Unlike their parent club, the Rockford IceHogs have consistently been in the race for the playoffs since the quarter mark of the season. They’re still firmly in fourth place in the AHL’s Central Division and have earned points in nine of their last 14 games. Considering most of the success is due to their young defense, a single budding star forward, and a young starting goalie, it’s not surprising that the IceHogs lost two games in which the latter two were missing from the lineup.
When you think of most valuable player in Rockford, the typical choice is Lukas Reichel (first-round, 2021).