffins down. The IceHogs are a little more banged up and may be missing a few key pieces (Allan, Guttman), so it’s going to be an interesting matchup for sure.
Central Division First Round Schedule
- Game 1: Saturday, April 27 | BMO Harris Bank Center @ 7 p.m.
- Game 2: Wednesday, May 1 | Van Andel Arena @ 6 p.m.
- Game 3: Friday, May 3 | Van Andel Arena @ 6 p.m.
- Game 4: Sunday, May 5 | BMO Harris Bank Center @ 4 p.m. (if necessary)
- Game 5: Friday, May 10 | Van Andel Arena @ 6 p.m (if necessary)
How to tune-in
Live stream: AHL.TV
Live audio: IceHogs Broadcast Network at IceHogs.com and on IceHogs app; MidWest Family’s local stations including 104.9 The X, B103, 95.3 The Bull, and Rockford Greatest Hits 100.5.