McKee Earns Weekly Honor

The Quad City Mallards’ David McKee, a former Cornell standout, has been named Oakley Central Hockey League Goaltender of the Week, the Mallards today announced in conjunction with the CHL.

McKee, who turned 28 yesterday, stopped 58 of the 60 shots he faced while backstopping the Mallards to a two-game sweep of the Bucks in Laredo last weekend.  The Irving, Texas, native last Friday kicked off what proved to be a triumphant return to his home state by turning aside 24 shots as the Mallards scored a 4-1 win in their first ever meeting with the Bucks.  One night later McKee made a personal season high 34 saves in a 5-1 Quad City victory.  

In the wake of last weekend’s back-to-back wins, the 6’ 1”, 187-pound McKee improved his record to 4-7-0 this season.  McKee has posted a 3.20 goals against average and a .896 save percentage in his first 11 games as a Mallard.

Now in his sixth professional season, McKee signed with the Mallards in July after going 7-6-3 with a 3.72 goals against average and a .891 save percentage in 18 games with the CHL’s Odessa Jackalopes last year.  

McKee first played in the CHL two seasons ago when he appeared in five games with the Allen Americans, for whom he went 2-3-0 while turning in a 3.95 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. 

McKee spent most of his first three pro seasons in the ECHL, where he tended goal for the Augusta Lynx, Phoenix Roadrunners and Bakersfield Condors.  McKee saw action in the American Hockey League with the Portland Pirates as a rookie in 2006-07 and with the Iowa Stars in the following season.   

Before turning pro, McKee enjoyed three outstanding seasons at Cornell during which he was named a Hobey Baker award finalist, collected a host of other honors and posted a hugely impressive set of career collegiate numbers.  He went 65-24-13 with a 1.71 goals against average, 18 shutouts and a .926 save percentage in 102 games with the Big Red.  His sophomore season- 2004-05- was a banner year.  In addition to his selection as a Hobey Baker finalist, McKee also earned All-America East, All-ECAC and All Ivy League First Team honors and was named ECAC and Ivy League Player of the Year and ECAC Goaltender of the Year.  McKee set Cornell records for shutouts (10) and save percentage (.947) while going 27-5-3 with a 1.24 goals against average for the campaign.