Ex-Saints star Cody Fidgett lands pro deal with Quad City of ECHL
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Former Selkirk Saints sniper Cody Fidgett inked a deal Thursday with the Quad City Mallards of the ECHL.
Fidgett, 24, played two seasons in Castlegar with the Saints, leading the Sunflower City squad to the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League Championship in 2013 and 2014.
In 43 games with Selkirk, Fidgett scored 32 goals while adding 28 assists for 60 points.
He was instrumental in Saints winning back-to-back BCIHL titles, scoring four goals while adding eight assists in six playoff games.
“Fidgett could be a real dark horse for us,” said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski on the team website.
“He’s never played in the highest caliber leagues but he’s always been the dominant player in the leagues he’s played in.”
Last season the Richmond native played for Trinity Western, where he was named first team all start and led the BCIHL in goals in goals (25) and power play goals (8), finished second in points (41) and finished tied for seventh in assists (7) while propelling Trinity Western University to a first place finish.
Ruskowski said was impressed with the former Delta Ice Hawks product during a couple of exhibition games last year against St. Cloud State and Minnesota State.
“He’s not big but he’s fast and explosive and can drive to the net,” Ruskowski said.
“He’s unproven based on where he’s played but he could be a diamond in the rough.”
Fidgett embarked upon his university career in the BCIHL after four seasons with the Delta Ice Hawks of the Pacific Junior Hockey League.
He closed out his junior career by helping the Ice Hawks to the 2011-12 PJHL Championship.
Quad City finished third in the Western Division of the ECHL last season before losing in the first round of the playoffs to Rapid City Rush in seven games.
The ECHL is a mid-level professional hockey league that is a tier below the American Hockey League, minor league to the National Hockey League.
The league’s regular season begins in October and ends in April.
