RUSH ANNOUNCE PLAYOFF ROSTER

USH ANNOUNCE PLAYOFF ROSTER

(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush announced their playoff roster earlier today as they gear up for their first-ever run in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Roster regulations for the playoffs are slightly different than their regular season counterpart. First, you are allowed a total of 23 players (20 players plus 3 on the Reserve List). Secondly, there are no Injured Reserve (IR) spots on the roster in postseason play. Lastly, you are only allowed 4 “veteran” players: players that have accrued over 260 games played as a professional hockey player.

Below is the roster representing the Rapid City Rush in the 2015 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs:

Forwards

#7-Winston Day Chief

Season Stats: 36 GP, 14 G, 21 Ast, 35 Pts

Winston unfortunately spent exactly half of the season on IR, but when he was on the ice, the third-year professional and captain of the Rush averaged just a hair under a point-per-game average in his first ECHL season, and led the team with a +13 rating.

#10-Jesse Schultz

Season Stats: 70 GP, 34 G-43 Ast-77 Pts

For a second consecutive season, Jesse finished as the leading scorer of the Rush, and finished in a tie as the 3rd-best scorer in the entire ECHL. The new all-time leading scorer in Rush history recorded 46 of his 77 points in the last 36 games of the season, with 22 coming by virtue of goals.

#12-Kyle Just

Season Stats: Amateur, 1 GP w/Rush

Kyle came to the Rush after a successful collegiate career with Mercyhurst University in the NCAA ranks, recording 102 points in 143 games. Kyle made his professional debut in the Rush’s regular season finale against the Allen Americans last Friday.

#18-Justin Faryna

Season Stats: 46 GP, 5 G-11 Ast-16 Pts

Now in his third year with the Rush, Justin solidified himself even further and one of the premiere penalty-killers on the Rush roster. Justin unfortunately spent most of the season on IR, but made an immediate emotional impact on the ice when he was healthy.

#19-Cody Ferriero

Season Stats: 39 GP, 20 G-25 Ast-45 Pts

A rookie sensation that shocked the entire ECHL, Cody provided a much-needed offensive boost to the Rush when he came in early January. The former draft pick of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks set a Rush franchise record with 25 assists as a rookie, and netted his first career hat trick in just his third game with the Rush.

#21-Johan Ryd

Season Stats: 58 GP, 6 G-8 Ast-14 Pts

The least penalized Rush player (4 PIM) proved to be one of the most elite penalty-killers in the entire ECHL. The former 2-time NCAA III champion helped improve the Rush penalty kill percentage by 9.2% from last season to this season (74.6% to 83.8%), as well as a 9th place finish in the ECHL.

#22-Kale Kerbashian

Season Stats: 65 GP, 21 G-41 Ast-62 Pts

With Rush: 28 GP, 12 G-22 Ast, 34 Pts

One of the most volatile acquisitions for the Rush in the middle of the season, Kale added much-needed firepower up front. After starting the season -17 with the Evansville IceMen, Kale went +24 as a Rush forward, and averaged 1.21 points-per-game in a Rush uniform. Additionally, he successfully recorded a point in his first 9 games with the Rush, capping off an overall 11-game point streak.

#24-Dylan Clarke

Season Stats: 69 GP, 16 G-29 Ast-45 Pts

The Rush leader in shots with 175, Dylan found ways to get the job done offensively, especially with the help and chemistry of his linemates: Daniel Barczuk and Scott Brannon. An alumnus of the alma mater of Coach Ferras, Dylan is consistently relied upon as a versatile forward, playing any position in any scenario.

#25-Daniel Barczuk

Season Stats: 69 GP, 22 G-12 Ast-34 Pts

Enjoying one of his best seasons in his young three-year career, Daniel became an offensive juggernaut in the second half of the season for the Rush. Daniel recorded the first 20-goal season of his career, and notched nearly two-thirds of his point total in the last half of the year.

#27-Kevin Harvey

Season Stats: 70 GP, 14 G-19 Ast-33 Pts

With Rush: 29 GP, 7 G-8 Ast-15 Pts

In his third stint with the Rush organization, Kevin did not disappoint, and became an immediate factor in all facets of the game for the Rush. Whether it was standing up for his teammates, or providing a net-front presence, the veteran with over 500+ professional games doubled his goal total with the Rush, and provided welcome secondary-scoring.

#28-Spencer Pommells

Season Stats (Florida): 10 GP, 2G-1Ast-3 Pts

Spencer is the newest addition to the Rush roster, coming from the Florida Everblades in the Eastern Conference. Spencer played collegiately in 109 games for the University of Windsor in the CIS, racking up 140 points in his four-year stay.

