The third pro hockey franchise in four years in downtown Moline will face plenty of challenges, but a strong promotional schedule is a good start.
The third pro hockey franchise in four years in downtown Moline will face plenty of challenges, but a strong promotional schedule is a good start.
The Quad City Mallards (IHL) follow the original Mallards and Quad City Flames as tenants of the i Wireless Center. At one point the original Mallards were one of the big success stories in minor-league hockey, but since then the game and the market have changed: the Mallards are now part of the IHL (a smaller Midwest circuit), and the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) have gained quite a bit of momentum the last two years under new ownership, to the point where baseball is the dominant sport in town. And there's the perennial issue of making money at i Wireless Center, where other teams have suffered under some pretty stiff contracts.
Still, the Mallards seem to be off to a good start: the team announced promotions for the first 13 home games, including Webkinz Nights, a Teddy Bear Toss (a proven winner on the minor-league-hockey promotional circuit) and a trio of opening night giveaways. The team opens its home schedule on Oct. 24.
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