Sports stats



Mallards Acquire Kuqali, Deal Rights to Baker

January 31, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


MOLINE, Ill. - The Quad City Mallards have acquired defenseman Alexander Kuqali from the Florida Everblades in exchange for the ECHL rights to defenseman Jake Baker, the Mallards announced today.

Kuqali, 25, has collected ten assists and posted a plus/minus rating of +15 in 35 games with the Everblades this season.

Kuqali broke into professional hockey late last season by playing six games- during which he scored one goal and added two assists- with the Everblades immediately after completing his college career at Rochester Institute of Technology. The 6-foot-2-inch, 225-pound Dallas native scored three goals and picked up 13 assists for 16 points in 39 games while serving as the Tigers' captain last season.

Kuqali totaled 13 goals, 46 assists and 59 points in 153 games over four years at RIT. He helped the Tigers to NCAA tournament berths and Atlantic Hockey conference tournament titles in both his junior and senior seasons. As a junior, Kuqali was also named to the All-Atlantic Hockey Third Team as well as the NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team. He earned Atlantic Hockey All-Academic honors each of his four seasons at RIT.

Kuqali arrived at RIT after suiting up for three years in the junior ranks with the Indiana Ice and Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League.

Baker, 25, played three games for the Mallards this season but has spent the bulk of the campaign with the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose. The 6-foot-5-inch, 225-pound Port Moody, British Columbia product has registered one assist and posted a plus/minus rating of +6 in ten games with Manitoba.

Baker last season scored two goals and recorded eight assists for ten points in 51 games with the Mallards. He also collected a goal and an assist in nine games with the Moose.

Baker turned professional with the Mallards late in the 2014-15 season- just after finishing his senior year at Northern Michigan. He pocketed one assist in seven regular season games with the Mallards that spring and added another assist in seven playoff games.

Baker scored five goals and added three assists in 36 games while acting as a Northern Michigan co-captain during his final collegiate campaign. He notched eight goals, 17 assists and 25 points in 144 games over his four seasons at NMU.

Before heading to Northern Michigan, Baker played three junior seasons in the British Columbia Hockey League, where he skated for the Merritt Centennials, Nanaimo Clippers, Victoria Grizzlies and Trail Smoke Eaters.

The Mallards return to action on the road tonight against the Missouri Mavericks. The Mallards next play at home Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. against the Rapid City Rush. Members of the Chicago Blackhawks Ice Crew will meet fans and perform ice clean-up duties during that contest.

Single game tickets for all Mallards regular season home games- including Saturday night's game- are on sale now at the iWireless Center box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000. The box office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

About the Quad City Mallards

One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007; in the International Hockey League in 2009-10; and in the Central Hockey League from 2010 through 2014. The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record. In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched. The iWireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club. For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards. net . Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/qcmallards .

- ## Quad City Mallards ##-



ECHL Stories from January 31, 2017


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.

Other Recent Quad City Mallards Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central