#72-Scott Brannon

Season Stats: 59 GP, 7 G-14 Ast-21 Pts

Scott played in his third season as professional, all with the Rush, and heated up down the stretch for his club. He recorded almost half of his point total in the second half of the season, splitting his 10 points evenly with 5 goals and assists.

#91-Patrick Cullen

Season Stats: 69 GP, 14 G-27 Ast-41 Pts

With Rush: 38 GP, 7 G-18 Ast-25 Pts

Another January acquisition for the Rush, Patrick became an immediate threat to the opposition in the faceoff dot, with Coach Ferras utilizing him in some of the most important faceoffs towards the latter parts of a game. Cullen more than doubled his previous point total with the Indy Fuel in his 38 games in Rapid City.

Defensemen

#3-Mathieu Brisebois

Season Stats: 67 GP, 11 G, 33 Ast, 44 Pts

With Rush: 36 GP, 9 G-21 Ast-30 Pts

An NHL-contracted defenseman with the Chicago Blackhawks, Mathieu became a very welcome addition to the Rush’s defense corps. He averaged just under a point-per-game with the Rush, and his booming slapshot (98 mph) provided a boost to the Rush power play.

#4-Dallas Ehrhardt

Season Stats: 53 GP, 4 G-11 Ast-15 Pts

With Rush: 30 GP, 3 G-8 Ast-11 Pts

A “stay at home” defenseman, Dallas shut down the opposition with his 6’4”, 220-pound frame, adding size and physical play to the back-end for the Rush. In his time in the Black Hills, Dallas saw his rating surge, as he went +12 with the Rush.

#5-Michael Young

Season Stats: 41 GP, 3 Ast, 3 Pts

With Rush: 8 GP, Ast, 1 Pt

An assignment from the AHL's Providence Bruins, Michael provided an immense hockey IQ to the back-end. Only playing in 8 games with the Rush, Michael helped solidify a stalwart defense corps, and recorded a point in his frist game with the Rush.

#6-Riley Weselowski

Season Stats: 44 GP, 3 G-7 Ast-10 Pts

Riley put together another solid campaign with the Rush, with this being his first season in the ECHL since playing with the Idaho Steelheads as a rookie. The longest-tenured player in Rush history by virtue of seasons played entering this season, he now owns the record for games played in a Rush uniform, surpassing the mark set by retired captain, Scott Wray.

#11-Jonathan Narbonne

Season Stats: 59 GP, 3 G-13 Ast-16 Pts

With Rush: 34 GP, 8 Ast-8 Pts

After playing for both the Bakersfield Condors and the Missouri Mavericks, Jonathan found a home in Rapid City, becoming one of the first new additions to the back-end of the club. Jonathan’s ability to find forwards for scoring chances is evident in his assist total with the Rush, with 6 of his 8 helpers coming in the second half of the season.

#15-Brett Kostolansky

Season Stats: 60 GP, G-13 Ast-14 Pts

Last year’s CHL Rookie of the Year Finalist picked up from where he left off, contributing on the top defensive pair in his sophomore season. He not only notched his first career ECHL goal on the final home game of the season, but also earned his 25th career point while adding his name to the list of players that have played 100 games with the Rush.

#44-Jeremy Gates

Season Stats: 18 GP, G-8 Ast-9 Pts

After starting briefly with the SPHL’s Pensacola Ice Flyers earlier this season, Jeremy came around Christmas time and added size and hockey sense to the defense corps. “The Gator”, as he’s called in the locker room, sustained unfortunate injury this season, but averaged half-a-point-per-game, which is an incredible scoring clip for a defenseman.

#77-Daniel Tetrault

Season Stats: 55 GP, 6 G-19 Ast-25 Pts

Looking to build off of his first championship with the Allen Americans last year, Daniel came to the Rush with high hopes and an unrivaled compete level. One of the gentlemen honored to wear the “C” in the locker room this season, the former draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens played in his 900th career game, and added a veteran presence to an already-stellar leadership group.

Goalies

#30-Danny Battochio

Season Stats: 52 GP, (25-18-4), 2.47 GAA, .912 SV %, 4 Shutouts

“The Batman” came back to Rapid City with a very warm welcome, and picked up right where he left off after he left for Kazakhstan last season. Danny became the first goaltender in Rush history to win 100 games and play in 200, and finished with a single-season franchise record for shutouts with 4, which was tied for 3rd-best in the ECHL.

#31-Johnny Griggs

Season Stats: 22 GP, (10-6-3), 3.24 GAA, .895 SV%

With Rush: 15 GP, (7-4-3), 2.84 GAA, .908 SV%

After only playing in 42 minutes of relief last season as a rookie with the Rush, Johnny came back to the Black Hills and provided clutch goaltending alongside Danny Battochio. Johnny’s best month with the Rush came in February, when he went 5-1-1, winning 4 games in a row at one point.

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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