The American Hockey League’s Board of Governors has officially approved the Chicago Blackhawks’ purchase of the Rockford IceHogs, the league announced Thursday.
The IceHogs, who have been the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate since the 2007-08 season, will begin their 15th season of affiliation with the Blackhawks later this fall.
The Blackhawks announced their plan to purchase the IceHogs earlier this year, and Thursday’s vote by the BOG made the transfer of ownership official.
“For the past 14 years, the Rockford IceHogs have been an invaluable asset as an affiliate for the development of our players and staff at the Chicago Blackhawks,” President of Hockey Operations and GM Stan Bowman said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to use the IceHogs as an extension of the Blackhawks to reinvigorate our roster with talent that is built from within, develop our young players and create depth throughout our system.”
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
As part of that transfer of ownership, the Blackhawks joined together with the city of Rockford and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to launch a $23 million renovation plan for BMO Harris Bank Center, the home rink for the IceHogs.
