Quad City Mallards go up in Flames
By Lynn Warner

Date Posted: 05/27/2007



MOLINE, Ill. — Wake up the event staff at the Mark of the Quad Cities, dust off the Zamboni and roll up the Arena2 football turf, because a fire burns in Quad City that will change the brand and style of hockey here for at least the next five years. Work is slated to get underway soon, starting with a new team, a new name and lots of changes, both on and off the ice.

Just one month after their early exit from the UHL Playoffs, the Quad City Mallards ownership and staff looked for a new direction to “spark” some interest and move the team and its fan base to the next level. They found it. From way up north, in the country noted for top-notch hockey, the Calgary Flames became the organization that will make the sweeping changes, all in an effort to better their organization and the quality of hockey in the Quad Cities.

On May 27, 2007, AHL League President and CEO David Andrews announced that their Board of Governors had unanimously approved the relocation of the AHL franchise owned by the Calgary Flames from Omaha, Neb. to the Quad Cities of eastern Iowa and western Illinois. The franchise will be named the Quad City Flames and will join the AHL for the 2007-08 season, along with the Rockford Ice Hogs and the Lake Erie Monsters (Cleveland).

What started as a small spark — the hope that the UHL would remain viable and dynamic for the 2007-08 season — ended as a flame extinguished, and the new QC ownership group felt they needed to pursue other options. They left themselves an “out” during the recent UHL meetings and with the potential demise of the Port Huron team which left the league with only seven teams, migrating over to another league seemed like the right thing to do. But in order to move to the AHL, the Quad City Mallards have obviously ceased operations in the UHL.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for hockey fans in the Quad Cities to enjoy the top developmental hockey league in the world,” Aaron Roof, director of broadcasting and media relations for the Quad City Flames, said. “The caliber of play will be fantastic.”

With Calgary rekindling the flame here in Quad City, its top farm team has a bright future. What AHL hockey will bring to the Quad Cities will certainly be almost immeasurable, but here are some of the highlights:

Changes to the rink. The ice currently measures 185 feet in length and it will need to be extended. Scott Mullen, executive director of the Mark, said the ice will be lengthened 12 feet, for a total of 197 feet in length. The rink will be shorter than the NHL standard, but eight other AHL rinks measure the same, or a few feet shorter. Additionally, a new ice system will be purchased and the locker rooms will be remodeled. The arena will spend approximately $600,000 to make the ice surface larger, add new dasher boards and glass and remove impediments to changed sight lines. Most likely, the penalty boxes will be moved across the ice and new locker room-to-ice entrances will be created for both home and visiting teams.

Bigger, faster, younger players. Anyone attending an AHL game knows this is a good thing. On average, the players are young prospects that need to see quality ice time, and overall, are bigger and faster than most players UHL fans currently see. Teams can dress 17 skaters and two goalies (one more skater than the UHL.) And because the “A” is a developmental league, only five veterans are allowed to skate in each game.

“The Calgary Flames have some dynamic young talent in their organization and our fans are sure to enjoy watching them play,” Roof said. “The players are bigger, stronger and faster.”

Players under contract. Typically, players are under contract with the parent organization or are top prospects of that team. Players not under parent organization contract are either under AHL contract, PTO (professional tryout contract) or ATC (amateur tryout contract.) This all means QC will have professional players under professional contracts and the caliber of talent will reflect that. Additionally, the hope is that some former Mallards players will be given an opportunity to participate in the preseason camp and possibly make the cut.

Calgary isn’t afraid to spend money. Calgary spent nearly $44 million dollars in player salaries last year, one of the largest amounts in the NHL. The players Calgary sends down will be serious contenders who work hard to move up the ladder. But the best part will be that the organization is not afraid to spend money to make that happen.

The roster won’t get stagnant. As players progress through the organization, the roster will constantly change. Players will become more transient as moves get made. For Quad City fans used to developing relationships with the players, this will be a big change.

Community involvement will be enhanced. The Calgary organization has a commitment to its local community and expects its players to do the same. Thus, the expectation of its farm team is no different. They have yet to put a team on the ice in Quad City, but they have already donated $10,000 (a match to the amount the Quad City Mallards raised) to benefit a local high school student who was paralyzed in a football game last fall. They’re not even here yet and have already made contributions to our community.

“We have a partnership with an organization that has a great reputation in all facets,” Roof said.

The Flames will control major decisions. From the coaching staff on down, this will also be a facet of team operations that will be new and different to everyone involved in the Quad City hockey scene.

Fans might end up saying “I knew him when” about their new favorite AHL player. Because more than three-fourths of all players currently on rosters in the NHL were cultivated and worked up through the AHL, local fans will likely follow players as they one day play in the NHL.

New coaching staff. With the April 25 departure of head coach Brian Curran, fans knew there would be someone new behind the bench for the upcoming season. Calgary will bring in 36-year-old Ryan McGill, the coach with the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. This will be his third season with the Flames affiliate and his sixth as an AHL head coach. Playing 151 games in the NHL and with an AHL coaching record of 211-129-21, McGill previously coached for four-and-a-half seasons in the WHL. Working alongside him will be second-year assistant Sam Allen, who has been an interim AHL head coach (San Antonio Rampage) and also coached the ECHL Johnstown Chiefs.


Higher caliber officiating. Did those three words just make their way into the same sentence? That’s right, folks, there are higher quality referees out there and because AHL refs are hired by the NHL as part of their NHL Officials Development Program. Fans likely see some decent refereeing!

Wider variety of opponents. Regionally, a new AHL team in Quad City would see the Iowa Stars (Des Moines, Iowa, three hours away); Peoria Rivermen (Peoria, Ill., one and a half hours away); Chicago Wolves (suburban Chicago, two and a half hours away, and coached by former Quad City coach John Anderson); and an old UHL rival: Rockford Ice Hogs (two hours away.) Additionally, the league has a total of 29 teams in four divisions that would make the 80-game schedule full of interesting and diverse matchups.

