Rockford, IL- The Rockford IceHogs (16-22-2-2) begin a three-game road trip tonight against the Milwaukee Admirals (18-17-2-1) at 7 p.m. The two teams will meet for the eighth time this season and the fourth at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. 

The Matchup:

All Time Series: 85-81-15-12

Season Series: 3-2-2-0

Tale of the Tape: The IceHogs and Admirals continue their season series tonight as Rockford looks to get back into the win column after back-to-back losses at home last weekend. The Admirals sit three points ahead of the IceHogs in the standings after sweeping the Iowa Wild last week. The Milwaukee power play still leads the AHL with a 29.5% conversion rate through 38 games. Daniel Carr, Jake Lucchini and Ryan Ufko all lead Milwaukee with five points against Rockford so far this season. Defenseman Ethan Del Mastro leads Rockford in scoring against Milwaukee with a goal and five assists.

Team Leaders: 

Milwaukee:

 Points- Ryan Ufko – 38 points 

 Goals- Daniel Carr- 16G 

 Assists- Ryan Ufko- 28A

Rockford:

 Points- Brett Seney- 33 points 

 Goals- Rem Pitlick- 13G

 Assists- Brett Seney- 23A

Three Things to Know:

Hit the Road: The Hogs take to the road for three straight and open up the week against the Admirals before heading to Winnipeg to battle the Manitoba Moose for a two-game series. The IceHogs have faired well away from the BMO Center this season, posting a 10-10-1 record, collecting points in 52% of road contests. Rockford will take on a Milwaukee team that is 12-5-1 at home this season and who shutout the IceHogs 3-0 the last time the two teams met in Milwaukee. Rockford is 1-1-1 in the first three games in UW-M Panther arena this season. The IceHogs will then take on the Manitoba Moose where they split their first series up north with a 7-3 win on Dec. 20 and took a 4-1 loss Dec. 21 at the Canada Life Centre. 

Sinking the Ads: Despite dropping their last contest with Milwaukee, the IceHogs have held the Admirals to three goals or less in each of the first seven meetings this season. The Central division foes have battled in multiple one-goal contests and have had three games head to overtime with the IceHogs going 1-2 in the overtime battles.  Rockford has gone 19/22 on the penalty kill through their first seven games against Milwaukee this season. 

Lardis Returns: The Chicago Blackhawks assigned forward Nick Lardis to the IceHogs yesterday afternoon. The rookie has skated in 21 games with the Blackhawks during the 2025-26 campaign, logging seven points (5G, 2A). Lardis was named to the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic roster along with defenseman Kevin Korchinski to represent the IceHogs. His six power play goals still lead the club despite his call-up to the NHL in December. Lardis has also tallied 26 points (13G, 13A) in 24 games with Rockford this season. The Ontario native has three goals and two assists in six games against Milwaukee this season. 

2025-26 Matchups: 

The IceHogs will take on the Milwaukee Admirals Tuesday, January 27 at 7 p.m. at UW-M Panther Arena. The IceHogs will return to the BMO Center Saturday, February 6 against the Iowa Wild as the IceHogs induct Michael Leighton into the Rockford Ring of Honor. Tickets are available at icehogs.com. 

MILWAUKEE – Community advocates and legal experts in Milwaukee are urging people to understand their rights as protesters and observers following the killing of Alex Pretti during an ICE operation in Minneapolis.

What we know:

Bystander video shows Pretti filming immigration agents on the street before he was killed. The incident, along with the killing of Renée Good, has heightened tensions nationwide and prompted renewed outreach efforts in Milwaukee, even as officials say they are not seeing a surge of ICE activity locally similar to what occurred in Minneapolis.

ICE maintains an office in a Milwaukee School of Engineering-owned building downtown, but community members say fear and uncertainty remain high.

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Julie Velazquez, outreach chair for the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said volunteers have been canvassing neighborhoods on the city’s south side to educate residents about their rights if approached by immigration enforcement.

Local perspective:

“We’ll be going around the barrio – the neighborhood. Talking to folks about their rights,” said Velazquez. “About how to identify ICE or immigration enforcement officials and what they can do to keep themselves and their neighbors safe.”

