Forward Genua Also Quad Cities-Bound
MOLINE, Ill. (October 3, 2013) - The Quad City Mallards have signed defenseman Nicholas Rioux and forward Stephen Genua, the Mallards announced today.
Rioux (ree-OOH), 27, joins the Mallards after skating in the training camp of the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, with whom the Mallards have an affiliation agreement. Last year, Rioux scored seven goals and totaled 27 points while posting a plus/minus rating of +3 for the Central Hockey League's Bloomington Blaze. The durable Riviere-Du-Loup, Quebec, native played in each of the Blaze's 66 regular season games last season and missed just a single game over his first two professional campaigns.
Rioux this year will play under Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski for the second time after first skating for Ruskowski as a rookie with the CHL's Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in 2011-12. The Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, native scored five times, produced 21 points and turned in a plus/minus rating of +5 in 65 games with the Killer Bees.
"I had the privilege of coaching Nick two years ago in Rio and I put him in every situation- power play, penalty kill and his regular shift- and he did a tremendous job," said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski. "We're fortunate to have him on our team and he going to be a great addition to our defense."
The 6' 1", 205-pound Rioux turned pro after a three-year college career at St. Cloud State during which he totaled three goals and four assists in 26 games. Rioux played two seasons of junior hockey in the British Columbia League- with the Quesnel Millionaires and Prince George Spruce Kings- before heading to St. Cloud.
Genua, 22, picked up a pair of assists in five games while getting his first taste of pro hockey with the Dayton Demonz of the Federal Hockey League last season. The Toronto product spent the prior five seasons in the Ontario junior ranks, including a campaign (2009-10) in the major junior Ontario Hockey League with the Erie Otters. The 6' 2", 170-pound left winger also suited up for the Oakville Blades, Vaughan Vipers and Georgetown Raiders.
"Stephen has good size and is a good skater," said Ruskowsi. "He is coming to camp to prove himself and try to earn a spot on the team and with his credentials he has a pretty good chance of doing that."
The addition of Rioux and Genua brings the number of players on the Mallards' training camp roster to 24: forwards Genua, Matt Boyd, Rob Dongara, Thomas Frazee, John Heffernan, Jordan Lane, Jeff Lee, Gabriel Levesque, Tyler Melancon, Gergo Nagy, Vladimir Nikiforov, Tony Rizzi, Mike Stinziani and Brandon Turner; defensemen Rioux, Matt Carlson, Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel, Matt Duffy, Mike Grace, Nick Grasso, Darren McMillan and Tyler Yaworski; and goaltenders Thomas Heemskerk and Ty Rimmer. The Mallards open camp next Monday morning at the iWireless Center.
The Mallards will open their seventeenth season- and their fourth in the CHL- when they host the Rapid City Rush on Saturday night, October 19 at 7:05 p.m. Tickets for the season opener and all other Mallards regular season home games are now on sale at Ticketmaster outlets, through ticketmaster.com, through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000 or at the iWireless Center ticket office. The ticket office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.
Mallards season tickets as well as half season tickets and flex packs are also still available. The Mallards offer ticket packages to meet any budget and season ticket holders also receive a host of additional benefits, including a unique season ticket holder Mallards jersey. More ticket package information is available by calling the Mallards at 309-277-1364 or emailing info@myqcmallards.com.
About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards are approaching their seventeenth season and their fourth in the Central Hockey League. One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League in 2009-10. The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record. In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched. The i wireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club. For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.com. Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards
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