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Photo: Sean Flynn Photography/Quad City Mallards |
The Quad City Mallards have re-signed defenseman Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel, the Mallards announced today.
Dieude-Fauvel, 27, last season set career highs in goals (11), assists (29) and points (40) while finishing seventh among Central Hockey League defensemen in each of those categories. The Bordeaux, France, native likewise established a career best in plus/minus rating (+17) last year. The 6’ 2”, 220-pound Dieude-Fauvel also proved durable in his first season as a Mallard, missing just one of the club’s 66 regular season games.
Dieude-Fauvel went on to notch a goal and an assist in 14 postseason games while helping the Mallards win a playoff series and advance to the semi-final round for the first time in 11 years.
“Benny is a valuable player at both ends of the ice,” said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski. “You can count on him in the defensive zone, he can provide a physical presence and offensively he’s able to contribute at even strength as well as being a solid guy on the power play.”
In May, Dieude-Fauvel capped off his banner 2013-14 campaign by representing France at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Belarus and helping les Bleus advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1995.
Over five years in North America, Dieude-Fauvel has produced 33 goals and 115 points in 296 games. He reunited with Ruskowski for the 2013-14 season after first playing for the now Mallard boss in 2009-10 and 2010-11 with the Laredo Bucks. From the Bucks, Dieude-Fauvel moved on to spend two seasons with the ECHL’s Elmira Jackals.
Dieude-Fauvel spent five-plus seasons playing in his homeland- for Amiens, Chamonix and Morzine-Avoriaz- before making the trip across the pond.
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.
