RUSH ACQUIRE GRIGGS OFF WAIVERS, DAVIS FROM SPHL

(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush announced another flurry of transactions earlier this morning. Second year goaltender John Griggs has been acquired off of waivers, and rookie forward Robert Davis has joined the Rush from the SPHL’s Columbus Cottonmouths. Additionally, rookie goaltender Raphael Girard has been waived.

“Right when we thought we were turning the corner getting Winston Day Chief and Joey Sides back from long-term injury, we have been ravaged again losing five players to long-term injuries, including Day Chief and Sides again,” said Head coach and GM of the Rush, Joe Ferras. “As a result, Coach DeSantis and I are constantly looking for players that can help our lineup and with the additions of Ferriero, Huff, Narbonne, and most recently acquiring Johnny Griggs and calling up Robert Davis, these players are a necessity to fill in our lineup.”

Griggs spent his rookie season between the Pensacola Ice Flyers and the Mississippi RiverKings in the SPHL, and the Rapid City Rush and Denver Cutthroats in the CHL. He spent the majority of his SPHL stint with the Ice Flyers, playing in 15 games and sporting a 5-7-1 record, along with a 2.83 GAA and a .897 SV %. Griggs only appeared in one game for the Rush, playing in 42 minutes of relief before joining the Cutthroats, where he saw great success. In the Rocky Mountains, Griggs played in 12 games, posting a 10-1-0 record with a 2.34 GAA and a .925 SV%. His stellar play helped lead the Cutthroats to their only Ray Miron President’s Cup Finals appearance, where they fell to the Allen Americans 4-1 in the series. A native of Barrington, Illinois, Griggs, now 26, spent three seasons with the University of Alabama-Huntsville in the NCAA, playing in tandem alongside current New York Rangers backup goaltender Cam Talbot.

“Griggsy is a goalie we are very familiar with, having him in Rapid City as well as playing against him with the Denver Cutthroats last sean,” added Ferras on his new netminder. “He had a tremendous run with Denver last year, only coming up short of winning a championship. He is a quality young man, and we are looking for him to build off the success he had last season.”

“Robert brings needed toughness to our lineup,” said Associate Coach Mark DeSantis. “He attended Wichita’s camp, and was sent to Columbus to work on his game. He has much potential, skates very well, and we see some great upside in Robert’s abilities on the ice.”

Davis comes to the Rush organization from the Columbus Cottonmouths of the SPHL. While in Georgia, Davis played in 23 games, recording a lone assist while accruing 77 PIM. Originally from Truro, Nova Scotia, the 6’1”, 220-pound forward spent his junior career with the Amherst Ramblers of the Maritime Hockey League, and Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League over the course of five seasons before turning professional.

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