MOLINE, Ill – The International Hockey League continued to make noise in this off-season with the addition of the Quad City Mallards to the roster for the 2009-2010 IHL season.

New owners, Christopher Lencheski and Eric Galler, were on hand to make the announcement and assure fans that the new Mallards would be a reminder of the glory days of the club’s time in the United Hockey League. 

“Chris’ ownership group is a perfect fit, not only for Quad Cities, but for the International Hockey League,” stated Michael Franke, IHL Chairman of the Board in a league press release. “Quad Cities has a rich tradition of hockey that will be re-established in the IHL, as fans will have the opportunity to get close to their players once again. The relationship between the fans and the players is an important factor to all IHL owners, along with our geographic proximity to one another.”

When the UHL ceased operations the Mallards headed for the American Hockey League as an affiliate of the Calgary Flames.  The club never did gain traction.  A move to the IHL will renew rivalries that engaged area fans.

“This is another red-letter day for the IHL,” said PrairieThunder president Tim Leighton in a team press release. “While we were excited about the announcement of Dayton joining the league a few weeks ago, this may be a tad more exciting for PrairieThunder fans because of the Quad Cities proximity to us.”

The IHL will open its league meetings on July 1 and begin the season scheduling process.  In addition, the dispersal draft of Kalamazoo players will be settled via a conference call.

“We are thrilled to bring professional hockey back to the Quad Cities and to the i wireless Center,” said Lencheski in a league press release.  “I have always been passionate about sports, and hockey is my first love. With that said, I can tell you that we analyzed numerous prospective cities in an exhaustive search over the last several months for a city that truly wanted a hockey team and one deeply rooted with hockey history. The Quad Cities community demonstrated enormous support and enthusiasm for the return of pro hockey.”

Contact lou.lafrado@prohockeynews.com.