Mallards this week

Notes, quotes and fast facts from the Quad-City Mallards

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By Craig DeVrieze | Wednesday, October 18, 2006 12:06 AM CDT | () comments

FILE PHOTO AHL assignees, such as Jason Ulmer, won’t be a part of the Quad-City Mallards this season.

Longtime Quad-City Mallards fans need not be reminded about the benefits of American Hockey League affiliations.

Many of the Mallards’ 50-win seasons were built on the backs of primary AHL assignees such as Jason Ulmer, Harold Hersch, Cam Severson, Rob Voltera, Jeff Williams, Mike Kompon, Rob Gherson and countless others.

Mallards fans who trek to Rockford on Friday will get a reminder, nonetheless. IceHogs center Jason Guerriero and defenseman Nathan Lutz were assigned to the rival IceHogs last week by AHL affiliate Milwaukee.

Mallards president Tim Taylor said he continues to study the worth of Triple-A affiliations, but said he has to be able to justify the expense.

“It is something we need to continue to look at,’’ Taylor said. “There is a fee associated with that and we need to be sure the money you are paying is going to be advantageous ... From our standpoint, I don’t think that is our No. 1 priority.’’

Taylor looked into agreements with Omaha (Neb.) and the Iowa Stars last summer, but said talks were complicated by the fact both AHL teams already rely on ECHL affiliates.

“It has got to be the right fit for an AHL team and our team,’’ he said.

Taylor conceded affiliations can help beyond the players AHL team. It offers a recruiting edge too, he said, because players also are interested in signing with UHL teams who offer the opportunity to move up.

Last year, 14 IceHogs players did that, going to one of the team’s two affiliates, Milwaukee or Chicago.

Taylor said the Mallards lost one coveted player to the IceHogs over the summer for that very reason.

Still, he said of obtaining an affiliation: “You have to find the right mix. Right now, long story short, is not an ideal time for us. But we are looking at different opportunities.’’

Andrei’s here

Veteran defenseman Andrei Lupandin touched ground in the Quad-Cities on Tuesday.

His long-awaited arrival from his native Ukraine had been held up due to via issues, but Mallards coach Brian Curran said Lupandin will play this weekend — providing Andrei’s not a giant.

“Unless he’s 300 pounds,’’ Curran said, when asked if he would enlist Lupandin starting Friday in Rockford. “He doesn’t have time for jet lag.’’

Forward Tim Plett and defenseman Marcus Reszka, both on the DL to start the season, skated Tuesday. Veteran forward Jeff Petruic did not.

Additional Mallards’ newcomers might be announced today.

Around the UHL

Tiger fever catch it — after the Hockey Game. The Muskegon Fury and Port Huron Flags have moved weekend gametimes to avoid competition with a World Series, featuring Michigan’s own Detroit Tigers. Muskegon’s Saturday game will start at 3:30 p.m. and Port Huron’s scheduled 5 p.m. Sunday faceoff has been moved to 2:30 p.m. The Tigers will welcome the NL champs for the prime time World Series starts both nights.

The Fury’s Elias Godoy’s one-goal,

two-assist effort against the Mallards Saturday helped him claim UHL Player of the Week honors. He had three points (2 goals and an assist) a night earlier. Kalamazoo’s Tom Askey was named Goalie of the Week after allowing a lone goal in two wins.

This week’s games

Friday

Opponent: Rockford IceHogs (0-2-0, 0 points)

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Place: The Rockford MetroCentre, Rockford, Ill.

Mallards leaders — Goals: Jesse Rycroft 2. Assists: Chad Woollard 2, Glenn Detulleo 1, Jami Yoder 1. Plus/minus rating: Four with 0. Penalty minutes: Steve MacIntyre 17, Luke Stauffacher 17, Bryce Charpentier 12, Brent Currie 10. Goaltending: Jason Tapp 0-1-0, 25.28 GAA, .500 save percentage; Scott Gray 0-0-0, 4.99 GAA, .879 save percentage.

