Luckily the hockey fans in that metro loved their Mallards much more than the Flames. Attendance rates were actually better in the lower league. Because of this, much speculation has been made this spring/summer about QC's return to AA level hockey. Rumors from a joint entry by QC and Des Moines in the ECHL (technically it stands for nothing now) or Central Hockey League to single bids to join the International Hockey League (the re-christened UHL) have run rampant. Now it looks like the latter is coming to fruition.
At this point all we know is that QC will be rejoining their former league this fall. They will continue playing at the i wireless Center. Even without an official name announcement, expect the Mallards to quack once again.
In other hockey news, the University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks ice hockey team is moving from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association beginning in the 2010-11 season. This move will pit them against more regional competition like the Minnesota and the University of Denver rather than schools located further away including Michigan and Michigan State. Moving to the WCHA should give the program an increased amount of exposure in our area.
