Saturday, October 22, 2023, is the home opener for the Rockford IceHogs and it's going to be quite the extravaganza. Ever since the Chicago Blackhawks bought the Rockford IceHogs for $11 million from the City of Rockford, big changes were announced to follow. Much-needed updates to BMO Harris Bank Center were announced and now the team's merchandise will have a new look.
Rockford, Illinois has been the home of the IceHogs since 1999. Since the team's debut in the forest city, the home ice has always been at 300 Elm Street. When the 'Hogs first hit the ice in Illinois the building was officially known as Rockford MetroCentre, "the big orange box" to locals. Since 2011 BMO Harris Bank Center has had the naming rights to the building.
Since the break following the 2021-2022 season, the mega glow-up inside BMO Harris Bank Center has been underway.
Inside the big orange box will see state-of-the-art upgrades including a new floor with a professional-grade dehumidification system for the ice, new ribbon video boards around the arena, updates to box suites, the entrances, concourse seating, and more. The total investment in the updates is a cool $20 million.
Ahead of the upcoming 2022-2023 seasons, the Rockford IceHogs have been making plenty of "what's new" announcements, including new office space along E. State Street in downtown Rockford. What you might not have expected though is a change in the team's logo. This is the first time in team history that there has been a change to the recognizable Rockford IceHogs' logo.
The logo, as you may recall, looked like this.
The new logo drops the stick but still features Rockford's beloved pig, Hamilton E. Hog.
The Rockford IceHogs are hosting a block party on Saturday, October 22, from 4:30-6:30 pm, at Elm and Main Streets in front of BMO Harris Bank Center and will feature music by Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts will play while fans enjoy food and drink from 15th and Chris, Olivo Taco, TNT Funnel Cakes, LLC, Inzombia Coffee, beer specials, and fun games and activities, including axe throwing with Big Timber Axe Throwing.