Former Vernon Viper Marino Named MVP Award Finalist:

Former Vernon Vipers forward, Brandon Marino has been named one of five finalists for the Central Hockey League Most Valuable Player award. Marino, 25, leads the league in goals (36) and power play goals (12), ranks second in points (79), is tied for second in shorthanded goals (3) and ranks fourth in assists (43). Marino played just two games with the 2002-2003 Vernon Vipers is in his third season with the CHL Quad City Mallards.

Brandon Marino's Player Profile:

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=93732

This is posted on the Mallards website:

MALLARDS' MARINO NAMED M.V.P. AWARD FINALIST

03/07/2012

Quad City Mallards forward Brandon Marino has been named one of five finalists for the Central Hockey League Most Valuable Player award while teammate Jared Brown has been named a finalist for Rookie of the Year award and Mallards captain Darren McMillan has been selected as a candidate for the Most Outstanding Defenseman award, the Mallards announced today in conjunction with the CHL.

“I’m very proud to have these guys as part of our hockey team and all three are very deserving of this recognition,” said Mallards coach and general manager David Bell.

Marino, 25, leads the league in goals (36) and power play goals (12), ranks second in points (79), is tied for second in shorthanded goals (3) and ranks fourth in assists (43). The 5’ 9”, 185-pound Riverside, California native is currently in the midst of a six-game point scoring streaking during which he has produced seven goals and piled up a dozen points. Marino was selected to start in January’s CHL All-Star Game and was named M.V.P. of the mid-season classic after scoring the winning goal and collecting three assists as the All-Stars defeated the host Arizona Sundogs.

Now in his third professional season- all spent with the Mallards- Marino has long since eclipsed his previous career highs for goals, assists and points in a season. He scored ten goals and produced 38 points in 58 games last year after totaling 13 goals and 44 points in his first pro campaign.

Before joining the Mallards, Marino helped Cinderella story Bemidji State to a berth in the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four. Marino scored seven goals and notched 19 points in 36 games in 2008-09 and rang up 15 goals and 51 points in 116 games over his four years as a Beaver. He played junior hockey for three seasons in the British Columbia and North American leagues before enrolling at BSU.

The other M.V.P. candidates are Allen’s Bruce Graham, Rapid City’s Shawn Limpright, Wichita’s Matt Robinson and Evansville’s Todd Robinson.

Brown, who turned 26 last month, leads CHL rookies in points (60) and assists (38) and is tied for third among first year players in goals (22). The Gardner, Kansas, native is also tied for seventh overall in assists and tied for eighth overall in points.

The 5’ 10”, 195-pound Brown first joined the Mallards last spring immediately after completing his collegiate career at Northern Michigan. He scored twice and added an assist in five games with Quad City at the tail end of last season. Over four years at NMU, Brown scored 32 goals and recorded 82 points in 155 games. His junior year saw Brown produce nine goals and 23 points in 41 games while helping NMU to the school’s first NCAA tournament bid in a decade.

The other Rookie of the Year finalists are Missouri’s Andrew Courtney, Evansville’s Bryan Gillis, Texas’s Mark Guggenberger and Tulsa’s Mike Ullrich.

McMillan, 31, leads the Mallards and is tied for sixth among CHL defensemen in plus/minus rating (+15). Now in his second season as team captain, the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, product has scored three goals and registered 20 points this year. The ever-reliable McMillan has played in each of the Mallards 123 games over the last two seasons.

Last season the 6’ 0”, 210-pound McMillan scored four goals and totaled 21 points and represented the Mallards at the CHL All-Star Game. McMillan, who first played for the Mallards early in the 2009-10 season before finishing that campaign in Germany, has suited up for the CHL’s Wichita Thunder, Klostersee EHC of the German Oberliga, and the ECHL‘s Ontario Reign- as well as the Mallards- over the course of his seven-year career. He has skated in 393 games since turning pro during which he has notched 26 goals and 154 points.

McMillan will compete against Fort Wayne’s Frankie DeAngelis, Evansville’s Matt Gens, Missouri’s Dave Pszenyczny and Rapid City’s Riley Weselowski for Most Outstanding Defenseman honors.

Finalists were determined by the CHL office after nominations were submitted by CHL clubs. Awards will be voted upon by CHL head coaches, team communications departments and select media members.

The Mallards return to action on the road tomorrow night against the Allen Americans. The Mallards next play at home Saturday evening at 7:05 p.m. against the Tulsa Oilers. The Mallards will welcome area church and youth groups to the i wireless Center for Faith Night next Saturday evening. Also on Saturday, the Mallards will team with Quad Cities firefighters for “Hockey for Hailey”. “Hockey for Hailey” will raise funds for Rock Island second grader Hailey Briggs, who is suffering from a rare form of brain cancer. A benefit hockey game between Quad Cities firefighters and Chicago firefighters at 3:00 p.m. will precede the Mallards’ match-up with Tulsa. Tickets to the Quad City-Chicago firefighters’ game also include a seat for the Mallards’ game later in the evening and are available for just $14. “Hockey for Hailey” tickets can be purchased before 5:00 p.m. Friday by calling the Mallards at 309-277-1392. Tickets will also be available at the door of the firefighters’ game Saturday.

Single game tickets for all Mallards regular season home contests- including Saturday night’s game- are available. Fans can contact the Mallards at (309) 277-1364 or tickets@myqcmallards.com for more information about tickets.