TAYLOR CRUNK RETURNS FOR FOURTH PRO SEASON

(RAPID CITY, SD) – Nate Brown, host of Rapid City’s Sports Talk Show “The Nate Brown Show” on Fox Sports Rapid City 106.7 FM/1150 AM announced today that the Rapid City Rush have re-signed fourth-year forward Taylor Crunk for the 2019-20 ECHL season.

Crunk began his third campaign as a professional with the Fort Wayne Komets, but then concluded the season with the Rush as part of the blockbuster trade deadline deals on March 7, 2019.  The 6’0”, 215-pound forward recorded all of his points with the Komets, scoring twice and assisting once in 40 games, while racking up 126 PIM.  His final 8 games of the season came in Rapid City, where he amassed an additional 47 PIM.

“Coming back to Rapid City was a no-brainer for me.  From the moment I got there, I felt it was the right fit, and had an absolute blast at the rink everyday competing with the group of guys we had. The fans and community as a whole were unbelievable, so passionate and supportive, which made it an easy decision to come back to the Black Hills,” Crunk exclaimed on his re-signing with the Rush. “Coach Tetrault and Coach Ferrara gave me every opportunity to play from the get go, just as they promised me they would when they acquired me at the trade deadline. I felt completely rejuvenated by playing on a consistent basis. I feel I grew as a player for the short time that I was in Rapid, and can’t wait to keep that going.

“I expect us to make the playoffs this year. I got only good vibes in the direction that this organization is headed in from the time I got there to the time I left, so playoffs are the expectation,” Crunk elaborated.  “This community deserves a playoff team, and I cannot wait to see the Civic Center rocking in that playoff atmosphere!”

“We’re very pleased that Nate helped us make this announcement today. He’s been an outstanding media partner with our team, and helped spread our message across the Rapid City community this last year. This surely won’t be the last time we’ll have him involved in a player announcement this offseason,” Rush Head Coach Daniel Tetrault remarked about Crunk’s re-signing breaking on “The Nate Brown Show”.  “With respect to bringing Taylor back, I traded for him for a reason, and that’s because when given an opportunity, he can really play the game well. Crunker works so hard every shift, and is a wrecking ball in the offensive zone. He’s not afraid to go to the dirty areas, not afraid to hit or receive a hit to make a play, can skate well for his size, and will put his body on the line to defend his teammates from opposing liberties taken on them.  I think people are going to be surprised with what kind of a game he brings to the table this year, now that he’s starting training camp with our organization and our systems starting on day one.  He was willing to help others in the community as well, which made it an easy decision to bring him back into the fold.”

Hailing from San Jacinto, California, Crunk heads into his fourth season of professional hockey, all at the ECHL level, and with all but 8 of his 126 career games played with the Fort Wayne Komets, amassing career totals of 4 goals, 14 assists, 18 points, and 365 PIM.  Prior to turning professional, he played five seasons in the WHL, almost all of it with the Victoria Royals, and also the Vancouver Giants, appearing in 287 games with 27 goals, 26 assists, 53 points, and 332 PIM to his credit.

Season Tickets for all 36 home games are on sale now! Call the Rush office at 716-7825 to secure your seats today!

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