NARBONNE RETURNS FOR SECOND SEASON WITH RUSH

(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes and AHL’s Springfield Falcons, announced today the re-signing of defenseman Jonathan Narbonne for the upcoming 2015-16 ECHL season. Narbonne is the sixth defenseman signed for next season, and the fourth returning to the Black Hills.

Narbonne split time last season in the ECHL between three different clubs, beginning with the Bakersfield Condors. In California, the 6’0”, 194-pound blueliner recorded both 3 goals and assists for 6 points before heading to the Missouri Mavericks, where he added an additional 2 assists in 8 games. At the conclusion of his stay in Independence, Narbonne was traded to the Rush where he finished out the last 34 games of his season by contributing 8 more assists and finishing with a +11 rating. He racked up 3 points in the postseason (2 G, Ast), the first of his career, in 8 Kelly Cup Playoff games.

“I’ve been looking forward to coming back to Rapid City all summer long. I can’t wait to be back on the ice with the team,” said Narbonne with regards to coming back to the Rush. :My work ethic and positivity paid off for me last season, and I hope to replicate that this year. Our division is going to be really tough, so I expect us to start off the same way we finished: strong. I put so much work into improving myself this offseason and look forward to what is in store for this year.”

“Jonathan was a mid-season acquisition who came in and performed very well. ‘Bones’ sees the ice well and competes hard every night,” Rush Associate Coach Mark DeSantis said of Narbonne. “We are looking for Jonathan to take a step forward strength-wise and log more minutes for us this season.”

Originally from Laval, Quebec, the 22-year old blueliner enters his third season as a professional, all of which have been spent in the ECHL. All-time in the “Premiere ‘AA’ Hockey League”, Narbonne has recorded 33 points (5 G, 28 Ast) in 117 games. Prior to his professional career, he played in the QMJHL for 4 seasons with the Montreal Juniors, the Blainsville-Boisbriand Armada, and the Shawnigan Cataractes, where he not only won the 2011-12 Memorial Cup, but was also awarded the Kevin Lowe Trophy as the “Q’s” Best Defensive Defenseman in the next season.

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