Featured PostImages The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time 840x385 - The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time

The Quad City Mallards, a team formerly-subscribed to the ECHL, ended activities and ceased to exist last season due to financial problems and money losses, almost making the franchise to go bankrupt.

Setting the money issues aside, the team had high acceptance among hockey fans that learned to love the Ducks over the years and was filled with great athletes we will always remember. Here are some of the most important players in the history of the franchise.

Joe Dimaline

The player was the goalkeeper for the 2001 championship, saved 7 shootouts, and had a .908 save rate. He was one of the best goaltenders in the Mallards’ history with 2.52 goals saved against average rate.

Rick Emmet

Featured PostImages The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time Rick Emmet - The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time

Scored 48 goals and had 153 assists in 264 games he played for the Ducks. He played during the 1997 and 1998 winning titles.

Andy Fermoyle

Featured PostImages The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time Andy Fermoyle - The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time

He helped the team in the 2001 championship title. The player was a defenseman who scored 20 goals and had 79 assists in 275 games.

Steve Gibson

Scored more than 150 goals and had 208 assists in 320 games he played for the team. He was part of the 1998 and 2001 teams which won the championship.

Gary Goulash

The three-time all-star scored 35 goals and had 125 assists in 214 games played for the Mallards. He was also part of the 2001 championship team.

Frederick Jobin

He was a great defenseman in the 2001 championship team and earned all-star status in the 2001-2002 season. The defenseman scored 37 goals and 81 assists in less than 250 games. He also spent 590 minutes in the penalty box.

Mickey Lang

He was considered the Three Stars best player of the year for the CHL back in 2013. Lang scored 60 goals and had 63 assists in only 125 games played for the team.

Carl LeBlanc

Featured PostImages The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time Carl LeBlanc - The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time

He was part of the 1997 and 1998 championship teams with all-star performances in both seasons. LeBlanc scored 16 goals in 208 games and had 123 assists for the team.

Brandon Marino

Featured PostImages The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time Brandon Marino - The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time

He was the League’s MVP back in 2012, being the only Mallard in history to achieve this honor. Marino played in 196 games and scored 64 goals, adding 108 assists for the team.

Mark McFarlane

Featured PostImages The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time Mark McFarlane - The 12 Most Important Quad City Mallards Players of All Time

Scored 103 goals and had 137 assists in 393 games played in his career. He spent 1246 minutes on the penalty box and was part of 1997, 1998, and 2001 championship teams.

Hugo Proulx

The center scored 471 points, had 283 assists, was part of 3 championship winning titles, and worked as an assistant coach until his retirement in 2005.

Darren McMillan

The former Mallards’ captain played from 2009 to 2016, when he decided to retire from the sport. McMillan scored 20 goals, had 98 assists, and 415 games played for the team, winning an all-star title in 2011.

These athletes left a deep stamp as some of the best players in the Quad City Mallards’ history. Every true Mallards’ fan will recognize them as rightful exponents of the franchise’s morals and values.

Hockey players are great exponents of speed, strength, and agility, as the sport itself demands lots of these traits in order to stay on top of the game.

While having a great in-season training program to boost speed and agility is mandatory, it’s recommended to follow these tips to train endurance as ECHL players do in the off-season.

Take Time off the Pitch

Forgetting the ice pitch after the season has ended is mandatory for every hockey athlete. Get your mind disconnected from work and start playing less-demanding activities like fishing, golfing, or hiking, in order to relax your mind and body before the new season starts.

Fix Injuries

Featured PostImages Star Makers Off Season Resistance Training for ECHL Players Fix Injuries - Star Makers - Off-Season Resistance Training for ECHL Players

While resting and disconnecting from the pitch is vital for recovery, fixing injuries during the off-season is not an option if you want to continue performing at a high level. Check your posture, lose some weight, train your cardio, and improve your overall well-being.

Say NO to Alcohol

To be a professional hockey athlete, it is important to have a nice work ethic, as giving your best on the ice pitch is what hockey players need to do in order to improve the sport. Clearly, alcohol is one of those things that players need to avoid, as it makes them gain weight, losing speed and strength.

Check What You Eat

The same goes for your nutrition standards. Eating the right way will only improve players’ performance, as it translates in better working ethics and training sessions, and more chances to have an almost perfect in-season performance.

Do Some HIIT

Featured PostImages Star Makers Off Season Resistance Training for ECHL Players Do Some HIIT - Star Makers - Off-Season Resistance Training for ECHL Players

Improve your speed and build strength by doing some high-intensity interval training circuits, as it will help in developing your agility, thus improving your overall explosiveness while playing on the pitch.

Do some sprints on a hill and get your cardio going while improving overall performance.

For any hockey player, it is important to make the most out of their abilities if they want to achieve greatness in the sport. Doing resistance training will translate in better overall performance, resulting in a better demonstration of strength, speed, and power on the pitch.

Featured PostImages 7 Ceased Hockey Teams after the ECHLs Absorption of the CHL 840x385 - 7 Ceased Hockey Teams after the ECHL's Absorption of the CHL

Throughout the history of hockey, many teams ceased to exist for different reasons, whether it may be political or budget -related. After the CHL was absorbed by the ECHL, lots of hockey teams we will share in this list were affected by this measure. Continue reading to learn more about them.

Evansville Icemen

The team was active from 2012 to 2016. After the 2015-2016 season ended, the team ceased to exist due to being relocated to another city. The Evansville Icemen moved to Jacksonville, Florida and was replaced by the Evansville Thunderbolts.

 

Featured PostImages 7 Ceased Hockey Teams after the ECHLs Absorption of the CHL Alaska Aces 150x150 - 7 Ceased Hockey Teams after the ECHL's Absorption of the CHLAlaska Aces

The team was active from 2003 to 2017. The Alaska Aces ended its activities due to financial problems like the Alaskan economy dropping, the high travel expenses, and the low tickets sales revenue. The team was relocated to Portland after being sold.

 

Featured PostImages 7 Ceased Hockey Teams after the ECHLs Absorption of the CHL Ontario Reign 150x150 - 7 Ceased Hockey Teams after the ECHL's Absorption of the CHLOntario Reign

The team was active from 2008 to 2015. The Ontario Reign ended its existence and moved to Manchester, NH. The team was replaced by a franchise of the same name in the AHL.

 

Featured PostImages 7 Ceased Hockey Teams after the ECHLs Absorption of the CHL Elmira Jackals 150x150 - 7 Ceased Hockey Teams after the ECHL's Absorption of the CHLElmira Jackals

The team was active from 2007 to 2017. The Elmira Jackals ceased to exist as the team had no ownership whatsoever. The team and the arena were run by the county of Alaska, and after they decided to sell the arena, the new owner said no to the team.

Another buyer got the deal and subscribed the Elmira Enforcers in the FHL as a franchise.

Bakersfield Condors

The team was active from 2003 to 2015. The Bakersfield Condors stopped its activities after moving to Northfolk, VA, and were replaced by the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL, who are still active.

 

Quad City Mallards

The team was active from 2014 to 2018. The Quad City Mallards were the first team to be added to the list of teams after the ECHL absorbed the CHL and ended activities due to financial losses. The team is now being replaced by the Quad City Storm.

Manchester Monarchs

The team was active from 2015 to 2019. The Manchester Monarchs ended activities after wanting to get a new owner and failing the attempt.

Although the sport is still going strong and amassing a huge fan base, it’s a shame to know lots of teams got affected by the absorption of the CHL by the ECHL and dropped the flag.

Let’s hope no more teams will cease to exist, thus offering more chance to experience the true passion and love for the sport hockey players have for what they do.