A new president and a new commitment from the league - that was the announcement today from the Quad City Mallards. The Central Hockey League, which took control of the team for this season to keep it from folding, has committed to running the Mallards for next season as well.
Scott Mullen, executive director of the Eye Wireless Center in Moline, says the league believes in the Quad Cities and wants to make sure there's a team here.
Mullen says as part of its commitment to the Quad Cities, the league has hired Bob McNamara to be the Mallards' president. He worked last year as president of the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League, following 15 seasons as general manager of the AHL team in Grand Rapids.
McNamara says his focus in the coming days will be corporate sales, ticket sales, and community outreach - holding special events for players and local residents. The league has also added to the Mallards' staff by hiring a director of corporate sales who's worked for professional hockey teams for 16 years.