Now that we’ve looked into the forwards, it’s time to dive into what was really exciting about the IceHogs this season: the player(s) in net and defensemen.
Some might be surprised when the IceHogs announced their team award that 2021 first-round pick Lukas Reichel was not named one of the Most Valuable Players despite leading the team in points all season. Instead, 2021 European free-agent Arvid Söderblom was named co-MVP — along with non-prospect Dylan McLaughlin — as the Swedish rookie netminder improved as the season progressed and was arguably the main reason the IceHogs made the playoffs, especially with his play in the final month of regular season play.