RUSH ANNOUNCE SCHEDULE FOR 2016-17 ECHL SEASON

(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush, in conjunction with the ECHL, announced the 2016-17 ECHL Schedule today.

For a printable version of the schedule, click

Below is the entire 2016-17 ECHL Schedule:

HOME GAMES ARE IN RED – AWAY GAMES ARE IN BLACK

**DENOTES FIRST-EVER MEETINGS

All times are MST

OCTOBER

Preseason 1) Friday, 10/7/2016 vs Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

Preseason 2) Saturday, 10/8/2016 @ Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

1) Friday, 10/14/2016 vs Colorado (SEASON OPENER) – 7:05 p.m.

2) Saturday, 10/15/2016 @ Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

3) Friday, 10/21/2016 vs Quad City – 7:05 p.m.

4) Saturday, 10/22/2016 vs Quad City – 7:05 p.m.

5) Wednesday, 10/26/2016 @ Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

6) Friday, 10/28/2016 @ Alaska – 9:15 p.m.

7) Saturday, 10/29/2016 @ Alaska – 9:15 p.m.

8) Sunday, 10/30/2016 @ Alaska – 5:05 p.m.

NOVEMBER

9) Wednesday, 11/2/2016 vs Idaho – 6:35 p.m.

10) Friday, 11/4/2016 vs Reading** – 7:05 p.m.

11) Saturday, 11/5/2016 vs Reading** – 7:05 p.m.

12) Friday, 11/11/2016 @ Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

13) Saturday, 11/12/2016 vs Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

14) Wednesday, 11/16/2016 @ Tulsa – 6:05 p.m.

15) Friday, 11/18/2016 @ Tulsa – 6:05 p.m.

16) Saturday, 11/19/2016 @ Allen – 6:05 p.m.

17) Wednesday, 11/23/2016 vs Colorado – 6:35 p.m.

18) Friday, 11/25/2016 @ Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

19) Saturday, 11/26/2016 @ Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

DECEMBER

20) Friday, 12/2/2016 vs Wichita – 7:05 p.m.

21) Saturday, 12/3/2016 vs Wichita – 7:05 p.m.

22) Friday, 12/9/2016 @ Utah – 7:00 p.m.

23) Saturday, 12/10/2016 @ Utah – 7:00 p.m.

24) Wednesday, 12/14/2016 @ Idaho – 7:10 p.m.

25) Friday, 12/16/2016 @ Idaho – 7:10 p.m.

26) Saturday, 12/17/2016 @ Idaho – 7:10 p.m.

27) Wednesday, 12/21/2016 vs Alaska – 6:35 p.m.

28) Friday, 12/23/2016 vs Alaska – 7:05 p.m.

29) Wednesday, 12/28/2016 vs Idaho – 6:35 p.m.

30) Friday, 12/30/2016 vs Idaho – 7:05 p.m.

31) Saturday, 12/31/2016 vs Idaho (NEW YEAR’S EVE) – 6:05 p.m.

JANUARY

32) Friday, 1/6/2017 @ Utah (FIRST GAME OF 2017) – 7:00 p.m.

33) Saturday, 1/7/2017 @ Utah – 7:00 p.m.

34) Wednesday, 1/11/2017 vs Utah – 6:35 p.m.

35) Friday, 1/13/2017 vs Utah – 7:05 p.m.

36) Saturday, 1/14/2017 vs Utah – 7:05 p.m.

37) Friday, 1/20/2017 @ Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

38) Saturday, 1/21/2017 vs Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

39) Sunday, 1/22/2017 vs Colorado – 3:05 p.m.

40) Friday, 1/27/2017 @ Indy – 5:35 p.m.

41) Saturday, 1/28/2017 @ Toledo** – 5:15 p.m.

42) Sunday, 1/29/2017 @ Toledo** – 5:15 p.m.

43) Tuesday, 1/31/2017 @ Cincinnati** – 5:35 p.m.

FEBRUARY

44) Friday, 2/3/2017 @ Fort Wayne – 6:00 p.m.

45) Saturday, 2/4/2017 @ Quad City – 6:05 p.m.

46) Wednesday, 2/8/2017 vs Allen – 6:35 p.m.

47) Friday, 2/10/2017 vs Allen – 7:05 p.m.

48) Saturday, 2/11/2017 vs Allen – 7:05 p.m.

49) Wednesday, 2/15/2017 @ Wichita – 6:05 p.m.

50) Friday, 2/17/2017 @ Tulsa – 6:05 p.m.

51) Saturday, 2/18/2017 @ Allen – 6:05 p.m.

52) Sunday, 2/19/2017 @ Allen – 3:05 p.m.

53) Friday, 2/24/2017 vs South Carolina** – 7:05 p.m.

54) Saturday, 2/25/2017 vs South Carolina** – 7:05 p.m.

55) Sunday, 2/26/2017 vs South Carolina** - 3:05 p.m.

MARCH

56) Wednesday, 3/1/2017 vs Idaho – 6:35 p.m.

57) Friday, 3/3/2017 vs Idaho – 7:05 p.m.

58) Saturday, 3/4/2017 vs Idaho – 7:05 p.m.

59) Friday, 3/10/2017 vs Alaska – 7:05 p.m.

