Fast Facts: Moose vs. Rockford – Dec. 20

The Manitoba Moose (6-16-0-1) return home to take on the Rockford IceHogs (10-12-3-0) tonight (7 p.m.) at Canada Life Centre. The Moose are coming off a 4-0 loss to Nikita Tolopilo and the Abbotsford Canucks. Tolopilo stopped all 27 shots he faced to down the Moose. The IceHogs were dumped 5-1 by the Iowa Wild their last time out.

Tonight is the Shut Out Hunger game, presented by Red River Co-op, in support of Harvest Manitoba. Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the game as donations to those in need this holiday season. Tickets are available at moosehockey.com/tickets.

Reinforcements Have Arrived

The Moose had two new additions join the roster yesterday. Nikita Chibrikov is back with the club after a four-game run with the Winnipeg Jets, and Winnipeg also assigned defenceman Dylan Coghlan to join the Moose. Chibrikov recorded two goals and three points with the Jets this season, and leads the Moose with 13 points (5G, 8A). Coghlan appeared in one game with the Jets this season and previously recorded 16 goals and 41 points with the Springfield Thunderbirds during the 2023-24 season. The Duncan, B.C. product tied for first among all AHL defencemen in goals that season.

Century Mark

Tyson Empey played his 100th AHL contest in Sunday evening’s tilt against the Canucks. This isn’t the first career milestone Swift Current, Sask. product has hit this season; he recorded a career high in goals with his fourth tally of the campaign in the club’s matchup against Chicago on Nov. 16. The Swift Current, Sask. native has recorded 19 points (8G, 11A) through 100 AHL contests. Empey has also played 147 games in the ECHL, including 64 games with the South Carolina Stingrays during the 2023-24 season.

Pucks to the Net

Mason Shaw led the team in shots for three of their four games on the road, and recorded two points (1G, 1A) during the trip. The Wainwright, Alta. product is second among Moose skaters with 55 shots on goal and is one of six Moose skaters to have recorded four or more goals this season. Shaw is also one of just four players on the roster to have skated in all the club’s first 23 matchups, alongside Parker Ford, C.J. Suess, and Axel Jonsson-Fjällby. He has recorded at least one shot on goal in all but one of his appearances and has registered a season-high of five shots on two separate appearances.

A Defenceman’s Debut

Graham Sward made his AHL debut for the Moose in his hometown of Abbotsford, B.C. on Sunday evening. The rookie defender has played 14 games with the club’s ECHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, and recorded four assists. Sward previously posted 81 points (15G, 66A) in 66 games with the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild during the 2023-24 season; the second-most among all WHL defencemen. He becomes the fourth player to make their AHL debut with the Moose this season, alongside Elias Salomonsson, Domenic DiVincentiis and Fabian Wagner.

Who's Trending?

Kaapo Kähkönen made 63 saves through the Manitoba’s weekend series against the Canucks, including a season-high 34 saves on Saturday. He is the first Moose goaltender to get the start in both games of a back-to-back set this season. Kähkönen appeared in each of the club’s past three games; his second time this season starting three games in a row.

Broadcast coverage of tonight's game gets going at 6:45 p.m. CT on cjob.com, the Winnipeg Jets App and AHLTV on FloHockey.