Mallards Land McLean, Tryout Agreement for Kitsyn

Published on August 31, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


MOLINE, Ill. (August 31, 2010) - The Quad City Mallards of the "AA" Central Hockey League today announced that they have signed left wing Mike McLean and inked a tryout agreement with left wing Kirill Kitsyn. Per club policy, no contract terms were announced.

Last season McLean, 24, totaled 16 goals and 38 points in 66 ECHL games with the Cincinnati Cyclones and Gwinnett Gladiators and also played six American Hockey League games for the Milwaukee Admirals.

"Mike McLean is important to us because he has the ability to score and has experience at the AHL level. He is on a mission to re-assert himself as a top AA player and wants to help us win in Quad City," said Mallards Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Frank Anzalone. "Mike is motivated and eager to work at improving his game at both ends of the ice while providing leadership to our club."

Since turning pro in the spring of 2007 in time to join the Kalamazoo Wings for a playoff run to the United Hockey League finals, McLean has spent the bulk of his career in the ECHL. While splitting his first full season between the Elmira Jackals and Florida Everblades, the 6' 0", 180-pound Oshawa, Ontario native recorded nine goals and 24 points in 60 games. 2008-09 saw McLean score 17 goals and notch 46 points in 47 ECHL games with the Dayton Bombers and collect a dozen points (four goals and eight assists) in 27 games with the AHL's Lake Erie Monsters.

Before embarking on a pro career McLean competed in the Ontario Hockey League for four-plus seasons. He spent the majority of his junior career with the Guelph Storm after getting his start in the OHL in his hometown with the Oshawa Generals. McLean was part of a Guelph club that in 2004 won the OHL J. Ross Robertson Cup title. In all McLean played 239 junior games, scoring 46 goals and piling up 107 points. His final OHL campaign proved to be his most productive- he scored 29 times and added 29 assists in 67 games with the Storm in 2006-07.

Kitsyn, 22, is preparing for his first taste of North American hockey. The Novokuznetsk, Russia, product spent the last six seasons playing in his homeland, primarily in the Pervaya Liga. Kitsyn split last year between Shakhter Prokopviesk and HC Achinsk, scoring seven goals and registering 15 points in 42 games. The 5' 11", 176-pound Kitsyn wore the colors of Metallurg Novokuznezk for most of the prior five years before stepping up to the Vysshaya Liga, the second tier of Russian pro hockey, for part of the 2008-09 campaign with CSK VVS Samara.

"Kirill has been an upper level junior player who has enjoyed success in his first two years of pro in Russia," said Anzalone. "His agent is very well-respected and has urged me to bring this player in for a look. He could be an offensive sleeper."

Though Russian-born, Kitsyn represents Kazakhstan in international competition. He skated for the Kazakhstanis at both the 2006 World Under-18 Championship and the 2008 World Junior (Under-20) Championship.

McLean and Kitsyn join Obi Aduba, Phil Axtell, Mike Byrd, Nick DeCroo, Dustin DeGagne, Jason Dolgy, Mark Ehl, Mike Hartwick, Tyler Kindle, Jason Kostadine, Patrik Levesque, Shane Lovdahl, Brandon Marino, Maxime Mathieu, Darren McMillan, Omar Pacha, Ryan Palmer, Zach Pearson and Michel Robinson to bring the number of players on the Mallards' preseason roster to 21.

The Mallards will open their first CHL regular season on home ice Saturday, October 16, at 7:05 p.m. against the Odessa Jackalopes. Mallards 2010-11 ticket packages are now available to meet any budget or schedule. For more information on ticket packages for the upcoming season, fans can contact the Mallards at (309) 277-1364. Single game seats will go on sale in the fall on a date to be announced.

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Central Hockey League Stories from August 31, 2010


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