What Will Change For The IceHogs Under The Blackhawks?
Mike Peck, the Director of Business Operations for the IceHogs, and an overall great guy, joined the morning show to let us know what's going to be new for the IceHogs now that the Blackhawks have bought the team from the city of Rockford.
So the biggest question that we asked Mike on Thursday morning was whether or not the IceHogs would remain the IceHogs or if they would be rebranded as something like the Rockford Blackhawks. It has been rumored that one of the things the Blackhawks wanted to do with the purchase was to have a stronger brand presence in the city of Rockford. Renaming the minor league club after the NHL club would certainly achieve that.
Mike was straightforward with his answer. While he does not know for sure, it's an unlikely scenario. The IceHogs are one of the strongest brands in the AHL and haven't changed their logo since they played their first game in Rockford back in 2006.
One of the details of the change of ownership is a $20+ million investment in remodeling the 40-year-old BMO (nee Metro) Center (Centre). Again, nothing has been finalized, but Mike has been involved in some of the discussions on what will be done and he is excited for IceHogs fans to experience games from inside a "new" arena within a few years.
Construction on the BMO Center will begin in a few months once the IceHogs season is over.
This is an exciting deal for the IceHogs, the Blackhawks, and most importantly the city of Rockford.