For Immediate Release: September 29, 2017
Quad City Mallards Preview
The Cincinnati Cyclones will welcome in 14 different opponents to U.S. Bank Arena this season and we are going to take a closer look at each one. Up next in our preview series are the Quad City Mallards- ECHL affiliate of the Chicago Wolves (AHL) and the Vegas Golden Knights (NHL). The Mallards and Cyclones are back in the same division this season, following a one year hiatus that put Cincinnati in the South. Despite being in separate divisions last season, the two sides met nine times with the Cyclones taking the season series, 5-2-2-0.
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2017-18 Schedule vs. Cincinnati:
Home: 12/22, 12/29, 1/21, 1/31, 4/7
Away: 11/14, 12/15, 12/16, 3/3
Last Season:
2016-17 Regular Season Record: 40-28-2-2, 84 PTS. Third place in ECHL’s Central Division
2016-17 Leading Scorers:
Chris Francis – 27g-33a-60p, 63GP
Justin Kovacs – 20g-40a-60p, 68GP
Michael Parks – 29g-27a-56p, 61GP
The Mallards earned the third playoff spot in the Central Division last season, four points clear of the fourth seed Kalamazoo Wings. The Mallards found themselves in a first-round matchup with the Ft. Wayne Komets, falling to a 3 games to 0 deficit before winning game four at home, however the Komets’ lead proved to be insurmountable and the dropped game five to lose the series.
It has been a very busy offseason for the Mallards, as the question of who will be the Vegas Golden Knights’ first ECHL affiliate was answered. The Mallards, along with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves entered into an agreement to the the NHL’s newest club’s first set of affiliates back on June 1, which replaced the Mallards previous affiliates; the Iowa Wild and Minnesota Wild.
History:
The Mallards are entering their fourth season in the ECHL, following their move from the Central Hockey League (CHL) prior to the 2014-15 season. Quad City has seen success in their brief ECHL history, reaching the Kelly Cup Playoffs and eclipsing 37 wins in each of their first three seasons.
Hockey in the Moline, IL, one of the four cities that make up the Quad Cities region, goes back to 1995 with the Mallards of the United Hockey League (UHL). Quad City has also seen teams in the AHL and International Hockey League (IHL) in addition to the ECHL and CHL. The UHL version of the Quad City Mallards has seen the most success, winning three championships and reaching the playoffs in each of their 12 seasons.
Arena:
The Mallards play their home games in the newly-renamed TaxSlayer Center (formerly the iWireless Center); a 12,000 seat venue in Moline built in 1993. The arena has hosted numerous sporting events, concerts, and trade shows, and will be the new home of the Quad City Steamwheelers of Champions Indoor Football. The arena has also garnered numerous architectural industry awards since its construction.
The march towards 2017 First Face-Off is ON! The Cincinnati Cyclones return to U.S. Bank Arena on Saturday, October 14, when they take on the Kalamazoo Wings. In the meantime, we invite you to stay tuned in the coming weeks for information on tickets and promotions for the 2017-18 season, great offseason events like Concrete Clones, player signings, and MORE! Call (513) 421-PUCK for information regarding Cyclones Season and Group Tickets, and you can also get the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!
