Mallards sign forwards McGrath, Pohlkamp

MOLINE, Ill. – The Quad City Mallards have signed forwards Ryan McGrath and Matt Pohlkamp for the 2017-18 season.

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.

McGrath tallied 58 points (25g-33a) in 42 games last season with EC Harzer Falken in the German Oberliga last season. The 26-year-old broke into professional hockey when he scored one goal in four games with the Manchester Monarchs late in the 2015-16 campaign immediately after wrapping up his senior season at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

McGrath recorded 60 points (25g-35a) in 139 games in his four years at Lowell. As a freshman, McGrath scored seven times and set collegiate career highs for assists (14) and points (21) while helping the River Hawks reach the Division I Frozen Four for the first time in school history after also claiming the Hockey East regular season and tournament titles. McGrath and UML would return to the NCAA tournament in two of the following three seasons.

Before arriving in Lowell, McGrath played two seasons in the junior ranks for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League and helped Cedar Rapids to a first overall finish in 2010-11.

Pohlkamp, 24, got his first taste of the pro game when he recorded three points (1g-2a) in nine games with the Toledo Walleye last spring. The Baxter, Minn. product turned pro just after completing his collegiate career at Bowling Green by scoring 23 points (13g-10a) in 40 games last season. He was also named to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic team for the third year in succession. He won BGSU’s Most Improved Player award as a sophomore after scoring a collegiate career-high 25 points (8g-17a).

In all, Pohlkamp produced 88 points (38g-50a) in 160 games while helping Bowling Green to four consecutive winning seasons after the Falcons had failed to top the .500 mark for 16 straight years before his arrival.

Pohlkamp headed to Bowling Green after splitting the 2012-13 season between the USHL’s Fargo Force and the North American Hockey League’s Bismarck Bobcats.