Mallards re-sign defenseman Kuqali

MOLINE, Ill. – The Quad City Mallards have re-signed defenseman Alexander Kuqali for the 2017-18 season, the Mallards announced today.

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

Kuqali last season picked up six assists in 28 games after he was acquired by the Mallards in a January trade with the Florida Everblades. The 26-year-old collected ten assists in 35 games with Florida before being dealt.

The Dallas native into professional hockey by playing six games for the Everblades late in the 2015-16 season. He scored his first career goal and added two assists during that stretch.

Kuqali turned pro immediately after completing his collegiate career at Rochester Institute of Technology. He picked up 16 points (3g-13a) in 39 games while serving as the Tigers’ captain as a senior.

Kuqali totaled 59 points (13g-46a) in 153 games over his four years at RIT. He helped the Tigers to NCAA Tournament berths and Atlantic Hockey Conference Tournament titles in both his junior and senior seasons. As a junior, Kuqali was named to the All-Atlantic Hockey Third Team as well as the NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team. He also made four straight Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Teams.

Kuqali arrived in Rochester after spending three years in the junior ranks with the Indiana Ice and Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League.