Matheson Iacopelli returns to Fuel roster

INDIANAPOLIS - The National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks announced Thursday that they have reassigned forward Matheson Iacopelli to the ECHL's Indy Fuel from the American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs. The rookie forward can return to the Fuel lineup Friday night as Indy begins a regular season-ending homestand against the Cincinnati Cyclones.

Iacopelli, 23, returns for his second stint with the Fuel this season, after tallying nine goals and one assist during a nine-game span from Feb. 22 to March 10. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound forward found the net in six of his nine ECHL contests, recording his first professional hat trick in a 6-4 Indy victory against the Quad City Mallards on Feb. 24. Three of Iacopelli's nine goals have been game-winners, including an overtime tally to lift the Fuel over the Kalamazoo Wings on March 10.

In 50 AHL games with the IceHogs in 2017-18, Iacopelli has compiled 19 points (11g, 8a) and a plus-7 rating. The native of Brownstown, Mich. made his professional debut during an eight-game assignment with the IceHogs last spring, picking up one goal and three assists.

A third round selection of the Blackhawks in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft (No. 83 overall), Iacopelli spent the previous two seasons at Western Michigan University, where he led the Broncos in scoring in 2016-17 with 36 points (20g, 16a) in 40 games.

Currently in possession of the fourth seed in the Central Division, the Fuel will try to clinch their first trip to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in franchise history as they finish the regular season this weekend at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Indy hosts Cincinnati Friday and Toledo on Saturday, leading up to a critical meeting against the Kalamazoo Wings Sunday afternoon.

Single game tickets for the final weekend of the regular season are available through Ticketmaster or at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum box office! Don't miss a second of the action during the 2017-18 season - follow the Fuel on Twitter and Instagram (@IndyFuel) and ‘Like' the Fuel on Facebook.

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