FLURRY OF TRANSACTIONS COMES TO RUSH

(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes, announced a flurry of transactions today. The Tucson Roadrunners, AHL affiliate of the Rush, have re-assigned rookie goaltender Austin Lotz to the Rush, and have recalled rookie forward Hunter Fejes. Additionally, the Rush has signed fifth-year goaltender Adam Morrison.

Fejes heads to Tucson for the first time this season after appearing in all 11 games the Rush have played so far. The 6’1”, 190-pound rookie came red-hot onto the scene for the Rush, scoring goals in his first three games, eventually compiling 7 points (4g-3ast) in his time in the Black Hills. He leaves the Rush with the fifth-highest point total on the team, and heads to the AHL in a tie for the 9th-highest point total amongst ECHL rookies. Prior to playing professionally, Fejes played four seasons with Colorado College in the NCAA, and was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2012 NHL Draft (6th Rd-#178).

Lotz comes back to the Rush after spending the last two-plus weeks with the Rush’s AHL affiliate in Tucson, but did not make an appearance with the Roadrunners. The 6’0”, 190-pound net-minder made his professional debut with the Rush on October 21st against the Quad City Mallards, and despite suffering a 3-2 loss that night, he managed to stop 44 of 47 shots thrown towards his net, which is now a new franchise record for a Rush debut. Prior to turning pro, the St. Adolphe, Manitoba, native played junior hockey with the Everett Silvertips and Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL, where he posted a career record of 75-63-17.

Morrison heads to the Rush after the acquisition of his ECHL playing rights from the Reading Royals. The 6’3”, 195-pound goaltender played 23 games in the ECHL last season with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (4 games), the Fort Wayne Komets (1 game), and the Reading Royals (18 games), and posted an overall 9-6-6 record with a cumulative 2.55 GAA and .917 SV%. He added 6 playoff games with the Royals in the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs, splitting with a 3-3-0 record. His best season as a professional came in the 2014-15 ECHL season as a member of the South Carolina Stingrays, where he helped backstop the team’s run of 23 consecutive wins, earned ECHL Co-Goaltender of the Month honors in February, and registered a 15-5-2 record in 23 appearances with career-bests in GAA (1.88) and SV% (.928). Before beginning his professional career of now five years, the White Rock, British Columbia, native played four seasons of junior hockey with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades, and was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2009 NHL Draft (3rd Rd-#81).

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