The Rockford IceHogs are heading into their 2026-27 season with a roster that looks a lot different from the group that slogged through last year’s finish. They’ll open Oct. 3 at the BMO Center against the Milwaukee Admirals, and on Oct. 2 the team released its opening roster: 15 forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies.
That turnover comes with purpose. Rockford is trying to bounce back from a rough 2025-26 campaign that ended with a last-place finish in the Central Division at 28-39-5 and 61 points.
It was a frustrating first season behind the bench for Jared Nightingale, with injuries and call-ups repeatedly knocking the team off course. Assistant coach Rob Klinkhammer is gone after four seasons, while Josh MacNevin is back for a third year.
The forward group is where the IceHogs have the most obvious scoring potential. Last season, Rockford managed 196 goals, its lowest full-season total since 2018-19. Nick Lardis led the way with 18, while Joey Anderson and Brett Seney each had 17, and Rem Pitlick and Dominic Toninato finished with 16 apiece.
Seney and Toninato are back, and they’re joined by Landon Slaggert, who was assigned Monday from the Blackhawks. Paul Ludwinski is also looking for a reset after a season-ending left knee injury limited him to three games last year. Dillon Boucher and Connor Mylymok arrive with NHL contracts after catching the Blackhawks’ attention last season.
Then there’s the next wave. Sacha Boisvert, Jiri Felcman, A.J.
Spellacy and Marek Vanacker are all entering their first full pro seasons after strong years as prospects. It’s a young group, but Rockford also has veterans who have already shown they can produce in the AHL.
The blue line has been reworked in a big way, and that might be the most important change on the roster. The IceHogs gave up 245 goals last season, the most since 2016-17, a rate of 3.4 per game that made life miserable all year. In response, the organization brought in a defense corps loaded with experience.
Dylan Anhorn and Connor Mackey were signed to NHL contracts on July 1, the opening day of free agency. Mackey brings NHL game experience, while both players have plenty of AHL time on their resumes. Ashton Cumby was added on an AHL deal, with toughness a major part of his game.
Cavan Fitzgerald is back for a third season and is likely to wear an assistant captain’s letter for the third straight year. Derrick Pouliot is set for his first full season with the IceHogs after being acquired for Aidan Thompson at last year’s trade deadline.
In goal, Rockford is starting with a young trio. Stanislav Berezhnoy and Drew Commesso return for their second and fourth seasons, and Adam Gajan is in for his first full season. Berezhnoy is in the final year of his entry-level deal after a difficult season that included a 5-10-1 record, an .886 save percentage and a 20-game suspension that led the Blackhawks to sign Olivier Rodrigue.
Commesso got a new two-year contract over the summer, a clear sign the Blackhawks still believe in him. He’ll need to deliver if he wants to earn more NHL chances. Gajan, meanwhile, appeared in one game for Rockford last season after coming over from the NCAA and enters the year as the youngest of the three at 22.
If this roster clicks, the IceHogs have a path back toward the playoffs.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Face Early Pressure As Defense Gets Shaken Up Again
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Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro are set to make their season debuts, adding another layer of change to a defense group that is still sorting itself out this early in the schedule. Sam Rinzel will be scratched, which only underscores how quickly the Blackhawks are being forced to adjust while facing a Buffalo team eager to capitalize on home ice. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Already Face One Early Problem In Buffalo
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The bigger question hovering over this stretch is how long the club can get by while key pieces remain on the sideline. Connor Bedard has not been part of either of the first two games, which leaves Chicago trying to generate enough push without its most dynamic talent, even as some of the organizations prospects have been turning heads in recent exhibition and minor league action. Bowen Byram enters the year as one of the more intriguing breakout candidates, but the Blackhawks still need the group on the ice to start looking like a team that can turn promising names into actual results. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Depth Help Is Getting Closer At Just The Right Time
Colorado is starting to get healthier at the right time, with forwards Zachary LHeureux and Logan OConnor both back on the practice ice and trending toward returns soon. Neither will suit up for the next game, but their presence at practice is still a meaningful sign for a team that has been waiting on depth help after lower-body injuries slowed both players, one dating back to preseason and the other carrying over from last season.
For Chicago, the latest Avalanche update comes with its own wrinkle as Bowen Byram will miss a game for a family matter, leaving the Blackhawks a little thinner on the blue line for the moment. The opening could matter in a hurry if Colorados reinforcements keep moving closer, especially with a busy stretch ahead and little margin for a team trying to manage absences while keeping pace. [Read more 🡒]