From bowling to hockey, competitiveness drove Bryan Bickell's early career in Rockford

New York Times

14-02-2025

Wednesdays in Rockford meant bowling night for Bryan Bickell and many of his Rockford IceHogs teammates.
The group could be as large as a dozen. They'd meet at Don Carter Lanes on State Street any free Wednesday in Rockford and get rolling.
'Kind of broke up the week of our games depending on our travel,' Bickell said. 'As competitive guys as we were, everyone wants to win, so we always had a good time doing that.'
Advertisement
Bickell recalled being in the mix most Wednesdays. His career high was 265. IceHogs teammates Tim Hambly and Evan Brophey were up there with him.
'Evan Brophey, he always liked to throw the hard fastball down the pipe,' Bickell said. 'I was more finesse, play with a curve guy. … I was stroking pretty good there for a while. I don't even know if I could roll a bowling ball anymore with my shoulders all banged up.'
Considering how Bickell became a one-man demolition company in the playoffs, that's no surprise. What Bickell wasn't aware of, though, was those bowling outings inspired the IceHogs to later run a bowl-a-thon which raised around $100,000 over 10 years.
'I didn't know that,' Bickell said about the bowl-a-thon.
On and off the ice, Bickell's contributions are fondly remembered by the IceHogs. On Saturday during the IceHogs' home game, Bickell will be inducted into the IceHogs Ring of Honor. He'll be the fourth member of the ring and will join former Chicago Blackhawks and IceHogs teammate Corey Crawford, who was inducted last season.
See ya Saturday, Bicks 👋
Bryan Bickell returns to Rockford in just two days to be inducted into the IceHogs Ring of Honor. Get your game and/or VIP tickets soon!!#GoHogs
VIP Tickets (does not include game ticket): https://t.co/mMEgizXWapGame Tickets:… pic.twitter.com/yugmLsAcBp
— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) February 13, 2025
As Bickell made his way to Rockford and was awaiting a flight Thursday morning, he took the time to go down memory lane and discuss his days with the IceHogs and Norfolk Admirals in the AHL. Bickell spent the majority of his first four seasons in the AHL, the first in Norfolk and the next three in Rockford, before becoming a full-time NHL player. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015. He returned to the IceHogs during the 2015-16 season while dealing with an unknown health condition. He was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Advertisement
When Bickell, a 2004 second-round pick, was coming up through the Blackhawks, it was similar to what the organization is going through now. The NHL team had struggled for a number of years, drafted a lot of players and a lot of them played in Rockford. The Blackhawks can only hope the current version of the rebuild comes together like the last one.
The IceHogs' 2007-2008 team was especially notable for all the players who would later help the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup. There was Bickell, Crawford, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Troy Brouwer, Colin Fraser, Dustin Byfuglien, Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg. That team also included two high draft picks in Cam Barker, a No. 3 pick, and Jack Skille, a No. 7 pick.
'Obviously hats off to the scouting staff of the Blackhawks to get everyone at the same time,' the 38-year-old Bickell said. 'Obviously it wasn't going good for the Blackhawks for a while. I was fortunate to be part of that draft class and with those for four or five years with Byfuglien, Brouwer, Bolland. We had a quite good core of guys coming up through and then we get to play with each other. We get comfortable, grow together and push each other. One thing when you're in the minor leagues, you want to grow and get better, but then you want to work hard to make that next step. We kind of pushed each other to get the best out of each other. It shows for those guys who were down there and what kind of careers they had and obviously going up to Chicago and being successful was a big part of it.'
Bickell's stint with the IceHogs later in his career was different. He had been an established NHL player and was going through something physically no one seemed to be able to pinpoint. He still produced 15 goals and 16 assists in 47 games with the IceHogs.
'I thought it was mental, physical,' Bickell said of that time. 'We didn't understand. You obviously don't want to go back down after you went up and did what you did. Teddy Dent was there working, coaching. It was pretty good. Obviously later getting traded, finding out the real issue was kind of unfortunate that way, but overall, it was a good career, a good path. Rockford and Chicago gave me opportunities to be successful and obviously to be a Stanley Cup champ.'
Advertisement
Bickell was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes after the 2015-16 season and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2017. He signed a one-day contract with the Blackhawks in October 2017 and retired from the organization.
Bickell has been able to manage the disease through treatment and remains active.
'Just doing my treatments once a month,' Bickell said. 'Kind of day of day, just chasing around the kids. That's all I got going on. Enjoying every day, every minute.'
Bickell and his wife, Amanda, run the Bryan and Amanda Bickell Foundation. The foundation has initiatives in Canada to support people with multiple sclerosis and similar initiatives in the U.S. along with a program to support pit bulls.
Come Saturday, Bickell will be joined by his family in Rockford. He looked forward to sharing the moment with his kids and explaining the role Rockford had on his path.
'It was a big part of my career and how to develop as a player, a human,' Bickell said. 'The Blackhawks definitely gave the Rockford IceHogs the opportunity to develop and grow as people. Rockford, the city, was pretty arms up opening when we got there.'
(Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)