Nearing the halfway mark of the American Hockey League season, the Rockford IceHogs have managed to put themselves in a position to qualify for the playoffs despite all of the call-ups the Chicago Blackhawks have made. The IceHogs currently sit in third place in the Central Division but are just a few points ahead of the fourth through sixth place teams, which means they will have to continue their consistent play to stay ahead of these teams.
The IceHogs have been able to weather the storm that has taken place in Chicago when, at one point in January, the Hawks had nine players on injured reserve. While they made some trades and waiver claims to fill some of those spots, the IceHogs have had their share of players called up in recent months. The most recent call-up happened Wednesday (Jan. 17) as defenseman Louis Crevier will head to Chicago to take the roster spot of defenseman Nikita Zaitsev (right knee) on injured reserve.
Despite these transactions, the rest of the IceHogs’ roster has stepped up and contributed when they lose players to Chicago.
Balanced Scoring
Veteran David Gust, who leads the team in assists and points (nine goals, 18 assists, 27 points), has been one of the most steady players for the IceHogs and found some chemistry with linemate Colton Dach when the Blackhawks sent him down. Unfortunately, Dach has missed the past couple of weeks due to being placed in concussion protocol after being sucker punched by the Milwaukee Admirals’ Zachary L’Heureux. Dach had been playing very well in Rockford, recording his first professional hat trick in just his seventh pro game when the IceHogs defeated the Iowa Wild back on Nov. 18.
Brent Seney is back in an IceHogs uniform, and that is welcoming news as the 27-year-old is the leading goal scorer for the team, netting 10 goals in 30 games. The former New Jersey Devils draft pick has provided some veteran leadership, and his 66-games of NHL experience gives the Blackhawks some options when needed. Former Boston Bruin Anders Bjork has been an excellent addition this season, with his most recent contribution coming when he netted the overtime winner in the IceHogs’ most recent win, a 3-2 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Jan. 20.
Del Mastro Named to the All-Star Game
Recently, rookie defenseman Ethan Del Mastro was selected to represent the IceHogs at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic that will be held Feb. 4 and 5 in San Jose, California. The twenty-year-old earned All-Star honors after posting 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists) in his first 31 professional games. Del Mastro is the first IceHogs defenseman selected as an All-Star since Andrew Campbell in 2019. At 20 years, 11 months, and 27 days old, he is also the youngest IceHog to be announced as an All-Star since Adam Clendening in 2013 (20 years, two months, and 23 days at the time of announcement).
Last season, Del Mastro served as the captain for the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) before a mid-season trade to the Sarnia Sting. The Burlington, Ontario native racked up 59 points (7 goals, 52 assists) in 52 games between Mississauga and Sarnia last season. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. The 6-foot-4 blueliner won back-to-back gold medals with Team Canada at the 2022 and 2023 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships.
Solid Goaltending
Drew Commesso, the second-round draft pick of the Blackhawks in 2020, has played solidly in his first professional season, thanks in part to having a chance to work with newly-hired developmental goaltending coach Matt Smith. Commesso initially had been sharing goaltending duties with Jaxson Stauber. Still, the team recalled Mitchell Weeks from Indy Fuel of the ECHL, and they have had these three netminders on their active roster since the beginning of 2024, but Stauber has not appeared in a game since Dec. 30.
This may have been due to Stauber’s inconsistency and the fact Weeks has been red-hot since being recalled. The 22-year old collected his first AHL shutout in a 2-0 victory on Jan. 12 against Grand Rapids and has won his first three starts in Rockford, posting a 2.00 Goals Against Average and a .923 Save Percentage. In 17 games, Commesso has a 2.93 GAA and a .893 SV% while Stauber has struggled recently and has a 3.43 GAA and a .890 SV%. The addition of Weeks does provide some stability in the crease until Stauber can find some consistency.
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When an AHL’s parent team struggles with injuries, it can have some serious repercussions for that AHL team. The IceHogs have been able to weather all of the injuries and related call-ups and have put themselves in a position to continue making progress in the second half of the season and contend for a Calder Cup Playoff berth.