IceHogs to wear 1920s-style retro jerseys for Centennial weekend

The Rockford IceHogs will skate out in a newly designed retro specialty jersey for home games Feb. 14 and 15 at the BMO Center, part of a Centennial Celebration Weekend presented by Hahnemühle that honors the American Hockey League's 90th anniversary and the Chicago Blackhawks' 100th season. The weekend matches put community celebration front and center while offering a collectible look fans will only see on the ice for a few games.

Both Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. will feature the Milwaukee Admirals as the opponent. The two teams extend the anniversary nod to the full three-game set: the IceHogs will also wear the retro sweater on the road Saturday, Feb. 7 in Milwaukee, and the Admirals will don their own AHL 90th Anniversary jerseys for that series. That coordinated set-up makes this a prime weekend for collectors and anyone tracking anniversary sweaters around the league.

The jersey itself is not a throwback replica of an earlier IceHogs uniform. Designers imagined what a Rockford sweater might have looked like when the AHL began 90 years ago. The crest, created by local artist Lissette Tellado, was selected through the team’s Local Artists Hat Series and features a cartoon Hammy wielding a hockey stick in a style inspired by 1920s animation. The sweater’s slate gray base, maroon and cream striping, and maroon numerals mirror Tellado’s hat design, tying the headwear giveaway and retro sweater into a single visual statement.

Fans who want a piece of the celebration should note two timely opportunities. The first 2,500 fans at the IceHogs' Friday, Jan. 23 game will receive Tellado’s designed hat, making that night an easy warm-up to the February weekend. Tickets for Jan. 23 and the Feb. 14-15 Centennial Celebration Weekend are on sale now at IceHogs.com, so plan ahead if you want to secure seats and be first for giveaways.

For the Rockford community and visiting fans, the retro sweaters and hat giveaway are more than photo ops. They spotlight a local artist, reinforce the IceHogs-Blackhawks affiliation during a major NHL centennial, and add collectible value to game nights. Expect larger crowds, extra photo and merchandise demand, and a weekend with a stronger than usual nostalgic vibe at the BMO Center. If you want the hat or to see Hammy’s 1920s alter ego on the ice, buy early and arrive with enough time to snag one of the 2,500 giveaways and the best views of the retro sweaters in action.