Motte Returns from AHL

Published on March 13, 2017 under 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 Chicago Wolves, the Mallards announced today.

Motte, 25, served as the Wolves' backup netminder in four games without seeing any action after signing a PTO with Chicago March 1. The St. Clair, Michigan, native returned to the AHL with the Wolves after going 1-0-0 with a 0.75 goals against average and a .976 save percentage in two January games with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers. Motte surrendered a single goal on 42 shots while with Charlotte.

Motte ranks third in the ECHL in save percentage (.919) and fourth in goals against average (2.55). He has gone 17-10-1 in 30 games with the Mallards this season and has suffered just one regulation loss in his last eight games (6-1-1). Motte earned the win while representing the Mallards in the 2017 ECHL All-Star Game January 18 in Glens Falls, New York.

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 next play on home ice Wednesday night against the Kalamazoo Wings. That game and all Mallards Wednesday night home games face off at the special early start time of 6:35 p.m.

Single game tickets for all Mallards regular season home games- including Wednesday 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.

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