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AHL Call-Up for Mallards' McKenzie

January 8, 2014 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


MOLINE, Ill. (January 8, 2014) - Quad City Mallards forward Jim McKenzie has joined the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild on a professional tryout agreement, the Mallards announced today.

McKenzie, 29, is tied for the Mallard team lead in goals (11) and points (24) and leads the club in power play goals (4) and penalty minutes (67). The St. Paul, Minnesota, native serves as an alternate captain and has registered a plus/minus rating of +3 while playing in each of the Mallards' first 28 games. McKenzie was in the midst of a five-game point-scoring streak (2-4-6) at the time of his call-up.

McKenzie joins defenseman Nicholas Rioux as the second Mallard in three days to sign a P.T.O. with Iowa. He is the fourth Mallard to be called up this season. Goaltenders Thomas Heemskerk (Iowa) and Ty Rimmer (Oklahoma City) have also both spent time in the AHL.

McKenzie, who was originally selected by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round of the 2004 National Hockey League Entry Draft with the one hundred forty-first overall choice, is no stranger to the AHL. He spent part of each of his first four professional seasons in the league, skating in a total of 67 AHL games and registering four goals and five assists for the Binghampton Senators, Lake Erie Monsters, Worcester Sharks and Peoria Rivermen. McKenzie last saw AHL action in 2010-11 with Worcester and Peoria. He spent the 2008-09 season with Binghampton, collecting five points in 44 games.

The 6' 2", 200-pound McKenzie joined the Mallards after helping the Allen Americans to the CHL President's Cup title last spring. McKenzie arrived in Allen for the stretch run of the regular season after beginning the campaign with the ECHL's Evansville IceMen. He notched two goals and two assists in 15 regular season games with the Americans before breaking loose for six goals and 13 points in 15 playoff games. He recorded a goal and five assists in 12 games with the IceMen before heading to the Lone Star State. Last year's stint was McKenzie's second with Allen. In 2011-12, he scored twenty goals and totaled 44 points while piling up 168 penalty minutes in 54 games as an American. The IceMen were McKenzie's fourth ECHL club. He previously played for the Elmira Jackals, Johnstown Chiefs and Stockton Thunder.

McKenzie turned pro after three seasons at Michigan State, where he scored 34 goals and recorded 76 points in 112 games. In 2006-07, McKenzie capped off his college career by scoring a dozen goals and producing 30 points in 35 games while helping propel the Spartans to the NCAA title. McKenzie spent three seasons in the junior ranks with the Green Bay Gamblers and Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League before arriving in East Lansing.

The Mallards return to action on home ice tonight at 7:05 p.m. against the Brampton Beast. That game is the Mallards' first Winning Wednesday presented by T.G.I. Friday's. If the Mallards win a Wednesday night home game all in attendance win free tickets for the next Wednesday game. In addition, $2 beer and hot dogs will be available during Wednesday night tilts. After each Wednesday night game, fans can join the Mallards for a postgame party at T.G.I. Friday's next to the iWireless Center.

Tickets for tonight's game and all Mallards regular season home games can be purchased at the iWireless Center ticket office, Ticketmaster outlets, through ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000. The ticket office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.



Central Hockey League Stories from January 8, 2014


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