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The Quad City Mallards have signed defenseman Jannik Christensen and forward Antti Pusa, the Mallards announced today.  

 

Christensen, 22, played in his native Denmark for the Esbjerg Energy last season, scoring three goals and registering 13 points in 40 games.  

 

“I’ve heard nothing but good things about Christensen.  He’s a young defenseman who has good size and is a good skater,” said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski.  “He wants the experience of playing in North America and may have a chance to play at an even higher level.  I’m impressed by him and I’m looking forward to coaching him.”

 

The 6’ 1”, 183-pound Christensen has spent most of his career with Esbjerg since first breaking in with what is his hometown team as a 17-year old during the 2008-09 season.  Christensen did head to Sweden to join Frolunda in 2010-11 but returned to Esbjerg the following year.

 

Christensen represented Denmark at the 2010, 2011 and 2012 World Junior Championships and captained the Danes at the 2012 tournament in Alberta. 

 

The 25-year old Pusa, who was born in Kappaselka in the then Soviet Union but moved to Finland as a child, split last season between TuTo in Finland and the Herning Blue Fox in Denmark.  Pusa scored three goals and totaled 13 points in 22 games with TuTo after scoring twice and adding six assists in a dozen outings with Herning. 

 

“Pusa isn’t big in size but he is big in heart.  He’s feisty, he’ll hit and he’ll take on anybody.  He’ll meet a challenge if the challenge is there,” said Ruskowski.  “He’s aggressive and he also wants to experience North American hockey.  He’s excited and anxious to be here and that’s the kind of player I like to coach.”

 

The 5’ 9”, 185-pound Pusa returned to Finland last year after three and a half seasons away.  Pusa skated in France for Montpellier and Villard-de-Lans in 2010-11 before spending two seasons in the Austrian Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, suiting up first for HK Acroni Jesenice of Slovenia and then Villacher SV.  Pusa enjoyed his most productive season to date with Jesenice, for whom he rang up 16 goals and totaled 37 points in 47 games in 2011-12. 

 

Pusa began his professional career with TuTo, with whom he won the championship of the Mestis, the Finnish second division, in 2008.  He played for TuTo from 2007 through 2009 before moving on to another Finnish club, HeKi, for the 2009-10 campaign.

 

2014-15 Mallards season tickets are now on sale.  Ticket packages are available to meet almost any budget.  A limited edition season ticket holder Mallard jersey, 12 additional ticket vouchers per seat and free parking are among a host of exclusive benefits available to season ticket holders.  For more season ticket information fans can call the Mallards’ business office at 309-277-1364.