Rapid City Rush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rapid City Rush
City	Rapid City, South Dakota
League	ECHL
Conference	Western
Division	Mountain
Founded	2008 (In the CHL)
Home arena	The Monument
Colors	Red, black, white
Owner(s)	Spire Sports + Entertainment
Head coach	Scott Burt
Media	Rapid City Rush on Mixlr"
Affiliate(s)	Calgary Flames (NHL) Calgary Wranglers (AHL)
Website	rapidcityrush.com
Franchise history
2008–present	Rapid City Rush
Championships
Division Championships	1 (2010–11)
Conference Championships	1 (2009–10)
Ray Miron President's Cup	1 (2009–10)
Current season

The Rapid City Rush is a professional ice hockey team. They are based in Rapid City, South Dakota. The team plays its home games at The Monument. The Rush is currently connected to the Calgary Flames team in the NHL. This means they are a "farm team" where players can develop their skills.

History of the Rapid City Rush

Starting the Team in 2008

On June 2, 2007, a new ice hockey team was announced for Rapid City. This team would join the Central Hockey League (CHL). They started playing in the 2008–09 season.

A few months later, Joe Ferras was named the team's first head coach. Jason Rent became the general manager. In 2009, Tim Hill took over as general manager. In September 2007, the team showed off its name, colors, and logo. Scott Mueller is the main owner of the team. Barry Petersen and Donald Ward are also part owners.

Winning the Championship in 2010

In their second season, 2009–10, the Rush had an amazing year. They played against the Allen Americans in the Ray Miron President's Cup Finals. This was the championship series for the CHL.

The Rush won Game 2 in overtime after losing Game 1. They then traveled to Allen for three games. Allen won Game 3, but the Rush fought back to win Games 4 and 5.

Game 6 was back in Rapid City. The Americans were leading 3–1 in the third period. But the Rush made an incredible comeback! Blaine Jarvis scored to make it 3–2. Two minutes later, Brendon Cook tied the game, forcing overtime.

In the second overtime, Les Reaney shot the puck. It bounced off the Allen goalie and then off Scott Wray, rolling into the net. This exciting goal won the game for the Rush. They won the series 4–2 and claimed their first President's Cup!

All-Star Game and Playoff Battles

During the 2010–11 season, the Rush hosted the 2011 Central Hockey League All-Star Game. They lost to the All-Stars in that game. The Rush also made the playoffs for the second year in a row.

They swept the Dayton Gems in the first round. In the second round, they faced the Fort Wayne Komets. The Rush won that series in seven games. Next, they played their rivals, the Colorado Eagles. The Eagles won that tough seven-game series.

Changes and New Players

The 2012–13 season brought some changes. Assistant coach Mark DeSantis left to coach another team. Joe Ferras became the only head coach. Goalie Danny Battochio returned after an injury. The team struggled with scoring goals that season. However, they finished strong and made the playoffs.

For the 2014–15 season, Mark DeSantis returned as an associate coach. Danny Battochio also came back to play goalie. Longtime captain Scott Wray and Konrad Reeder retired from playing.

Joining the ECHL League

On October 7, 2014, the CHL stopped operating. The Rapid City Rush, along with several other teams, joined the ECHL. This meant the Rush would play in a new league starting with the 2014–15 season.

New Team Connections

On August 11, 2015, the Rush made a deal with the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes. They also connected with the American Hockey League's Springfield Falcons. This was the first time the Rush had a direct link to an NHL team.

In February 2016, Joe Ferras stepped down as coach. Mark DeSantis became the new head coach. The Rush continued their connection with the Coyotes and their new AHL team, the Tucson Roadrunners, in July 2016.

After a season and a half, DeSantis was replaced. Former Rush captain Daniel Tetrault became the head coach for the 2017–18 season. The Rush also changed their NHL connection to the Minnesota Wild and their AHL team, the Iowa Wild, but this lasted only one season. For the 2018–19 season, the Rush played without a direct NHL team connection.

New Ownership and Coaches

On January 11, 2019, the team announced new owners. Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr from Spire Sports + Entertainment joined the ownership group. Scott Mueller remained the main owner. By May 2020, Spire Hockey became the sole owners of the team.

In July 2019, the Rush started a two-year connection with the Arizona Coyotes and the Tucson Roadrunners again.

After the 2020–21 season, coach Daniel Tetrault left the team. He had coached the Rush for four seasons. Scott Burt took over as the new head coach in July 2021.

On August 25, 2022, the Rush made a new connection with the Calgary Flames for the 2022–23 season. This connection continues today.

Season-by-season record

Here's a look at how the Rapid City Rush has performed each season. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL=Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalty infraction minutes