Fuel Performance Review: Matheson Iacopelli

2017-18 FUEL PERFORMANCE REVIEW: MATHESON IACOPELLI

#11 | FORWARD | BROWNSTOWN, MICH.

2017-18 STATS: 10 GP, 9 G, 1 A, 10 PTS, 0 PIMS, 3 GWG

He may have spent the majority of the 2017-18 with the American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs, but rookie forward Matheson Iacopelli certainly made the most of his brief stint in Indianapolis. The 2014 third round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks was dominant in his 10 games with the Fuel, picking up nine goals and one assist - in addition to the 19 points (8g, 11a) he tallied over 50 games in Rockford.

Iacopelli's first assignment to the Circle City came on February 21, and it did not take the Western Michigan product long to make a splash in the ECHL. The forward tallied goals in each leg of a three-game sweep over the Quad City Mallards on Feb. 22-24, including his first professional hat trick in a 6-4 Fuel victory on Feb. 24.

Able to break games wide open with his speed and quick release, Iacopelli tallied three game-winning goals during his time with Indy. The 23-year-old scored twice in a 5-2 victory over Cincinnati on March 9, before striking in overtime to give Indy a critical 4-3 win in Kalamazoo the following night.

Reassigned to the IceHogs on March 11, Iacopelli picked up another two goals with Rockford before he returned to Indy prior to the final weekend of the regular season. However, an injury limited the forward to just one of the Fuel's final three games, while keeping him out of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

"[Iacopelli] is a goal scorer. He can put the puck in the net - he's got the tools that every NHLer wishes they have. If he can put it all together with a good work ethic, he's a kid who can play in the NHL some day, because you can't teach some of the stuff he is able to do." - Head Coach Bernie John