Rule changes. On the ice, one big difference will be a five-minute four-on-four overtime, followed by a five-round shootout if the game is still deadlocked at the end of the four-on-four overtime period. Also, pucks that travel over the safety netting are not whistled as a “delay of game.”

More games. There is an 80-game schedule in the AHL, starting the first week of October and extending into mid-June for playoffs. The regular season is approximately 15 days longer than the UHL. There will 40 home games and 40 away games.

A new team name. Before the move from the UHL to the AHL, many people around the team talked about the cycle of marketability in pro sports team names and logos. The team was up for a change, either in name and/or logo this year anyway, and to be associated with an organization like Calgary just makes fans that much more jazzed. The team is officially known as the Quad City Flames and their website address is: http://www.qcflames.com.

In-your-face hockey. Fans are in store for high quality “you’ve-got-game” hockey that will suit the masses and engage the hockey purists. There will be fast-paced, seriously quick, break-neck games. Along with that, add great puck handling and players who can pass the puck to the right place, all with their eyes shut. There will be commitment, passion, respect and courage on the ice, which is exactly what Quad City Mallards fans like in a hockey game.

Excitement. With a renewed commitment from the ownership group, the backing of a first-class organization like Calgary and top-notch players coming in who are determined to succeed, there will be non-stop excitement once the puck hits the ice this fall. In the mean time, we’ll just keep fanning the flames while we’re waiting for October to get here!
Contact the author at lynn.warner@prohockeynews

Rockford and Quad City will renew their rivalry in the AHL next season.

As a Quad City Mallards season ticket holder and very soon to be a Quad City Flames season ticket holder, this has me excited as hell. As a Blackhawks season ticket holder, it's nice to have something hockey related to be excited about again.

hartzchoco,

How can you be a QC Flames fan and a Blackhawks fan now? We might have to set a rule that says you are either one or the other!!! LOL

Our final home game for the Cup I walked by a few Mallard fans in jerseys. I said, "Just when we thought we were done with you guys..........." Laughingly of course. It is all in jest. I am looking forward to the continued rivalry!

I'm looking forward to the continued rivalry as well. Should be a good one. I paid for my Flames season tix yesterday, as did literally hundreds of my fellow Quad Citians. I think this is going to be huge here, everyone seems extremely excited about it. The Hogs and Flames play here six times and at the pigpen six times, BTW.

Article about the Quad City Flames from NHL.com

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&p...rticleid=314679

My concern is they may be flooding the market. The Wolves in Rosemont, 90 minutes from there the Ice Hogs(forever to be known as the baby Hawks in my mind), and a short jaunt from there the Quad City Flames. Peoria Rivermen too. If you take into account the remaining UHL teams, the Hounds and the Prarie Thunder, there is a LOT of hockey around here. Not that I am complaining, just something to keep an eye on.

Now, if we can get all those on t.v., maybe that would lean on someone to re-evaluate things.

Doubtfull, but hopefull.

There are a lot of minor league baseball teams around the area too, but the Sox draw if the team is doing well and the Cubs draw as long as Wrigley doesn't crumble apart. Hockey might not have the same following as baseball, but they should be able to support most of these franchises. Some might collapse, but only time will tell which. If there are plenty of explosions, mascots and cheap tix for the family...they will have a different audience in the Chicago area.

No No No. This can only be seen as a good thing. It is like having all that great high school hockey in Minnesota. There are just enough people in those markets to go to the local games and fill the houses. As is the case with Peoria, Quad Cities, Chicago, Milwaukee, etc. People will go to these games, besides most of the barns hold way less than 10,000. So it is not like there aren't going to be enough fans to go around.

Hockey will only become stronger in this region now. It will not get diluted. I just hope this brings in more youth clubs. Hockey is a great sport for young kids to be a part of. It teaches so many things, from discipline, to maintaining good health, to traveling for games, to sacrifice, to hand-eye coordination, etc. Football and baseball and basketball are great and all but none of them combine so many challenges into one package for the young athlete as does hockey.

More AHL hockey will breed more hockey fans which in turn breeds more hockey players amongst the youth and rec brackets.

I was just in the Mark two weeks ago and was telling my brother that it would geographically serve as a better affiliate of the Hawks than Norfolk would. Having met some of the locals in the three times I've been there though, I'm really surprised any sport played on ice could survive.

my only question is which games will you make more often....?

Well I didnt set the bar very high with my Hawks attendance, now did I!

With the Flames being 3 minutes away vs the Hawks being 3 hours away, I bet we know the answer to your question!

The Quad City Flames had a 'logo unveilling' party last night at a local pub. Well over 200 people there to see the new logo, which turned out to be pretty much what everyone thought it would be. Looks nice though, IMO. Great to see that many people turn out, and it's great that season ticket sales are still moving along at a break-neck pace. Same type of excitement as when the Mallards first arrived, but it then died down after about 5 years. I think when the people see how different the AHL is from the UHL, the fans will stick for the long haul. And our proximity from Des Moines, Peoria, Rockford, Chicago, Milwaukee will make road trips easy for fans. I'm stoked.

I hope so. I would like to see more hockey moms than soccer moms. Long live the sport of Hockey!!!!

i agree. not only is there enough fans to keep the ahl in the quad cities for years to come, we will see plenty of fans come on the road. rockford has alwas brought a decent number of fans down with them. we should also see plenty of peoria, iowa, chicago and milwaukee.

I wonder if this could lead to having bus tours like with minor league baseball in the northeast and the carolinas?

That would be kinda fun, wouldn't it?