By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - The Rockford IceHogs hit the halfway point o the 2019-2020 season this week and were in are sitting in for fourth place in the Central Division. "We're sticking together," coach Derek King said of his club that's been depleted because of NHL call-ups and injuries. "We are working hard. And if you work hard, good things will happen. And they've been happening for us." Before Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Milwaukee, the IceHogs had dropped two straight to the…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - The Rockford IceHogs announced Monday that they have singed forward Peter Quenneville to a professional tryout agreement and released forward Josh Winquist. Quenneville, 25, leads the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL with 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) over 37 games, serves at team captain and was named to the 2020 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic as a part of the Western Conference All-Stars. The Edmonton, Alberta native is the older brother of current IceHogs forward…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Forward John Quenneville has been reassigned to the Rockford IceHogs, the Chicago Blackhawks reported Sunday. Quenneville, 23, appeared in nine games with the Blackhawks after being recalled on Dec. 22. The Edmonton, Alberta native has skated in 19 games with the IceHogs this season, tallying 13 points (8g, 5a) and a +9 rating. The forward posted a team season high-tying four-game point streak from Dec. 13-20 and has picked up eight points (4g, 4a) over his last five…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - It seems like late September around the BMO Harris Bank Center these days. That's because between NHL call-ups and injuries, the Rockford IceHogs are now building their roster, something teams do at the beginning of a season, not halfway through it. Rockford is currently without forwards John Quenneville, Dylan Sikura, and Matthew Highmore; defensemen Adam Boqvist and Dennis Gilbert and goaltender Kevin Lakinen--six guys the Blackhawks have recalled…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Goaltender Kevin Lankinen has been selected to representative the Rockford IceHogs at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic in Ontario, California, later this month, the club announced Friday. Lankinen, 24, is in his second full pro season and has posted a record of 7-6-1 with a 3.04 GAA and .909 save percentage in 14 games with the IceHogs. He won four of his first five games on the year, combining for a 1.99 GAA and .937 save percentage through that span, and led Rockford…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Kris Versteeg's second stint with the Rockford IceHogs is over, the team announced Sunday. IceHogs General Manager Mark Bernard said Versteeg and the club have mutually agreed to terminate the two-time Stanley Cup champion's AHL contract, effective immediately. “Earlier this week, Kris approached us about mutually terminating his contract, at which point we asked him to take another couple of days to think about it,” Bernard said. “We spoke again Saturday morning and…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - Not pretty. That is what coach Derek King said of the Rockford IceHogs after the club dropped its first three games of the 2019-20 season.  "We look good on paper," King said. "But we're not a good team right now. We're not a team. Team is the key word there." King said he could blame the early skid on the newness of the season, and that it may take some time to figure out lines but doesn't want to make that excuse. The 'Hogs are putting in the…

Staff Report ROCKFORD – Forward Kris Versteeg has been named Rockford IceHogs captain for the 2019-20 season, coach Derek King announced Wednesday. "It was a pretty special moment," Versteeg said of when King told him he'd be wearing a C on his sweater this year. "It's been a long time since I had a letter or wore anything. I don't expect to change who I am or anything like that, but it's a moment I am going to remember in hockey for a long time. It was emotional." Versteeg, 33, is…

By Chris Kuc CHICAGO - Erik Gustafsson smiled when asked his recollection of Pierre-Cedric Labrie, a former teammate on the Rockford IceHogs. "Big monster," Gustafsson said. To clarify, the Blackhawks defenseman meant that in an endearing way. "He's a great guy, a great leader on and off the ice," Gustafsson said of Labrie. "He's not the most skilled guy out there but he works hard. You know exactly what he's going to do and when I play against him I have to keep my head up. It's…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - The hearing to give Rockford citizens the opportunity to weigh in on the casino process and hear presentations from the applicants will be at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 23, at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.  The Illinois Gaming Act requires a public hearing about what needs to be certified by the city and other details of the proposed casino. Those items to be certified include: • that the Applicant has negotiated with the City in good faith; • that the…

Staff Report ROCKFORD -The Rockford IceHogs on Thursday announced they have agreed to terms with defenseman Jake Ryczek on a one-year contract that runs through the 2019-20 season. Ryczek, 21, completed his first full season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) last season, notching 33 points (9g, 24a) in 51 games for Halifax during the regular season. The blueliner posted eight multi-point efforts during the campaign, including logging season-high three-point efforts on Dec. 8…

Staff Report CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks announced Tuesday that they traded defenseman Henri Jokiharju to the Buffalo Sabres for forward Alexander Nylander. Nylander's contract has an average annual value of $863,333. He's signed through the 2020-21 season. Nylander, 21, recorded four points (2G, 2A) in 12 games with the Sabres during the 2018-19 campaign. He also registered a career-high 12 goals and matched a career-high with 19 assists in 49 games with the Rochester Americans of…

Staff Report CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks, on Monday, announced that they have traded defenseman Gustav Forsling and goaltender Anton Forsberg to the Carolina Hurricanes for defenseman Calvin de Haan and forward Aleksi Saarela. De Haan's contract has an AAV of $4.55 million and is signed through the 2021-22 season. Saarela is signed through 2019-20 and has a contract value of $902,500. De Haan tallied a goal and 13 assists in 74 regular-season games with the Hurricanes last…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Former Rockford IceHogs captain Joakim Nordstrom is playing for his second Stanley Cup as a member of the Boston Bruins. Nordstrom won his first cup in 2015 with the Chicago Blackhawks. The 27-year-old started the championship campaign with the IceHogs and went on to skate in 41 games with Chicago. The Stockholm, Sweden native appeared in three postseason contents, helping Chicago win the Stanley Cup in six games over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Overall, Nordstrom…

Cubs ban indefinitely fan who used 'offensive' hand gesture By Andrew Seligman AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have banned indefinitely from Wrigley Field the fan that used what appeared to be a racist hand gesture behind an African American television reporter during a game at their ballpark. The Cubs sent a letter Wednesday to the bearded man who flashed the offensive sign in back of former Cubs outfielder Doug Glanville, who was working for NBC Sports Chicago on…