Monfredo returns while Brown joins Mallards

MOLINE, Ill. – The Quad City Mallards have re-signed defenseman Mike Monfredo and have also signed rookie forward Connor Brown for the 2016-17 season.

The Mallards are the ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild.

Monfredo, 26, last season set career highs in points (37) and assists (31) while also scoring six goals, recording a plus/minus rating of +1 and piling up a team-high 120 penalty minutes in 70 games. Monfredo has played in 274 of the Mallards' 276 regular season games over four seasons since joining the team as a rookie in 2012-13. The Shirley, N.Y. native has scored 117 points (26g-91a) over the course of his Mallards' career.

Monfredo spent the 2011-12 season at the State University of New York-Fredonia, where he scored eight points (3g-5a) in 26 games. He played three seasons in the junior ranks for the Motor City Machine/Metal Jackets of the North American Hockey League before heading to Fredonia. In 2010-11, Monfredo led the NAHL with 259 penalty minutes.

Brown, 20, joins the Mallards after four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League. The product of Georgetown, Ontario finished last season tied for the Saginaw Spirit team lead in goals (24). Brown added 21 assists to total 45 points in 68 games. Brown produced 105 points (58g-47a) in 271 career OHL games with the Spirit and the Ottawa 67’s.