The Rockford IceHogs will host the AHL All Star Classic on Tuesday and Wednesday at the BMO Center, and there is plenty to see and do before, during and after the two-night affair.
“Everybody is going to see what we have to offer around here,” Rockford defenseman Kevin Korchinski said. He will be making his second AHL All Star Classic appearance in a row. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The Hogs hit the All Star break after a 3-1 win at Milwaukee on Saturday night, but with a lot of work to do in the second half of the season, at 17-26-2, if they want to make the AHL postseason for the second year in a row. For now, all but three of them will rest up.
The 2026 AHL All Star Skills Competition will start at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and will pit the All Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events. Also on Tuesday, Chicago legend Wayne Messmer will perform the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
Jim Cornelison will open things up by performing “O Canada” and the “Star-Spangled Banner” for the 2026 AHL All-Star Challenge starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and then the four teams will take part in a 3-on-3, round-robin tournament comprised of six games of eight minutes each. The two teams with the best records at the end will face off for the championship in a final eight-minute game.
For ticket information, go to: icehogs.com/asc26.
The skills competition will test the All Stars in seven events: Inglasco Puck Control Relay, CCM Fastest Skater, Fortune Tires Rapid Fire, CCM Hardest Shot, Hard Rock Casino Rockford Accuracy Shooting, Hard Rock Casino Rockford Pass and Score, Upper Deck Breakaway Relay, and CCM Top Goaltender.
Hogs on All Star rosters…
Korchinski and forward Nick Lardis were on the original AHL All Star Classic rosters, and captain Brett Seney, who leads the team in scoring with 35 points (10 goals and 25 assists) and is in his fourth season with Rockford, was just added to the Central Division roster for the event.
Korchinski was named AHL All Star Classic MVP last year when he played for Coachella Valley and recorded a goal and three assists along with a shootout goal in the championship game. And Lardis began his rookie season skating in 24 games with the Hogs and picking up 26 points before his December call-up to the NHL. His 13 goals and six power play goals still lead the Hogs.
“I watched a lot of clips of (Korchinski) getting that MVP, and it was pretty cool,” Lardis said. “And now I’m really looking forward to experiencing it, not just for myself, but doing it with him, too.”
Since 1936, the AHL has been the top developmental league for all 32 National Hockey League teams. About 90 percent of today’s NHL players are graduates of the AHL. And since 1995, over 94 percent of All Star Classic players have gone on to compete with long stints in the NHL.
How to watch…
Fans can watch every Hogs’ game on AHLTV on FloHockey!, and every AHL game in high definition on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile devices. It can also be reached through Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. AHLTV is also available through the official AHL mobile app, and games can be seen on WSLN 19.2 The365 in the Rockford market.
Also around the area…
The AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony will be Emceed by ESPN Sportcenter anchor and Roscoe native Nicole Briscoe at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Coronado Theater. Inductees include Chris Bourque, Alexandre Giroux, Jim Wiemer and Wendell Young. The AHL will also recognize the All-Star Classic Honorary Captains and Blackhawks Stanley Cup champions Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg.
There is no charge to get in and watch the HOF ceremony.
There is only a $10 charge for the Hard Rock Casino-Rockford’s All-Star Classic Postgame parties at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday and 10 p.m. Wednesday. Anyone can join in the party and maybe even get to hang with one of the All Stars. There will be live music from Nauti-Nauti on Tuesday and 7th Heaven on Wednesday, and the parties are open to all ages.
There is also a block party that is free and open to the public at the BMO Center from 4-5:30 p.m. both nights.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and sign up for the Rockford High School Sports Newsletter here at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks to local youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: At the break, Rockford IceHogs set to host two-night AHL All Star Classic
Reporting by Jay Taft, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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