Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
When the Rockford IceHogs took a look at the ice recently, they saw an opponent they could connect with well.
Last weekend it was the San Diego Gulls, a team in sixth place in the Pacific Division and trying to tighten their grip on a Western Conference playoff spot. The Hershey Bears are in town this weekend, high above the Atlantic Ocean, with their own team in the thick of things.
Competing in the Central Division are the IceHogs, who are ranked sixth in the Central Division and five points below the Calder Cup playoff line heading into Saturday's game.
As the AHL playoff race takes shape, another piece of the puzzle is how management can make short- and long-term decisions at the NHL level while also trying to set up the AHL prospects for the Calder Cup playoffs in March and April. The decisions they make (or don't make) must also be consistent with the goal of trying to get their AHL affiliate into the Calder Cup playoffs.
That might be more interesting for a club like Rockford's NHL parent team, the Chicago Blackhawks, who are trying to lay a long-term foundation.
The most important thing for the IceHogs over the next few weeks is how the Blackhawks choose to proceed as the trade deadline approaches in both leagues. The Hawks haven't won a best-of-seven series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2015. The last time they made the Stanley Cup Playoffs was in the 2020 expanded playoff format.
They are rebuilding, which means the front office needs to watch the players and make decisions. Who stays? Who is going? Who, if anyone, could join the Chicago organization in return?
What role do the IceHogs play in all of these decisions? A big part of the rebuild is for their Rockford prospects to go through the stretching pressure of trying to compete for a playoff spot. Even better for the organization would be to see young talent reach the Calder Cup playoffs, go on long runs and gain more high-stakes experience.
blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson His staff has decisions to make in both Chicago and Rockford.
After Olympics, Blackhawks call up two-time AHL All-Star defenseman Kevin Korchinski replace injured person Wyatt Caesar. The move not only fills a pressing NHL roster need, but also allows the 21-year-old Kolchinski to show how far his development has come.
rookie Nick RadiceThis season, he leads the IceHogs with 16 goals in 32 games and has played in 21 games for Chicago. Would it be better for his development to spend a lot of time with the IceHogs? Or is it better to stay with an NHL club? Maybe a bit of both?
Players, whether in Chicago or Rockford, know what's at stake at any given moment. In Rockford, they know the excitement that comes with anticipating the playoffs. Last season, the IceHogs defeated the Chicago Wolves in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs and then nearly defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference semifinals.
Korchinski learned from the experience.
“I think the Calder Cup is one of the hardest trophies in the world to win,” Korchinski said. “You want to create a moment. You'll never be the same [group of players twice]. You want those moments to last longer. You don't want to go home. You want to enjoy the playoffs. “
Combine the excitement of the playoffs with these potential decisions affecting operations on both sides of the NHL and AHL, and it adds another crucial subplot to the excitement and fun surrounding the NHL trade deadline.
About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. In 2016, he received the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.