60) Saturday, 3/11/2017 vs Alaska – 7:05 p.m.

61) Wednesday, 3/15/2017 @ Idaho – 7:10 p.m.

62) Friday, 3/17/2017 @ Idaho – 7:10 p.m.

63) Saturday, 3/18/2017 @ Idaho – 7:10 p.m.

64) Wednesday, 3/22/2017 @ Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

65) Friday, 3/24/2017 @ Alaska – 9:15 p.m.

66) Saturday, 3/25/2017 @ Alaska – 9:15 p.m.

67) Sunday, 3/26/2017 @ Alaska (FINAL ROAD GAME OF SEASON) – 5:05 p.m.

68) Wednesday, 3/29/2017 vs Utah – 6:35 p.m.

69) Friday, 3/31/2017 vs Utah – 7:05 p.m.

APRIL

70) Saturday, 4/1/2017 vs Utah – 7:05 p.m.

71) Friday, 4/7/2017 vs Colorado – 7:05 p.m.

72) Saturday, 4/8/2017 vs Colorado (FINAL GAME OF REGULAR SEASON) – 7:05 p.m.

The Rush kick off the 2016-17 campaign in a home-and-home series with their archrivals, the Colorado Eagles, with the first matchup coming on home ice. The team finishes off the month of October with its first of two trips to Anchorage to take on their West Division rivals, the Alaska Aces.

For the first time in team history, the Rush will welcome the Reading Royals to the Black Hills all the way from Pennsylvania as they play in a two-game set in the first weekend of November, and the South Carolina Stingrays all the way from Charleston at the end of February in one of the Rush’s five “three-in-three” series of the season. In addition to those clubs, the Rush will make their first-ever trips to Toledo to take on the Walleye, and to Cincinnati to play the Cyclones at the end of January.

The Rush have many happenings around the holidays this season, starting with a tribute to our nation’s military coming in a home-and-home series against the archrival Colorado Eagles on Friday November 11th in Colorado and on Saturday the 12th in Rapid City. Additionally, the November 23rd contest against the Eagles is a stand-alone game leading into the Thanksgiving holiday. Christmas time brings a first to the Rush organization, as the team will play the Alaska Aces on Wednesday December 21st, and, for the first time ever, on December 23rd, which is the Friday before Christmas this season. Following the Christmas holiday, the Rush will welcome back the “Holiday Hat Trick” Package as they host Idaho for a three game series on December 28th, December 30th, and on New Year’s Eve for what will be a ninth time in nine seasons and sixth edition at home.

“With the schedule being announced, we are very excited to have 26 home games on Fridays and Saturdays, and three of our Wednesday games during the holiday seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Rush General Manager, Joe Ferras. “The new rivalries from last season, including Utah, Idaho, and Alaska, will be re-visited, along with our arch nemesis Colorado Eagles. It’s always nice to welcome new teams to the Black Hills, and our fans will get to see the Reading Royals and South Carolina Stingrays come to the friendly confines of Premier Home Mortgage Ice in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.”

Four times, all on the road, the Rush will play in a four-game-in-five-night series. Two of them feature a Wednesday night matchup in Colorado followed by a “three-in-three” in Alaska on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A Midwest trip from January 27th to January 31st takes the Rush to Indy on a Friday, Toledo for a Saturday/Sunday set, and to Cincinnati on a Tuesday. The final set sees the Rush pass through old Central Division rivals in the middle of February when they visit Wichita on a Wednesday night, followed by a short trip to Tulsa for a Friday night contest, and concluding in Allen for a Saturday/Sunday pair of games.

Another first coming to the Rush is in the conclusion of a “three-in-three” with Colorado. On Friday January 20th, the Rush will begin the series in Loveland, CO, but will conclude their series against their archrival in Rapid City on Saturday January 21st, and with a matinee showdown on Sunday January 22nd.

The longest home-stand of the season spans 8 games from February 24th against South Carolina to March 11th against the Alaska Aces. Immediately following that stretch, however, the Rush will embark on their longest road trip of the season at 7 games from March 15th to March 26th when the club travels to three of their West Division opponents: Idaho, Colorado, and Alaska. For a second straight season, the Rush will close out the final five games of the regular season on home-ice.

Once again, 36 games will be played in the friendly confines of Premier Home Mortgage Ice in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. There will be no games on Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday nights this season. Instead, 8 games will be played on Wednesday, 13 on both Friday and Saturday, and 2 on Sunday.

Of the team’s 72 games in the regular season, 47 will come against West Division opponents: 10 against the Alaska Aces, 13 against the Idaho Steelheads, 10 against the Utah Grizzlies including another series of five consecutive matchups at the start of January, and 14 times against the Colorado Eagles in a second edition of the Crystal Cup Rivalry Series. Regarding road contests, the Rush will travel to their division rivals, but will also visit Tulsa (twice-3 total games), Allen (twice-3 total games), Indy (1 game), Toledo (2 games), Cincinnati (1 game), Fort Wayne (1 game), Quad City (1 game), and for the first time since the 2014-15 ECHL season, Wichita (1 game).

Season tickets are on sale now! Call 716-PUCK for more details!

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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