The Quad City Mallards of the “AA” Central Hockey League today announced they have re-signed forward Mickey Lang and have also signed forward Jason Dixon and  defensemen Aaron Schmit, Cory McGillis and Mike Monfredo.

Lang, 26, scored 19 goals and totaled 40 points in 61 games as a rookie last season.  The 5’ 10”, 174-pound Reno, Nevada, native finished the year tied for sixth among CHL rookies in goal scoring. 

“Mickey’s a fast, skilled, hard-working young player who is excited about being back with the Mallards,” said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski.  “He had a very good rookie season and now he’s looking forward to the opportunity to build on that.”

Lang finished his first professional season with a flourish- in the final 13 games of the campaign he scored nine goals and collected 13 assists for 22 points and posted a league-high plus/minus rating of +19.  In recognition of his late season efforts, Lang was named both 50/50 Central CHL Rookie of the Month and CHL Oakley First Star for March.

Lang spent four seasons at Division III Manhattanville College before turning pro.  He scored 16 times and produced 27 points in 24 games with the Valiants in 2010-11.  In 88 career collegiate games, Lang registered 47 goals and 93 points.

While new to the Mallards, Dixon, 27, is no stranger to Ruskowski.  Dixon played for the Mallards’ new boss last season with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and in 2008-09 with the Laredo Bucks.  The 5’ 10”, 175-pound Dixon scored 13 goals and produced 41 points in 62 games in Rio Grande Valley last year after playing a single game for the Allen Americans at the start of the campaign.  The Belle River, Ontario, native returned to North America last season after scoring 11 times and notching 35 points for ERC Sonthofen 1999 in Germany in 2010-11.

Dixon spent four seasons in the junior ranks, suiting up for the Windsor Spitfires of the major junior Ontario Hockey League for three years and for the Petrolia Jets of the Western Ontario Hockey League for a single campaign.  After completing his junior career, Dixon played one season of senior hockey for the Ontario Hockey Association’s Windsor St. Clair Saints in 2006-07 before heading south to turn professional. 

Schmit, 24, joins the Mallards after completing his collegiate career at Ferris State.  The 6’ 4”, 230-pound, Grafton, Wisconsin native last season scored eight goals and totaled 11 points in 42 games while helping the Bulldogs to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season title on the way to- for the first time in school history- a  berth in the NCAA title game.  Over four years at FSU, Schmidt scored 16 times and recorded 23 points in 121 games.  Before arriving at Ferris Sate, Schmit spent a season in the junior ranks with the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel.

McGillis, 24, scored four times and collected 11 points in 16 games with the University of Windsor last season.  The 6’ 2”, 215-pound, Coniston, Ontario product transferred to Windsor from Concordia University, where he skated in 2008-09 and 2009-10 before sitting out the 2010-11 campaign.  Before making the move to university hockey, McGillis competed for four-plus seasons in the OHL for the Windsor Spitfires, Barrie Colts, Plymouth Whalers and Sudbury Wolves. 

Monfredo, 22, last year played for the State University of New York-Fredonia, where he scored three goals and added five assists in 26 games.  The Shirley, New York, product played three seasons  of junior hockey for Motor City in the North American League  before heading to Fredonia.  In 2010-11, the 6’ 3”, 210-pound blue liner led the NAHL with 259 penalty minutes.

The Mallards will open their third CHL season- and their first under two-time league-title winning coach Ruskowski- on Friday night against the Oilers in Tulsa.  On Saturday night, the Mallards will return to the Quad Cities to play their home opener against the Oilers at 7:05 p.m. at the i wireless Center.  The Mallards will again be in action on home ice when they welcome the Wichita Thunder Sunday afternoon at 4:05 p.m.

Tickets for this weekend’s tilts and all remaining Mallards regular season home games are now available.  Single game tickets are also available at the i wireless Center box office, at Ticketmaster outlets, through www.ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free.  The box office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.  Individual game tickets are available for $13 in the upper level, $18 in the lower level and $25 for the first row along the glass for adults.  Tickets for kids 12 and under are available for $5 off adult rates. 

Both season tickets and the Mallards’ new Partial Punch Plan are also still available.  The Mallards offer ticket packages to meet any budget, including youth season tickets now available for as little at $165.  The Partial Punch Plan provides flexibility and affordability- each Punch Plan punch card can be redeemed for ten tickets- whether those tickets are for ten different games, all for the same game or anything in between- subject to availability.  Partial Punch Plans can be had for as little as $70 for youth 12 and under.  For more ticket package information, fans can call the Mallards at 309-277-1364.