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Motte Rejoins Mallards

January 11, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


MOLINE, Ill. - Goaltender C.J. Motte has returned to the Quad City Mallards after being released from a professional tryout agreement by the American Hockey League's Charlotte Checkers, the Mallards announced today.

Motte, 25, last night made 30 saves to backstop Charlotte to a 5-1 win on the road over the Milwaukee Admirals in his first AHL start since April 17, 2015. Motte made his Checkers debut last Saturday when he played the third period of Charlotte's game in Chicago and stopped all 11 Wolves shots he faced without recording a decision in a 5-2 defeat. The St. Clair, Michigan, native rejoins the Mallards having gone 1-0-0 with a 0.75 goals against average and a .976 save percentage in his two games with the Checkers.

Motte was named an ECHL All-Star just after joining Charlotte last Tuesday. Motte ranks second in the ECHL in goals against average (2.25) and save percentage (.931). He has gone 11-5-0 for the Mallards this season and is tied for ninth in the league in wins. Motte has allowed three goals or fewer in 16 of his 17 ECHL appearances.

Motte went 15-22-2 with a 2.83 goals against average, a .910 save percentage and two shutouts in 42 games as a rookie with the Elmira Jackals last season.

Motte broke into professional hockey with the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers, for whom he played four games and posted a 1-2-1 record, a 2.49 goals against average and a .917 save percentage late in the 2014-15 season.

Motte turned pro after four standout seasons at Ferris State University. In 2014-15 he became the first goaltender in school history to serve as team captain. He set Ferris State records for most career wins and shutouts (15) while going 66-49-12 with a 2.13 goals against average and a .926 save percentage in 127 collegiate games.

Motte not only earned All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association honors in both his junior (first team) and senior (third team) years but was also one of ten finalists for the 2014 Hobey Baker Award. As a senior, Motte finished second in the nation in minutes played (2435:33) and tied for sixth in shutouts (5) after leading Division I netminders in both wins (28) and minutes (2431:06) and also finishing tied for sixth in shutouts (5) in his junior year.

Motte and the Bulldogs won regular season conference titles and earned NCAA tournament bids in both 2011-12 and 2013-14 and in 2012 reached the national title game.

A three-year stint in the junior ranks preceded Motte's college career. Motte spent two seasons with the United States Hockey League's Waterloo Black Hawks after a single campaign with the North American Hockey League's Traverse City North Stars.

The Mallards return to action tonight at 6:35 p.m. on the road against the Cincinnati Cyclones. The Mallards next play at home Friday night at 7:05 p.m. against the Indy Fuel and Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. against the Fort Wayne Komets. Friday and Saturday will also see former Mallards return to the iWireless Center for alumni weekend, featuring a tribute to former team president Howard Cornfield Friday and an alumni game and twentieth season Genesis jersey auction Saturday.

Cornfield, who led the Mallards to unprecedented success between 1996 and 2005, will be honored before the current Mallards play the Fuel Friday. Returning Mallards will be introduced before Friday's game and will meet fans and sign autographs during that contest before joining fans for a postgame event in the iWireless Center conference center. Mallards legends will hit the ice themselves for the alumni game Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. The 2017 Mallards will wear special edition twentieth season mash-up jerseys when they face the Komets Saturday evening. Those jerseys will go up for bid in a live auction to benefit the Genesis Health Services Foundation immediately following that game. Tickets for Saturday's Mallards-Komets clash will also be good for the alumni game.

Single game tickets for all Mallards regular season home games- including this weekend's games- 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.

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