Rockford IceHogs (UHL)

Rockford IceHogs
founding	1999
resolution	2007
history	Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks 1991–1993 Thunder Bay Senators 1993–1996 Thunder Bay Thunder Cats 1996–1999 Rockford IceHogs 1999–2007
Stadion	Rockford MetroCentre
Location	Rockford , Illinois
Team colors	red, black, white
league	United Hockey League (1999-2007)
division	Western Division (1999–2000) Southwest Division (2000–2001) Western Division (2001–2007)
Cooperations	Nashville Predators ( NHL ) (2006-2007) Milwaukee Admirals ( AHL ) (2006-2007)
Kelly Cups	no

The Rockford IceHogs were a professional American ice hockey team from Rockford , Illinois that played in the Minor League United Hockey League . Cooperation partners were the Milwaukee Admirals from the American Hockey League and the Nashville Predators from the NHL . The franchise played its home games at the MetroCentre in Downtown Rockford.

history

The Tri Vision Sports group bought the rights to the Thunder Bay Thunder Cats franchise from the United Hockey League in 1999 and relocated it to Rockford, Illinois. In October 1999, the team began playing there as Rockford IceHogs, the name had previously been selected in a "Name the team" competition.

In the 2006/07 season, the IceHogs played in the UHL Western Division , along with the Quad City Mallards , the Chicago Hounds , the Bloomington Prairie Thunder and the Fort Wayne Komets . The club was coached by Steve Martinson, one of the most successful professional ice hockey coaches, who led the team in its first 2005/06 season to the best season in franchise history to date. In 2004/05 and 2005/06, the club, which celebrated its first division championship in 2006, was nominated twice for the UHL Franchise of the Year award for the club's success on and off the ice.

On December 13, 2005, the IceHogs signed a cooperation agreement with the Nashville Predators, the UHL team mainly uses the players from the Nashville farm team Milwaukee Admirals in its gaming operations. Every year the IceHogs organized the so-called "Jersey Night" , in which the team wore a special jersey and later auctioned it off for a good cause. In the past, the shirts depicted famous people as well as events such as Elvis Presley and St. Patrick's Day or were from famous people from the region, such as B. Rick Nielsen , signed.

In 2006/07 the team played its final season and celebrated its greatest success by winning the Colonial Cup as the winner of the UHL playoffs.

In summer 2007, the team was disbanded because the Rockford Metro Center has bought the team name and the team logo and the franchise of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League was moved (AHL) to Rockford, that in the 2007/08 season as Rockford IceHogs the Play operations in the AHL began.

Playing times

year	league	GP	W.	L.	SOL	PTS	GF	GA	PIM	Playoffs
1999/00	UHL	74	32	34	8th	72	238	268	1712	not qualified
2000/01	UHL	74	30th	38	6th	66	207	256	1596	not qualified
2001/02	UHL	74	27	41	6th	60	234	278	1631	not qualified
2002/03	UHL	76	35	34	7th	77	233	271	1698	1 round
2003/04	UHL	76	28	43	5	61	215	294	1821	not qualified
2004/05	UHL	80	46	25th	9	101	246	203	2243	2nd round
2005/06	UHL	76	49	19th	9	105	292	213	2592	2nd round
2006/07	UHL	76	48	21st	7th	103	266	193	2132	Colonial Cup

Web links

• Official homepage of the club