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2022 Rockford IceHogs Offseason Player Tracker

Who is staying, leaving, and newly joining the Rockford IceHogs?

by Courtney Bauman

July 25, 2022

in AHL, AHL Featured, Central Division, Rockford IceHogs

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Rockford IceHogs celebrate with Arvid Soderblom after a victory / Photo by Todd Reicher via IceHogs Flickr

2021-22 SEASON REVIEW

The Rockford IceHogs 2021-22 season was one that no one should be disappointed in. Did they win the Calder Cup? Well, no. That went to their in-state rival, the Chicago Wolves. But with a roster full of kids and Anders Sörensen being thrust into the interim head coach role early in the season, the IceHogs exceeded expectations. They finished the regular season sitting fourth in the Central Division with a record of 37-30-4-1 for 79 points and a .549 points percentage.

Hitting those marks earned them a trip to the Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time since their 2018 Western Conference Final defeat by the Texas Stars. As luck would have it, the Stars were their first round opponent in 2022. The IceHogs sent them packing early with a 2-0 sweep. Arvid Söderblom only allowed one goal in the two games. Unfortunately, they collided with the eventual Cup champs in the second round, and the Wolves sent the Piggies packing after a very lopsided sweep, outscoring them 14-4 in three games. Being eliminated in the second round stung, but for a team who wasn’t expected to make the postseason at all? That’s something to build on.

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Two of the biggest reasons the IceHogs managed to secure a playoff spot were rookie standouts Lukas Reichel and Arvid Söderblom. Reichel put up 57 points (21G, 36A) in 56 games to lead the team in scoring. That number also earned him the all-time IceHogs rookie scoring record, propelling him past Vinny Hinostroza (who notched 51 points in the 2015-16 season). Reichel finished three goals behind Matthew Highmore (24G in 2017-18) in the all-time IceHogs rookie goal-scoring race. His performance rightfully caught the eye of the Chicago Blackhawks, who called him up to the NHL twice over the course of the 2021-22 season. In 11 NHL games, Reichel put up one assist on April 16 against the Nashville Predators. His offensive prowess was more on display in Rockford, and getting plenty of development time in the AHL is going to be great for his career once he permanently makes the jump to the big club.

As a first round pick in 2020, Reichel may have been expected to have a big impact as a rookie in the AHL, but Söderblom was more of a question mark. He signed as a free agent in the 2021 offseason. He had good numbers for a young goaltender in Sweden, but converting those numbers to AHL and NHL success is never a guarantee. Fortunately for the IceHogs, Soderblom’s solid positional style and ability to read the play in front of him led to an immediate impact. In his first three games for Rockford, he saw over 40 shots, and he won two of them. Söderblom finished the season with a record of 21-15-2 in 38 games with a 2.76 GAA and .919 sv%. In five playoff games, he had a record of 2-3 with a 2.99 GAA and .925 sv%. It’s no surprise he was one of the winners of the team MVP award alongside Dylan McLaughlin (55GP -13G, 29A – 42P).

Söderblom and Reichel both remain under contract with the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2022-23 and will likely see more time with the Rockford IceHogs. But, there have been some pretty notable changes throughout the rest of the roster. Let’s take a look at who is returning, who has left the team, and who some of the newcomers are for 2022-23.

(List accurate as of August 3rd at 8:10am CT)

RETURNING PLAYERS

These players remain under contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, have received an extension from the Blackhawks, or have agreed to an AHL contract extension with the IceHogs.

Forwards

Evan Barratt (Entering final year of three-year ELC with Blackhawks)
Jakub Pour (Entering final year of two-year ELC with Blackhawks)
Josiah Slavin (Entering final year of two-year ELC with Blackhawks)
Michal Teplý (Entering second year of three-year ELC with Blackhawks)
Lukas Reichel (Entering second year of three-year ELC with Blackhawks)
Mike Hardman (Entering first year of two-year extension with Blackhawks)
D.J. Busdeker (AHL)
Carson Gicewicz (AHL)
Kale Howarth (AHL)
Riley McKay (AHL)
Garrett Mitchell (AHL)

Defensemen

Ian Mitchell (Entering final year of three-year ELC with Blackhawks)
Jakub Galvas (Entering final year of two-year ELC with Blackhawks)
Alec Regula (Entering final year of three-year ELC with Blackhawks)
Nicolas Beaudin (Entering final year of three-year ELC with Blackhawks)
Isaak Phillips (Entering second year of three-year ELC with Blackhawks)
Cliff Watson (AHL)

Goaltenders

Arvid Söderblom* (Entering final year of 2-year ELC with Blackhawks)

Coach

Anders Sörensen – Okay, not a player, but still notable. After being named interim head coach on November 6, 2021, Sörensen led his team on a successful run to the playoffs. The Chicago Blackhawks removed the interim tag on July 12, 2022, making Sörensen the head coach of the Rockford IceHogs for the 2022-23 season.

* – Contract includes European Assignment Clause, detailed in Article 11 – 11.19 of the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement — “The SPC of any Player may contain a clause that provides that, in the event his NHL Club Loans the Player to a club outside the NHL, during the period of such Loan, the Player shall have the option to be Loaned to a club of his choice outside North America.”

NEW ADDITIONS

These players have signed NHL/AHL contracts coming from other teams or have recently signed an ELC with the Blackhawks and spent 2021-22 in a different league.

Forwards

Luke Philp (Signed one-year contract with Blackhawks)
Buddy Robinson (Signed one-year contract with Blackhawks)
Brett Seney (Signed one-year contract with Blackhawks)
Dylan Sikura (Signed one-year contract with Blackhawks)
Colton Dach (Signed three-year ELC with Blackhawks on October 1, 2021; spent 21-22 in WHL, enters first year in 22-23)
Jalen Luypen (Signed three-year ELC with Blackhawks on August 2; spent 21-22 in WHL)
Dave Gust (AHL)
Bobby Lynch (AHL)
Seamus Malone (AHL)
Morgan Adams-Moisan (AHL)

Defensemen

Filip Roos (Signed two-year ELC with Blackhawks on May 23, 2022)
Ethan Del Mastro (Signed three-year ELC with Blackhawks on April 22, 2022; spent 21-22 in the OHL, enters first year in 22-23)
Louis Crevier (Signed three-year ELC with Blackhawks on November 2, 2021; spent 21-22 in the QMJHL, enters second year of ELC in 22-23)
Nolan Allan (Signed 3-year ELC with Blackhawks on September 16, 2021; spent 21-22 in WHL, enters first year in 22-23)
Adam Clendening (AHL)
Andrew Perrott (AHL)