Rookie goaltender Joyce joins Mallards

MOLINE, Ill. – The Quad City Mallards have signed goaltender Kris Joyce 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.

Joyce made his professional debut in relief in Game 6 of the Orlando Solar Bears’ opening round Kelly Cup playoff series against the Florida Everblades after signing an amateur tryout agreement with Orlando earlier the same day. Joyce, 22, again saw relief action in the Game 7 loss that ended the Solar Bears’ season. The Prince George, British Columbia native did not record a decision while playing a total of 24:47 in his two appearances.

Joyce joined the Solar Bears fresh from the University of Windsor, where he went 6-10-0 with a 2.88 goals against average, a .908 save percentage and one shutout in 20 games last year. The 2016-17 campaign was Joyce’s lone season as a Lancer.

Joyce played four seasons of junior hockey before heading to Windsor. He spent two years with the Sicamous Eagles of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League- with time out for a single game in the British Columbia Hockey League with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks- before moving on to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and the La Ronge Ice Wolves for two seasons.