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LAMOUREUX, RIOUX RETURN TO MALLARDS; DIEUDE-FAUVEL JOINS FRENCH NATIONAL TEAM

By: Mallards Communications Staff
Photo: Sean Flynn Photography/Quad City Mallards

Forward Mario Lamoureux and defenseman Nicholas Rioux have returned to the Quad City Mallards from the American Hockey League while Mallards defenseman Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel has joined the French National Team for the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, the Mallards announced today.

Lamoureux, 26, scored twice in three games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers after signing a professional tryout agreement with the Checkers last Tuesday.  The 5’ 9”, 185-pound Grand Forks, North Dakota, native joined Charlotte just after finishing the ECHL regular season fifth in the league in assists (51) and tied for eleventh in points (71).  Lamoureux scored 20 goals in 68 games after joining the Mallards in an early season trade with the Ontario Reign.  He led the Mallards in power play points (21) and finished tied for the team lead in plus/minus rating (+15).   

Rioux, 28, rejoins the Mallards after completing his fourth stint this season with the AHL’s Iowa Wild.  The 6’ 1”, 205-pound Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, native skated in ten games after signing a PTO with Iowa last month.  Rioux recorded a plus/minus rating of +7 without registering a point while playing a total of 15 games for the Wild this season.  He has now played 23 career AHL games after suiting up for Iowa eight times last season.

While not on the Mallards’ active roster when the ECHL’s Kelly Cup playoffs started last week, Lamoureux and Rioux were both on the club’s playoff eligible list and are available for action when the Mallards host the Rapid City Rush in game three of the Central Division Semi-Finals Wednesday night.

Dieude-Fauvel, 28, will join the Team France training camp in Grenoble, in the French Alps, before representing his homeland at the World Championship, which kicks off May 1 in the Czech Republic.
 
Dieude-Fauvel scored five goals and added four assists in 31 games with the Mallards this season and also picked up one assist while playing in 20 AHL games for Iowa.  The 6’ 2”, 220-pound Bordeaux native last Friday night in Rapid City scored the winning goal in the third period of the Mallards’ playoff-opening 3-2 victory over the host Rush.

Over six years in North America, Dieude-Fauvel has produced 37 goals, 87 assists and 124 points in 332 games.  He reunited with Mallards coach Terry Ruskowski last season after first playing for Ruskowski in 2009-10 and 2010-11 with the CHL’s Laredo Bucks.  From the Bucks, Dieude-Fauvel moved on to spend two seasons with the ECHL’s Elmira Jackals.  

This marks the second year in a row Dieude-Fauvel will play for France at the World Championship.  Last year Les Bleus reached the quarter finals of the IIHF’s annual showpiece event for the first time since 1995.
 
Wednesday night’s game three between the Mallards and Rush faces off at 6:05 p.m. at the iWireless Center.  The Mallards will also host game four Friday night at 7:05 p.m. and game five Saturday evening at 7:05 p.m. at the iWireless Center.  Should a sixth game be required, the series will shift back to Rapid City next Tuesday, April 28.  If the series goes to a seventh game, the Rush would host the deciding contest next Wednesday, April 29.
 
Tickets for Mallards first round home games are on sale now at the iWireless Center box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000.  The box office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period. 
 



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