IHL

Posted in: IHL, CHL
New Quad City owner sees potential
By Robert Keith
Jul 15, 2010 - 7:00:49 AM

MOLINE, Ill. - The Quad City Mallards have been purchased by Tape2Tape Sports & Entertainment, LLC led by Eric Karls of Vancouver, British Columbia. The transaction has been approved by the Central Hockey League and i wireless Center and was announced yesterday.

The Mallards were re-introduced to the area last season after the Quad City Flames (AHL) suspended operations and were moved to Abbotsford, British Columbia.

Joining the International Hockey League, the team finished their inaugural season with the second best attendance record in the league at an average of 4,067 seats sold per game. Their on-ice success was less pronounced, with a sixth place finish in the seven-team league and a 29-35-4-8 record.

The previous incarnation of the Mallards played in the former United Hockey League from 1995-2007. The team never missed the playoffs, winning 50 or more games in six consecutive seasons. They won the league’s Tarry Cup (regular season championship) in 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002 and the Colonial Cup (post-season championship) in 1997, 1998 and in 2001. When the AHL's Flames moved to Moline, Ill. in 2007, the Mallards ceased operations.

Karls, a successful Vancouver-based clothing magnate and avid hockey fan has been searching throughout North America for a team that he felt had a tremendous chance to improve both on the ice and in attendance, and given the history of the Quad Cities market, he settled on the Mallards organization.

“The Mallards have a good core audience of fans,” Karls said. “It will be up to our management team to expand that fan base through marketing and community outreach while delivering an affordable and exciting experience for fans”

The management team will be led by Bill Davidson, CEO of National Sports Services. Davidson currently serves as CEO of two teams in the ECHL (Gwinnett Gladiators and Stockton Thunder) and a AA minor league baseball team. His operation has managed or consulted for over 30 different minor league teams. He personally served as a consultant to Mallards founding owner Eric Margenau in the late ‘90’s when the team saw tremendous success both on the ice and in attendance.

Davidson plans to travel to the team’s offices next week to meet with the current six-person staff led by General Manager Shawn Hackman and look at building on that staff for the coming season, the Mallards first in the newly expanded Central Hockey League. Head Coach Frank Anzalone, who is in the second year of his contract, is expected to continue in that role.

Initial plans include an increase in marketing, promotions and community outreach to help win back the numbers of hockey fans who vigorously supported the Mallards in the past.

The Mallard’s home opener in the North Division of the CHL is slated for Saturday, October 16th.

Contact the author at robert.keith@prohockeynews.com