Three Mallards Named to 2006-07 UHL All-Rookie Team
April 16, 2007 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Quad City Mallards News Release
Moline, IL-The United Hockey League today announced the 2006-07 UHL All-Rookie Team. Three Mallards earned placement on the team as Brett Pilkington and Justin Chwedoruk drew recognition as forwards while Dale Lupul was named to the team as a defenseman. The 2006-07 Mallards are just the third team in UHL history to place three players on the All-Rookie Team.
Brett Pilkington and Justin Chwedoruk are the first teammates in UHL history to finish first and second in UHL rookie scoring. Pilkington finished the year as the top scoring rookie in the league with 73 points. Pilkington tied for the lead amongst rookies in goals (29) and assists (44). The Calgary, Alberta native was acquired from Kalamazoo in late November and recorded 68 points (26 goals and 42 assists) in 64 games after joining the Mallards.
Chwedoruk appeared in 71 games as a Mallard after being signed on October 23rd. He ranked second amongst UHL rookies in points (68), tied for first in assists (44) and finished fifth amongst rookies in goals (24). The St. Albert, Alberta native also tied for the Mallards team lead in shorthanded goals with four. He suffered a season-ending injury in the team's 75th game of the season and was placed on the physically unable to perform list for the post-season.
Dale Lupul tied for first in scoring amongst rookie defensemen in the UHL. His 49 points tied him for fifth overall in rookie scoring. His 22-goal output placed second amongst the league's defensemen. Lupul was acquired from the Elmira Jackals just before the UHL Trade Deadline. In 20 games as a Mallard, Lupul recorded 20 points on 10 goals and 10 assists. He was named UHL Player of the Week in his first week as a Mallard after recording six points (four goals and two assists) in his first three games with the team.
With this year's trio of selections, the Mallards now have 18 players in franchise history that have been selected for the UHL All-Rookie Team. Only twice in the Mallards 12-year history have they failed to place a player on the UHL All-Rookie Team. In addition to the 2006-07 trio of Mallards, the 1999-00 Mallards (Ryan Lindsay, Martin Hlinka and Brendan Buckley) and 1998-99 Muskegon Fury (Andrei Petrunin, Vadim Podrezov and Denis Khlopotnov) are the only squads to place three players on the UHL All-Rookie Team.
Playoff hockey comes to The MARK on Wednesday. NFL Hall of Famer Mike Ditka will be in attendance as the Mallards host the Hogs in Game Three of the 2007 Western Conference Semifinal Series. Tickets are just $5 and are available at The MARK box office, via phone at (563) 326-1111 or on-line at ticketmaster.com.
During the 2007 post-season, the Mallards are offering the Progressive Playoff Ticket Package. Tickets for the Mallards first home post-season game will be $5. For each home playoff date, the price will increase by $1. For example, in the Mallards opening round series, Games Three, Four and Six (if necessary) will be played at The MARK. For Game Three, individual tickets will be on sale for $5. Tickets to Game Four will be available for $6. If Game Six is necessary in the opening round, tickets will cost $7. This progressive scale will continue throughout the entire post-season. If the Mallards appear in the maximum number of home games (which would be eleven) during the 2007 post-season, a ticket to Game Seven of the Colonial Cup Final at The MARK will be available for just $15. The Progressive Playoff Ticket Offer applies to all seats, upper bowl and lower bowl, at The MARK. Season ticket holder seats will be reserved for the post-season and will not be made available for sale to the general public. For more information on the Progressive Playoff Ticket Offer, call the Mallards office at (309) 764-7825.
• Discuss this story on the International Hockey League 2 message board...
International Hockey League 2 Stories from April 16, 2007
- Komets Home Playoff Game Three Tickets Go On Sale Tuesday - Fort Wayne Komets
- Nie Selected to All-Rookie Team - Kalamazoo Wings
- K-Wings Week in Review - Kalamazoo Wings
- Three Mallards Named to 2006-07 UHL All-Rookie Team - Quad City Mallards
- PrairieThunder's Zbriger make UHL All-Rookie team - Bloomington PrairieThunder
- Flags Find Themselves Down by Two in First Week of Playoffs - Port Huron Flags
- Mallards Begin Home Playoff Schedule - Quad City Mallards
- 2006-07 UHL All-Rookie Team Announced - IHL 2
- Hogs Take Control Of Its First Round Playoff Match-up - Rockford IceHogs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
