Mallards Sign Jeff Hazelwood

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The Quad City Mallards of the “AA” Central Hockey League today announced they have signed forward Jeff Hazelwood. Per club policy, no contract terms were announced.

Hazelwood, 27, started last season in the CHL with the Arizona Sundogs before moving on to the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League and then finishing the campaign with the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers. The Dublin, California native scored eight goals and totaled 20 points in 35 games with the Sundogs, produced three goals and five assists in 10 outings for the Havoc and notched two goals and two assists in 14 games as a Wrangler.

The 6’ 0”, 185-pound Hazelwood is no stranger to new Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski, for whom Hazelwood played in 2010-11 with the Laredo Bucks.

“Jeff has great speed and very good hands. If he plays with the right players who compliment his game he is capable of putting up some big numbers,” said Ruskowski. “When he played for me a couple of years ago we only had 15 skaters for the entire month of February and I had to double shift every game for the entire month. He never complained, he just accepted the challenge. I look forward to coaching him again this year.”

During his time in Laredo, Hazelwood scored 17 times and recorded 40 points in 59 games. Hazelwood joined the Bucks after playing three games- and scoring one goal- with the Texas Brahmas at the start of the 2010-11 season.

Last season’s stint in Las Vegas was a return trip for Hazelwood, who broke into pro hockey with the Wranglers in 2009-10. Hazelwood scored eight goals and totaled 20 points in 53 ECHL games as a rookie.

Hazelwood turned pro after a sterling collegiate career at first St. Norbert and then Curry College. In 2008-09, he was voted ECAC Northeast Conference Player of the Year and was named to the Division III All-American East Second Team after scoring 25 goals and piling up 48 points in 27 games as a senior at Curry. Over four seasons of college hockey, Hazelwood rang up 67 goals and 153 points in 113 games.

Hazelwood also enjoyed plenty of team success as a collegian. As a freshman, he reached the 2006 NCAA Division III national title game with St. Norbert and returned to the Frozen Four with the Knights the following season. After transferring to Curry, Hazelwood helped the Colonels to the 2008 ECAC Northeast regular season conference title as a junior.

Before heading off to college, Hazelwood played two seasons of junior hockey. He skated for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League in 2003-04 before seeing action with the Gamblers, the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers and the Billings Bulls of the North American Hockey League the following year.