MICHAEL YOUNG NAMED TO ALL-STAR TEAM

(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes, in conjunction with the ECHL, announced today that Rush defenseman Michael Young has been selected to the 2017 ECHL All-Star Team.

Rush Head Coach Mark DeSantis on Young’s selection: “The ECHL All-Star voting has come from other team’s coaches, as well as other team’s captains, so to be seen in their eyes as a top player among the quality of great players in the ECHL is a great accomplishment for Michael. We are very happy and proud of him in representing our organization.”

Young becomes the second Rush player, also a defenseman, to be named to the ECHL All-Star Team. The 6’3”, 215-pound blue liner is currently in the midst of his third season with the Rush, and has tabulated 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points in all 31 games the Rush have played to date this season, giving him the second-highest total amongst defenseman on his club.

Young has been selected as a reserve for the ECHL All-Stars that will square off against the host Adirondack Thunder in Glens Falls, New York on January 18th. The 2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by I LOVE NY will feature both squads in a non-traditional format featuring 5-on-5, 4-on-4, and 3-on-3 play, as well as a Skills Competition (Puck Relay, Hardest Shot, Fastest Skater) to highlight the talents of both teams.

The game will air LIVE exclusively on NHL Network on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET from the Glens Falls Civic Center in Glens Falls, N.Y.

“I’m very excited not only that I get to play in the All-Star game, but most importantly to represent the Rush organization in doing so,” said Young on his first career All-Star selection. “It’s a great feeling to be recognized by coaches and players around the league. For them to recognize how hard I work means so much, and it pushes me to play and work even harder as the season and my career continue.”

With the Rush, Young has played in 74 games across parts of three seasons, and has 9 goals and 21 assists for 30 points. When first acquired on a re-assignment from the AHL’s Providence Bruins in the 2014-15 ECHL season, Young splashed onto the scene in the Black Hills, scoring the second-fastest goal in Rush history just 29 seconds into Game 1 of the Division Semifinal against the Quad City Mallards in the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Prior to turning pro, the Calgary, Alberta native played 148 games with the University of Nebraska-Omaha in the NCAA, and registered 68 points in his four-year career.

Below is the rest of the ECHL All-Star lineup:

ECHL All-Star Starters

G – Jamie Phillips, Tulsa

D – Justin Agosta, Manchester

D – Jacob MacDonald, Toledo

F – Chad Costello, Allen

F – Peter Sivak, Alaska

F – Shawn Szydlowski, Fort Wayne

ECHL All-Star Reserves

G – C.J. Motte, Quad City

D – Eric Knodel, Cincinnati; Sprio Goulakos, Greenville; Travis Walsh, Idaho; Kevin Tansey, Missouri; Michael Young, Rapid City; Kevin Schulze, Wheeling

F – Justin Buzzeo, Atlanta; Matt Garbowsky, Colorado; John McCarron, Florida; Alex Wideman, Indy; Tony Cameranesi, Orlando, Justin Crandall, Reading; Steven McParland, South Carolina; Erik Bradford, Utah; Alexis Loiseau, Wichita

ECHL All-Star Alternates

Zachary Fucale, Brampton

Vaclav Karabacek, Elmira

Tanner Sorenson, Kalamazoo

Aaron Harstad, Norfolk

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