GAME PREVIEW – IOWA WILD VS. ROCKFORD ICEHOGS

Jan 3, 2020

Iowa Wild (18-12-2-2; 40 pts.) vs. Rockford IceHogs (17-14-0-1; 35 pts.)

 

MEDIA KIT

 

Iowa takes on the Rockford IceHogs for both organizations’ first games of 2020. Iowa currently sits in second place in the Central Division with 40 points, while the IceHogs are in third place with 35 points. The game is the fourth of eight meetings between the two teams, with Iowa owning a 30-30-4-1 record against Rockford.

 

Last Game

 

The Wild earned a 5-4 victory against the Texas Stars on Dec. 31, with defenseman Brennan Menell scoring the game-winning goal with 72 seconds left on the clock. Forwards Sam Anas, Nico Sturm, Gerry Mayhew and Kyle Rau also added tallies in the contest, with goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen making 20 saves on 24 shots.

 

WILD Notables

 

• Forward Gerry Mayhew tallied 37 goals during the 2019 calendar year, the most of any player in the AHL, and scored 71 points, which ranked fifth.  
• Iowa’s four power-play goals vs. Texas was the most in a single game by the Wild since the team scored five at San Antonio on March 15, 2019.
• Forward Kyle Rau’s 13 assists and 15 points during December led the league in both categories.
• Iowa has scored first in four consecutive contests, the longest such streak this season for the Wild.

 

ICEHOGS Notables

 

• Rockford fell to the Manitoba Moose by a score of 4-3 on Dec. 31.
• Forward Tyler Sikura leads the IceHogs with 20 points (9g, 11a) in 32 games this season.
• Rockford’s 24 goals allowed in the third period is the fewest of any team in the AHL.
• Goaltender Matt Tomkins returned to the IceHogs after winning a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2019 Spengler Cup.

 

The Iowa Wild 2019-20 regular season is presented by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center and runs from October through April. For more information, please contact the Wild office by calling 515-564-8700 or by visiting www.iowawild.com.