Mallards Re-Sign Jeff Williams
September 17, 2003 - United Hockey League (UHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release
Moline, IL â The Quad City Mallards have secured the services of one of the top scoring threats in the United Hockey League by re-signing former American Hockey League All-Star center Jeff Williams to a contract for the 2003-2004 season. Howard Cornfield, President/General Manager of the defending Western Conference Champions, made the announcement today.
Williams scored 29 regular season goals for Quad City in just 41 games last season. He added 28 assists for 57 points and ranked second on the team in goals, points, and plus/minus rating (+24). He led the Mallards in post-season scoring, with seven goals and 11 assists. His 18 playoff points tied him with Fort Wayne's Dustin Virag for the highest total in the UHL.
The 27-year-old native of Pointe-Claire, Quebec, signed with the Mallards last November and scored an unassisted goal in his debut, a 5-2 win over Elmira on Nov. 30, 2002. Williams spurred the Mallards to a 15-2-2 record (.842) in his first 19 games, in which he scored 25 points, on ten goals and 15 assists. He joined Quad City after his team in the British Super League, the Scottish Eagles, folded early in the 2002-03 campaign.
Williams earned a call-up to the AHL's Portland Pirates, a Mallards affiliate, on Dec. 18. He played in nine games for Portland, earning one assist, before being reassigned to Quad City on Jan. 13. He continued to tear up opposing defenses for the Mallards, scoring 14 goals in March and being named Sher-Wood UHL Player of the Month.
Williams played the 2001-02 season in Europe after three years of scoring 20 or more goals per season in the AHL. In 1998-99, he led the league with 46 goals for the Albany River Rats and earned second team AHL All-Star honors. He also scored a goal for Team Canada in the 1999 AHL All-Star Classic.
Williams has the distinction of having been drafted by two National Hockey League teams. He was picked in the seventh round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils, then was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft.
Quad City now has ten players under contract for the upcoming season, which gets underway Oct. 24 at Rockford. In addition to Williams, forwards Bob Crummer and Drew Otten, defensemen Andy Fermoyle, Terry Hollinger, Freddy Jobin, Adam Kragthorpe, Tom Menicci, and goaltenders Masahito Haruna and Jeff Reynaert have all signed.
The Mallards will open the home portion of their 2003-04 schedule on Saturday, Nov. 8, at The MARK of the Quad Cities, when they host the Flint Generals.
Season tickets, including all 38 regular season home games and all playoff games at no additional charge, are available now through the Mallards office. Extended payment plans make season tickets more affordable now than ever before!
Season ticket holders are entered in a major prize drawing, including free Lasik surgery from Virdi Eye Clinic. Those who have paid in full will receive the limited edition Legends Bobblehead Series, including Rick Emmett, Mark McFarlane, Jason Ulmer, Sergei Zvyagin, and Coach Paul MacLean.
For information on the exciting 2003-04 season of Mallards hockey, call (309) 764-7825, or visit the Mallards official web site at www.qcmallards.com.
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