(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes, announced today that forward Nathan Moon has been signed for the upcoming 2016-17 ECHL season. Moon becomes the tenth forward announced for next season, and only the second veteran on the roster.

“We are very excited to get a veteran player of Nathan’s caliber in our lineup. We saw Nathan last season with Colorado for two games and another two times against Evansville, and we loved his style,” said Rush Head Coach, Mark DeSantis. “He’s the type of player that can play all three forward positions, and plays with a chip on his shoulder. Nathan is the type of player who can get under an opponent’s skin, but also can be a point-per-game player. Being only 26, we expect Nathan, with our young team, to be a team leader and a great presence in our locker room.”

Moon, 26, comes to the Rush after skating the vast majority of last season with the Evansville IceMen, while also spending time with the archrival Colorado Eagles. The 5’11”, 194-pound forward was the leading scorer of the IceMen, amassing 50 points in 67 games to the tune of 15 goals and 35 assists, while adding 3 points (G, 2 Ast) in 3 games with Colorado at the start of the season. In total, Moon registered 16 goals, 37 assists, and 53 points, with the latter of the two setting new career-highs in a single season for the sixth-year professional. In his career, Moon has appeared in 315 games in the AHL with the Worcester Sharks, Springfield Falcons, and Adirondack Flames, the EIHL in Europe with the Braehead Clan, and in the ECHL with the Eagles, IceMen, and Cincinnati Cyclones, recording 223 total points (75 G, 148 Ast). Additionally, at the conclusion of his junior career, he captured the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in the 2011 CHL Playoffs. Prior to playing professionally, the Belleville, Ontario native played five seasons in the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs and averaged over a point-per-game in his junior career, notching 332 points (139 G, 193 Ast) in 316 games played. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2008 NHL Draft (4th Rd-#120).

“It means a lot to me to sign with this Rush team. Last season, I got to play in Rapid City as a member of the Eagles, and I recall that my preseason game had such an electric atmosphere. It’s nice having that crowd at your back for a change,” Moon said of his arrival in Rapid City. “I look at myself as a two-way player, as well as a playmaker, making sure I dish the extra pass. I get more satisfaction out of recording assists and passing the puck, but can also score when called upon to do so. I expect us to be fast and high-scoring, while also defensively sound, and expect to make the playoffs and contend for a Kelly Cup this season.”

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