Velazquez said the goal is to help people identify immigration agents and understand how to protect themselves and their neighbors.

She added that accountability depends on awareness.

“Long term it’s important those people are held accountable, and the only way we can do that is if we know our rights and when they are being violated,” Velazquez said.

Attorney Julius Kim of Kim & LaVoy said the First Amendment generally protects the right to film law enforcement and federal agents in public spaces.

“Generally speaking, people are allowed under the first amendment to film or video what they’re seeing,” said Kim.

Kim said emotions are running high following the Minneapolis shooting and urged caution.

“Living in really strange and volatile times and people’s emotions are getting the better of them at this point in time,” Kim said.

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He emphasized that safety should come first.

“Safety is number one priority,” he said. “Again, you may have the right to film or record ICE officers just do it in a way that is not going to interfere with them, try to comply as best you can.”

What you can do:

Kim provided the following tips for those who protest:

• People do have a First Amendment right to record law enforcement officers in the performance of their duties in public areas.
• If you record law enforcement, do so from a safe distance.
• You do not have the right to interfere with law enforcement activities.
• If you are detained or arrested by law enforcement, keep your cool. Don’t escalate the situation and risk getting hurt.
• Use common sense. If things are getting overly heated, pause or remove yourself from the situation.

Leaders also compiled a list of protest-related resources, including guidance from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman is facing criticism after it was revealed he recently attended a counterterrorism training program in Israel, prompting public backlash during a Fire and Police Commission meeting.

What we know:

The Milwaukee Police Department said Norman was out of the office from Dec. 1 through Dec. 7 while participating in a homeland security program in Israel. The trip drew sharp criticism during Thursday’s Fire and Police Commission meeting, where speakers questioned the timing and implications of the training.

For more than two hours, residents spoke before the commission, calling out Norman for attending the program amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

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“For this police chief in this political climate when there’s a genocide happening right now, to go learn tactics to further oppress our communities, is shameful,” said Angela Lang, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities.

One Fire and Police Commission member also apologized publicly to residents.

“I called this trip unconscionable and I believe that with my chest,” said Krissie Fung. “I think that for many Milwaukeeans this is not something they will ever forgive.”

What they’re saying:

Norman sat quietly in the front row during the meeting. He later released a statement defending the trip:

“At last night’s Fire and Police Commission meeting, members of the community and various organizations shared their concerns regarding my recent training trip to Israel. I want to sincerely thank everyone who took the time to express their thoughts and experiences.

Community feedback is invaluable, and I do not take it lightly. I am honored to serve a diverse community—one that includes a wide range of perspectives.

In 2025, I was invited to participate in the Homeland Security Program in Israel, sponsored by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). This program, established after 9/11, facilitates the exchange of best practices between U.S. law enforcement and leading counterterrorism experts. Given today’s global security challenges, I viewed this as an important opportunity to learn strategies for preventing and responding to terrorism—knowledge that ultimately enhances the safety of the entire community I serve.

As a leader, I believe in lifelong learning. Every experience, including the feedback I received last night, is part of that journey. I want to assure you that your comments were heard and taken seriously.”

Dig deeper:

The training program was led by retired FBI Assistant Director Steven Pomerantz, who said the program began in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks and is not political in nature.

“There was no political tones to it, no connection to the military,” Pomerantz said. “It’s all about law enforcement.” 

Pomerantz said Israeli national police have extensive experience dealing with terrorism and have shared lessons learned with U.S. law enforcement for years.

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“The Israel national police had more experience than any other police agency in the world dealing with terrorism and a lot of lessons they had learned over the years that they were willing to share with American law enforcement,” he said.

The program is limited to local law enforcement leaders, including sheriffs, police chiefs and commissioners. Pomerantz said participants learn how agencies in Israel share and analyze information to prevent terrorist attacks.

“What he learned in Israel and what he’s implemented since he’s been back, makes the people of Milwaukee safer,” Pomerantz said.

Another question raised during the meeting was who paid for the trip. MPD said the training is run by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.