The Quad City Mallards have re-signed defenseman Darren McMillan, the Mallards announced today.  

McMillan, 35, returns for a sixth season as Mallards captain.  Last year saw the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, native score once and add ten assists for 11 points and turn in a plus/minus rating of +2 while playing in each of the Mallards’ 72 regular season games.
 
“Having Darren back again this season is a big boost for us,” said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski.  “He’s been an important player and a reliable locker room presence for this team year-in and year-out and the fact that he’s still excelling on the ice in his mid-thirties says a lot about his character and work ethic.”
 
McMillan has played in 345 games for the Mallards, the fourth highest total in club history.  He will pass Mark McFarlane- who played 393 games for the team between 1996 and 2002- and move into third place all-time in career games played as a Mallard if he skates in at least 49 games during the coming campaign.  McMillan has played in all but three of the Mallards’ 336 regular season games over the last five campaigns.  In total, he has produced 17 goals along with 74 assists for 91 points as a member of the Flock.
 
Last season the 6’ 0”, 209-pound McMillan reached a pair of milestones, recording his two hundredth career point on February 20 against the Brampton Beast and playing his six hundredth career game on April 1 against Brampton.  In all, over ten professional seasons McMillan has scored 36 goals and provided 166 assists for 202 points in 603 games.
 
McMillan first played for the Mallards early in the 2009-10 season when he picked up three assists while skating in a dozen games.  McMillan’s first full season in the Quad Cities was 2010-11, a campaign during which the blue liner scored four goals, registered 17 assists and notched 21 points and represented the Mallards in the Central Hockey League All-Star Game.  The following season, McMillan scored three times, piled up 20 assists and collected 23 points while finishing tied for fourth in the CHL in plus/minus (+24).
 
McMillan broke into pro hockey in the CHL with the Wichita Thunder, for whom played in both 2005-06 and 2006-07.  In 2007-08, McMillan made the move to Germany with Klostersee EHC, who he would rejoin for the bulk of the 2009-10 season.  In 2008-09 McMillan skated in 73 games and recorded one goal and ten points while helping the Ontario Reign to the ECHL’s Pacific Division title.  
 
Before stepping into the pro ranks, McMillan played for St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia for four seasons.  He won the Atlantic University Sport conference title with StFX in 2003-04.  In the junior ranks, he suited up for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League for three seasons from 1998 to 2001.  McMillan and the Otters won back-to-back OHL Midwest Division championships in 1999-2000 and 2000-01 and also finished the regular season first overall in the OHL in 2000-01.
 
Mallards 2015-16 season tickets are now available.  Season ticket holders enjoy significant savings of the walk-up ticket price and receive a host of exclusive benefits.  For more season ticket information, fans can contact the Mallards at 309-277-1364 or info@myqcmallards.com.