© 2024 WVIK
Listen at 90.3 FM and 98.3 FM in the Quad Cities, 95.9 FM in Dubuque, or on the WVIK app!
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Mallards Begin 20th Season

Quad City Mallards

For local fans, the long, long months without hockey are finally over. Friday night the Quad City Mallards open the new season at home, against Fort Wayne. Then on Saturday night they'll play the Komets again, but on the road. 

Team president Bob McNamara says this will be the 20th season for the Mallards, and it wouldn't have been possible without strong local support.

 

Credit WVIK News / WVIK News
/
WVIK News
team president Bob McNamara

"We will reflect a lot over the course of the season on the rich history and tradition of the Mallards, and the early successes that they had which built the foundation for where we are today."

 
As part of the anniversary celebration, the Mallards will wear "throwback jerseys" this weekend, and there'll be an alumni weekend in January.

Credit WVIK News / WVIK News
/
WVIK News
Mallards head coach Terry Ruskowski

Head Coach and General Manager, Terry Ruskowski, says he's excited but nervous now that the season is about to start.

 
"We never want to let our fans down. We want them to be proud of us and to say "wow, that's our Mallards. Like Bob said, this is 20 years and we want to make sure this is a strong year for us."

 
With some of the players arriving in camp just this week, Ruskowski wishes he had more time to prepare, but promises the team will be tough, but will play with speed and skill.

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.