MOLINE, Ill. (January 8, 2015) - Quad City Mallards goaltender Parker Milner has been named an alternate for the 2015 ECHL All-Star Classic, the Mallards announced today in conjunction with the ECHL.
Milner, 24, will play in the January 21 All-Star Game in Orlando if one of the three goaltenders selected to compete for the ECHL All-Stars- Ontario's Joe Cannata, Greenville's Jeff Malcolm and Idaho's Olivier Roy- against the host Orlando Solar Bears is unavailable.
Milner earlier today signed a professional tryout agreement with the AHL's Iowa Wild for the fifth time this season. The 6' 1", 197-pound Pittsburgh native ranks fourth in the ECHL in save percentage (.920) and fifth in goals against average (2.39) and has gone 9-6-2 in 17 games with the Mallards this year. Milner last night made 37 saves while backstopping the Mallards to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Wichita Thunder.
"We knew when we signed Parker this summer that he was a quality goaltender so we were very happy to get him," said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski. "Since he's joined us he's shown just how good he really is so we're very proud of him for earning this recognition."
Milner last season went 4-2-0 and turned in a 2.95 goals against average and a .904 save percentage in eight AHL games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Milner spent the bulk of last year with the ECHL's Stockton Thunder, for whom he posted a 2.84 goals against average, a .907 save percentage and two shutouts while going 9-14-2 in 25 games.
Milner's is the seventh AHL call-up for a Mallard this season. Milner will join defenseman Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel, who was called up from the Mallards last month, when he arrives in Des Moines.
Milner turned professional last season after winning two national championships in four years at Boston College. Milner went 64-20-5 while turning in a 2.23 goals against average, a .919 save percentage and six shutouts in 93 games over the course of his standout collegiate career.
Milner helped Boston College to the NCAA title as a freshman in 2010 and again as a junior in 2012. He acted a backup during BC's run to the 2010 championship before taking a leading role in the 2012 triumph. Then a junior, Milner was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 NCAA tournament and also earned NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament honors after going 4-0 with a 0.50 goals against average, a .982 save percentage and two shutouts during the tournament. Milner's goals against average was tied for the best in tournament history while his save percentage was the highest since the tournament expanded beyond four teams in 1972. He capped off his superb tournament effort by making 27 saves in BC's 4-1 victory over Ferris State in the national championship game. The NCAA title was the crowning achievement of a season that also saw Milner and his teammates win the Hockey East regular season and tournament titles as well as the Beanpot and Icebreaker tournaments.
Over the 2011-12 campaign as a whole, Milner went 29-5-0 while registering a 1.66 goals against average, a .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 34 games. His .853 winning percentage was the best in the nation. He completed his college career in 2012-13 by playing in all but one of the Eagles' 38 games, going 22-11-4 and recording a 2.66 goals against average, a .911 save percentage and two shutouts.
During Milner's time in Chestnut Hill, BC not only claimed a pair of NCAA crowns but also secured three Hockey East postseason titles along with two conference regular season championships, made four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and won four straight Beanpots.
Before putting on the maroon and gold, Milner spent one season in the junior ranks with the United States Hockey League's Waterloo Black Hawks and one in prep school hockey at Avon Old Farms.
