When the IceHogs landed in Rockford in 1999 as part of the United Hockey League, they jumped into a community that would grow to embrace them wholeheartedly. It would return the favor in 2007, winning the UHL championship before making the transition to the AHL the following season.
But another addition to the city of Rockford in 1999 focuses on the relationship between the organization and the community around it, showing just how much minor-league professional team, especially hockey organizations, can impact their cities. I spoke recently with Rockford IceHogs Booster Club member and Hospitality Chairwoman Beth Sweeney to talk about her family’s personal connection to the IceHogs organization and what the team means to the city of Rockford.
Beth moved to Rockford in 1999, same as the team, while her husband has lived in Rockford his whole life.
“We went to a few games back when before we had kids, but we weren’t really into it or were big fans. But it was one of those entities of the town that they were here and you could go and watch games.” Sweeney explains of her early days experiencing the IceHogs.
As the years progressed and her family grew, there came more opportunities to get acquainted with the IceHogs as she says, “When my son was in elementary school, he went to a game with his Dad after his school hosted a fundraiser.” It was her son’s first game experience with the IceHogs, but there were hesitations to him going. Beth’s son Ryan, now a Sophomore in High School, has Autism.
“We had never taken him before. I always worried it would be too loud. He went to the game and fell in love with the IceHogs. He started looking up stats for the team, started following different things about them and doing his research and he went in to these details about all there stats.”
“We didn’t go back to a game for a while, but then we got into it again, bought a ten-pack of tickets, then a half-season, and now we are full season-ticket holders.” Beth explains as the love of the game from her son grew over the years. “When you have a child that has special needs, you have to find something that really interests them and that keeps their attention while also still keeping the rest of the family involved. It’s become something that our whole family can do together.”
For the Sweeney family, IceHogs hockey has become such an intricate part of their life as Ryan’s relationship with the team has continued to grow over the years.
Two seasons ago, the relationship between the Sweeney’s and the IceHogs grew to a whole new level. As Beth explains, Ryan has received services through the Easterseals and The Autism Program (T.A.P), a non-profit that provides disability services for those with Autism. The director of the program that Ryan was involved in knew then IceHogs head coach Ted Dent, and actually introduced the two at a season-ticket holder event.
In Beth’s words, “Ted Dent took Ryan under his wing.”
Dent allowed Ryan to sit on the bench during IceHogs practices, listen in on coaching sessions in the locker room and on the ice. “I can’t say enough good things about Ted Dent and how he really made a point to engage my son,” Sweeney says.
After last season in Rockford and the way that the Blackhawks organization made sweeping changes, including firing Dent just one season into a three-year contract extension, there had been some less than stellar opinions of Dent floated around. But for Sweeney and her family behind the scenes, there was a much more meaningful connection with the former head coach beyond him just being the coach of the local team.
“We would stand down by where the players walk out onto the ice before games, and he (Dent) would take Ryan down by the ice with him and they would talk about different things before the games. He really encouraged Ryan’s love of the sport and he didn’t have to do any of that. I cannot thank him enough for what he’s done for my son the last few years. He really went above and beyond to make him feel important and how great his interest in the sport is.” Sweeney goes on to say about Dent’s relationship with her son.
As the relationship between the family and the IceHogs grew, Beth looked to get more involved with the team and ended up joining the IceHogs Booster Club. Over the last few seasons, she has worked numerous games at fundraising tables, events around the city with the players, and eventually was named Hospitality Chair last season. As the Hospitality chair, Beth basically turns into the IceHogs “Hockey Mom,” helping provide meals for the team, making sure there is food for the team on road trips, making sure that a players’ family issues are always attended to, and even providing rides for players who did not drive themselves.
The players coming into Rockford, for the most part, are young guys making their first steps into the professional world of Hockey. Beth jokes (but is serious), “Some of these kids are 19-years old and don’t know how to do laundry!” Her family’s involvement in the community and the team has developed into a sense of family with the players in the city. It’s not uncommon for Beth to take her daughter out to lunch and run into a player running errands or getting lunch themselves.
The players are very embedded in the community and for the Sweeney family, Beth explains that they almost feel like her own kids, “The first player that really took the time to get to know us through the booster club and really be involved with the community was Ryan Hartman. We would see him around town and he knew my kids, knew my family really well and just got to know him. To watch him develop and eventually get to the NHL with the Blackhawks, especially with him being from this area, it’s awesome. When I saw his Mom last, I said to her, ‘I feel like he’s my kid. I’m so proud of him.’ We watched him grow up here and it’s really cool to see them make it.”
It’s not just her family, Beth explains that many other families have similar stories with former Blackhawks and IceHogs players like Bryan Bickell and Corey Crawford. Talking about them growing up through the team and eventually winning Stanley Cups and how that feels even more special for those in the community to see the success.
“I think the guys that are here are excited to being playing professionally, they are excited that they get recognized, and they love the fans. They get involved with the city. They live here, they are part of the community.” Beth explains about the feeling for players making Rockford their home.
While the Sweeney family’s story is just one of many from the Rockford community, it goes to show the bond that is created through the sport of Hockey. Whether it is Ryan watching film with coaches and letting players know their stats game to game, or Beth and her daughter running into Michael Latta at a restaurant, there is a special connection that hockey creates in the community. For Rockford and the IceHogs, the connection continues to grow.