RUSH TO RETIRE SCOTT WRAYS #17

(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush is gearing up for one of the most historic nights in the franchise’s young history. After winning a championship in just its first two seasons, making the playoffs in the last five consecutive years, and welcoming its one millionth fan through the doors of Rushmore Plaza Civic Center last season, the Rush will now add a retired number to their rafters. Beginning on April 4th, the last home game of the ECHL regular season against the Quad City Mallards, no one in a Rush uniform will ever wear the #17 of Scott Wray again.

“I feel so blessed, thrilled, and humbled at this gesture from such a classy organization,” said retired Rush Captain Scott Wray. “This isn’t just a gesture towards me, but to my family as well. They are just as much a part of this as I am, and I am very grateful towards the Rush organization for all of this.”

“To score the most important goal not just in Rush history, but in the history of hockey in the state of South Dakota is one of the great memories of Scott Wray’s career in a Rush uniform,” said Rush Head Coach and GM Joe Ferras. “Wrayzer was a player that led by example with his work ethic, compete level, and willingness to put his body on the line for his teammates. It’s a tremendous honor to be the first player in Rush history to have his jersey number retired and it is very well-deserved.”

Wray is the quintessential embodiment of a legend in the Black Hills, with, as he put it, the best years of his 15 year career coming in South Dakota. In 5 seasons with the Rush, Scott cemented himself as a fan favorite, and as a leader on and off the ice. Named the third captain in team history, Wray re-wrote the Rush franchise record books, retiring as the leading scorer in Rush history (236 points), leading goal-scorer (106), and played in the most games in Rush history (314, 312 of which were consecutive). He also managed to score the game-winning, championship-Winning%20Goal against the Allen Americans in double overtime of Game 6 to secure the first championship in Rush history.

“When I look back on my time in Rapid City, I simply think of ‘home’,” added Wray. “For me, when I played for the Rush, I stopped thinking as if I was playing as a professional, but rather I was playing for the community of Rapid City. It’s hard to find the proper words to describe it.”

“It’s a great honor for Scott to have his jersey retired,” said Associate Coach of the Rush, Mark DeSantis. “As a former captain of the Rush and later his coach, Wrayzer understood what it meant to be a leader on and off the ice, and represented himself, as well as this team with the utmost respect and professionalism.”

Since retiring at the end of the 2013-14 season, Wray went back home to Canada to begin the next chapter of his career, coaching the Powassan Voodoos of the NOJHL: a tier-2 junior A team in the North Bay, Ontario area-the hometown of his wife, Shanna. There, Scott saw an opportunity to become closer to family, as well as become closer to the sport that has been with him his whole life. In the inaugural season of the Voodoos, Wray has led his club to a 16-26-8 record with two games remaining in the season, followed by the team’s first ever playoff appearance that begins next week.

A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Wray has been a professional hockey player for 15 years, making trips through the ECHL, the BNL, the EIHL in London, the UHL, and the CHL. In his last season as a pro, Wray became the first Rush player in history to score 100 goals, and the fifth player in CHL history to score 300 in his CHL career, while also playing in 376 consecutive games over the course of six seasons before a shoulder injury sidelined him until the playoffs towards the end of last season. Overall, he played in 943 games as a professional, scoring 368 goals along with 389 assists for a total of 757 points. Prior to playing professionally, Wray played four seasons in the OHL with the Owen Sound Platers, the North Bay Centennials, and the Plymouth Whalers.

“It was an honor to have the opportunity to coach Wrayzer in the early years of his pro career, and then to see him develop both on and off the ice as a person, father, and family man, and become the ultimate professional is something that he should be very proud of,” finished Ferras.

Wray concluded: “I just want to thank the whole Rush organization, and most importantly the fans. I still wish I could be playing with the Rush. I miss it every day and look forward to seeing you all again soon!”

Other Rush News:

Join Rush Nation for only $10 per game! Call the Rush office at 716-7825 for details, and stay informed on all Rush happenings this summer through the official Rapid City Rush team website, www.RapidCityRush.com, and the Rapid City Rush mobile app, available on iTunes and Google Play.

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