Graves, Paterson Head to AHL; O'Connor Returns

January 17, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


MOLINE, Ill. - Defenseman Jacob Graves has been reassigned from the Quad City Mallards to the American Hockey League's Cleveland Monsters by the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets and goaltender Jake Paterson has been recalled from the Mallards by the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals while goaltender Matt O'Connor has been reassigned to the Mallards from Milwaukee by the NHL's Nashville Predators, the Mallards announced today.

Graves, 22, has picked up four assists in 24 games with the Mallards this season. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Barrie, Ontario, native rejoins the Monsters after spending just over a week with Cleveland last month without seeing any game action.

Graves scored once and added an assist in 19 games with the Monsters as a rookie last season. Graves also played nine ECHL games- and registered one assist- with the Cincinnati Cyclones last year.

Graves turned professional after playing in the Ontario Hockey League for four and a half seasons. Graves capped off his junior career by helping the London Knights win first the OHL's J. Ross Robertson Cup championship and then the Memorial Cup- which is awarded to the major junior champions of Canada- in the spring of 2016. Graves scored one goal and notched 20 assists for 21 points and accumulated 104 penalty minutes in 69 games while splitting the 2015-16 season between the Knights and Oshawa Generals.

Graves produced three goals, 39 assists and 42 points along with 452 penalty minutes in 281 games over the course of an OHL career that saw him skate for the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors/Steelheads and Kingston Frontenacs in addition to the Knights and Generals.

Paterson heads back to the AHL after being loaned to the Mallards last Friday while O'Connor returns to the Quad Cities after he was reassigned to Milwaukee last Friday.

Paterson, 23, turned away 28 shots while making his Mallard debut in a 4-3 loss to the Indy Fuel last Saturday. The 6-foot-1, 183-pound Mississauga, Ontario native has played one game for Milwaukee this season. Paterson made 34 saves and allowed three goals while suffering a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Wolves on December 17. Patterson went 1-4-0 with a 4.64 goals against average and a .891 save percentage in five ECHL games with the Norfolk Admirals earlier this season.

Paterson last year was named to the All-ECHL Second Team after helping the Toledo Walleye to the Brabham Cup regular season title. Paterson led the league in wins by going 34-13-1 in 49 games, tied for the league lead in shutouts (7), finished second in minutes played (2919), finished third in goals against average (2.28), and finished tied for fourth in save percentage (.918).

Paterson, who was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft with the eightieth overall choice, got his first taste of AHL action when he played two games with the Grand Rapids Griffins as a rookie in 2015-16. He spent the bulk of that campaign with the Walleye, whom he helped to the North Division title. Paterson broke into pro hockey when he played two games for Toledo late in the 2014-15 season.

Paterson turned pro after tending goal for four full seasons and part of a fifth in the OHL. Paterson spent the majority of his major junior career with the Saginaw Spirit before being traded to the Kitchener Rangers midway through the 2014-15 campaign.

O'Connor, 25, served as Milwaukee's backup netminder in two games against the San Antonio Rampage over the weekend. The 6-foot-6, 205-pound Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native went 0-2-0 with a 3.58 goals against average and a .891 save percentage while playing a pair of games for Milwaukee earlier this season. O'Connor went 0-4-2 with a 5.12 goals against average and a .853 save percentage in six games after being reassigned to the Mallards from Milwaukee by Nashville on December 20. O'Connor has gone 0-8-2 with a 4.51 goals against average and a .869 save percentage in ten total ECHL games this season with the Mallards and Atlanta Gladiators.

O'Connor played one NHL game for the Ottawa Senators as a rookie in 2015-16. He made 34 saves on October 11, 2015 in a 3-1 loss to the Montreal Canadians.

O'Connor has spent most of his career in the AHL. He has posted a 3.28 goals against average and a .895 save percentage while going 24-40-5 in 73 career AHL games.

Last season O'Connor went 14-18-1 while turning in a 3.23 goals against average and a .895 save percentage in 37 AHL games with the Binghamton Senators. O'Connor last year also got his first taste of ECHL action in two games with the Wichita Thunder.

O'Connor turned pro after three seasons at Boston University. He capped off his collegiate career by backstopping B.U. to a berth in the 2015 NCAA title game after helping the Terriers to the Hockey East regular season and tournament championships. O'Connor was named to the 2014-15 Hockey East Second All-Star Team and All-Tournament Team. He finished that campaign third in the nation in wins by going 25-4-4 with a 2.18 goals against average and a .918 save percentage in 35 games. In total, O'Connor went 40-21-10 with a 2.44 goals against average and a .921 save percentage in 76 career collegiate games.

O'Connor arrived at B.U. after four seasons of junior hockey. He spent two years in the Ontario Junior Hockey League with the Upper Canada Hockey Club/Patriots and Burlington Cougars before moving on to the United States Hockey League for two seasons with the Youngstown Phantoms.

The Mallards return to action on home ice with Marvel Superhero Night when they meet the Kalamazoo Wings Friday at 7:05 p.m.



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