IceHogs leaders — Goals: Chaz Johnson 3, Jesse Bennefield 1, Steve Yetman 1. Assists: Jason Guerriero 2, Nathan Lutz 2, Bennefield 1, Kevin Ulanski 1, Tim Wedderburn 1, Robin Big Snake 1, Dan Boeser 1, Nicolas Corbeil 1. Plus/minus rating: Nine with 0. Penalty minutes: Bruce Watson 8, Robin Big Snake 7. Goaltending: Frederic Cloutier 0-2-0, 4.13 GAA, .881 save percentage; Brendan Cuthbert 0-0-0, .000 GAA, .000 save percentage.

Outlook — The first of 12 meetings between what could become the UHL’s two hottest rivals this season will pit a pair of, er, ticked off teams. The Hogs surrendered a pair of shorthanded goals Saturday, falling 4-3 to the Chicago Hounds at home. They lost 4-2 at the MetroCentre to Fort Wayne the night before. The Mallards, of course, took a 9-2 beating at the hands of Muskegon. Friday’s game could be a bloodbath. Last year at least, Rockford liked to flex its muscles at home while playing soft on the road.

Saturday

Opponent: Fort Wayne Komets, (1-1-0, 2 points)

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Place: Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

Komets leaders — Goals: Daniel Goneau 2, Mario Larocque 1, J.C. Ruid 1, Bogdan Rudenko 1, Pascal Morency 1. Assists: Bruce Richardson 4, Larocque 2, Ruid 1, Guy Dupuis 1, Mike Dombkiewicz 1, Jonathan Goodwin 1, K.J. Vorhees 1, J.F. Labarre 1. Plus/minus rating: Richardson and Larocque plus-3. Penalty minutes: Larocque 12,. Goneau 10, Kevin Hansen 9. Goaltending: Kevin St. Pierre 1-1-0, 3.03 GAA, .925 save percentage; Dan McWinney 0-0-0, .000 GAA, .000 save percentage.

Outlook — The Komets were surprised 4-2 on Saturday by the expansion Bloomington Prairie Thunder after winning in Rockford the night before. Bruce Richardson, a Mallard way back in 1999 but mostly a Triple-A center throughout his career, is a spark to the Komet offense while Larocque and Goneau have shown the years of top-level experience as well. Coached by Pat Bingham, the Komets will be a handful in the National Conference all year.

U’ve got press

The UHL has gotten some national press, but it’s not an overly proud moment for the league or president Richard Brosal.

Profiled in the Oct. 23 edition of “ESPN The Magazine” is the embarrassing saga of James Galante and the Danbury Trashers.

The article also details reigning commish Brosal’s taped conversation with a Galante associate in 2004, one in which Brosal appeared to agree to get a signed letter from UHL linesman James Harper stating Galante did not hit Harper in the mouth on Dec. 1, 2004.

The letter never materialized and Brosal has called the conversation, caught via federal wiretap, an “inside joke.’’ Assault charges against Galante were dropped, however, and Harper was suspended five games by Brosal’s UHL headquarters that year.

According to the ESPN article, federal prosecutors were focused on the 2004 incident as a means to prove Galante has a violent streak.

He remains under house arrest, facing 18 counts for racketeering.

The Danbury Trashers, of course, are no more.

Alumni news

Matt Radoslovich, last year’s third-leading Mallards scorer with 23 goals and 23 assists, was waived Tuesday by the ECHL’s Augusta Lynx.

Notable former Mallards on UHL rosters include Jeff Reynaert (Bloomington), Frank Littlejohn and Evgeny Lazarev (Elmira), Sean Kotary (Flint), Bruce Richardson (Fort Wayne), Tom Galvin (Muskegon), Mike Olynyk (Port Huron) and Rob Voltera (Rockford).

Just ask

Got a question for Mallards beat writer Craig DeVrieze? Mail it to Craig DeVrieze, 500 East Third St., Davenport, Iowa, or e-mail it to cdevrieze@

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