INDIANAPOLIS - The National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks announced Tuesday that they have reassigned forward Matheson Iacopelli from the AHL's Rockford IceHogs to the ECHL's Indy Fuel. In a separate transaction, the Fuel have signed defenseman Garrett Schmitz to an ECHL contract.
Iacopelli, 24, registered two shots in two games with the IceHogs after being recalled from Indy on Jan. 17, and has tallied two goals and two assists in 27 AHL contests this season. Heading to Indy for his second ECHL stint of the season, the native of Brownstown, Mich. appeared in three games for the Fuel from Jan. 11-13, collecting 12 shots on goal.
The second year pro spent the bulk of his rookie season in Rockford, recording 11 goals and eight assists over 50 AHL games in 2017-18. Iacopelli also saw action in 10 games with Indy last season, tallying nine goals and one assist. Chicago's third round draft pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft (No. 83 Overall), Iacopelli signed a two-year entry level contract with the Blackhawks in March of 2017.
Schmitz, 25, comes to Indy on loan from the Birmingham Bulls of the Southern Professional Hockey League. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound rookie ranked second among all SPHL defensemen at the time of his call-up, collecting 22 points (8g, 14a) in 35 games. A native of Red Lake Falls, Minn., Schmitz is a four-year product of Hamline University (NCAA III), where he recorded 12 goals and 18 assists in 99 career games from 2014 to 2018.
The Fuel kick off a stretch of four games in five nights Wednesday as they head to Wings Event Center to take on the Kalamazoo Wings. Indy returns to Indiana Farmers Coliseum Friday for a rematch with the Wings, before visiting the Toledo Walleye for a two-game set starting on Saturday.
Single-game tickets are now on sale for the Fuel's 5th anniversary season at Indiana Farmers Coliseum! Lock up your seat for every second of the action at Indiana Farmers Coliseum with a Fuel Ticket Plan - grab yours by heading to IndyFuelHockey.com or by calling the Fuel front office at 317-925-FUEL. Don't forget to follow the Fuel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (IndyFuel) for news, updates, contests and much more throughout the 2018-19 season.
-- INDYFUELHOCKEY.COM --
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