Mallards sign forwards Brooks, Pontarelli

MOLINE, Ill. – The Quad City Mallards have signed forwards Kenny Brooks and Michael Pontarelli for the 2017-18 season.

The Mallards are the ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Vegas Golden Knights and the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves.

Brooks, 25, tallied 12 points (6g-6a) in 44 games as a rookie last season. The Las Vegas native spent the bulk of the campaign with the Colorado Eagles after playing a single game for the Atlanta Gladiators.

Brooks played four seasons of college hockey at Penn State before turning professional. He totaled 46 points (14g-32a) in 117 games as a Nittany Lion. As a senior, Brooks posted collegiate career highs in goals (8), assists (15) and points (23) while helping Penn State to the first 20-win season in school history. Brooks was named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team after both his sophomore and junior years.

Brooks arrived at Penn State on the heels of a three-year stint in the junior ranks with the United States Hockey League’s Tri-City Storm. He produced 85 points (31g-54a) in 165 career USHL games.

Pontarelli, 23, made an immediate impact when he joined the Norfolk Admirals in April by ringing up five points (2g-3a) in his first five pro games.

Pontarelli signed with the Admirals upon completing his senior season at Union College. The Laval, Quebec native scored seven points (2g-5a) in 23 games last season as the Dutchmen won the ECAC Hockey regular-season title and reached the NCAA tournament.

As a freshman, Pontarelli helped Union to the first National Championship in school history. That milestone season was Pontarelli’s most productive as a Dutchman. He notched 23 points (10g-13a) in 39 games as Union also took the 2013-14 ECAC Hockey regular season and tournament titles.

Over his four years at Union, Pontarelli totaled 51 points (21g-30a) in 121 games. He was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team each of the last three seasons.

Union’s NCAA crown was Pontarelli’s second title in as many seasons. He was named Player of the Year in Canadian Junior A hockey after propelling the Cornwall Colts to the Central Canada Hockey League’s Bogart Cup championship in 2012-13. Pontarelli piled up a league-leading 52 goals and 107 points in 53 games on the way to also earning the CCHL Most Valuable Player Award and First All-Star Team honors.