Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The Rockford IceHogs announced Wednesday that the team will play an exhibition game at the newly renovated Riverview Ice House as they gear up for the 2023-24 season.

The Hogs will play the Iowa Wild at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4 at the ice facility, 324 N. Madison St., in downtown. The matchup marks the team’s first preseason game in Rockford since 2017.

The exhibition coincides with Rockford Park District festivities celebrating the reopening of the 47-year-old facility. The district will hold a reopening ceremony at 4 p.m. with food and pre-game activities, including the new inflatable street hockey rink purchased through a donation from the Rockford IceHogs Community Fund and the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation.

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The park district began the roughly $9 million renovation of Riverview in April 2022, replacing the refrigeration system and ice mechanicals and improving the locker rooms. The district also added curved glass by the benches and soft caps on the dasherboards, making it possible for the IceHogs to use the facility for a game for the first time.

Tickets for the home exhibition at Riverview Ice House will be $15 each and available first to 2023-24 season ticket holders on Friday.

All ticket proceeds from the event will be donated to the Junior IceHogs outreach program run through the Park District.

The IceHogs kick off the regular season on Oct. 13 in San Jose, California against the San Jose Barracuda. The home opener is scheduled for Oct. 21 against the Chicago Wolves at the BMO Center.