DANIEL TETRAULT NAMED RUSH HEAD COACH

(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes, is excited to announce that former Rush captain, Daniel Tetrault, has been named the Head Coach of the Rapid City Rush heading into the team’s 10th anniversary season.

“We were presented with many interested candidates for this position, and after careful consideration, we as an ownership group decided to choose Daniel Tetrault to lead us into our 10th anniversary season as the next Head Coach of the Rapid City Rush,” said Scott Mueller, Majority Owner of the Rush. “The game of hockey is changing, and over the last year, we realized how impactful younger coaches have been, adapting to the game as fast as they have. Daniel is not only a young coach at just 37 years old, but he brings so much to the role that we felt was necessary in a bench boss. He’s a leader, simply put. He’s been a captain just about everywhere he’s played, and he’s won championships in each stage of his career in junior, international play, and professionally. Most importantly, Daniel has a passion not only for the game of hockey, but for the Rapid City Rush. He believes in these fans, in this community, in this team, and in himself, and we are excited to see him bring our organization back to its winning ways.”

“Daniel is a very upbeat and positive person with a ton of passion for this great sport, and this will certainly resonate throughout the locker room,” said Rush General Manager Joe Ferras. “He has been a leader at every level of hockey, has won championships and understands the work and commitment that it takes to reach these accomplishments. The 10th year is a very special year in an organization, and Testy knows the importance of this for our organization, loyal season ticket holders, corporate partners, and the community of Rapid City. Hockey is the greatest game played and it’s very exciting to see the energy and enthusiasm that Coach Tetrault’s team will bring to Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in our upcoming anniversary season.”

Tetrault served as the Assistant Coach of the Rush in the 2016-17 ECHL season, and has been selected to lead the club in the 10th anniversary campaign this upcoming fall. As a defenseman for a decade and a half during his professional hockey career, Tetrault is no stranger to a major leadership position: from his junior hockey career until his final season as a professional, the 6’0”, 205-pound blue-liner served as his team’s captain on five different occasions with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, CHL’s New Mexico Scorpions and Wichita Thunder, and the ECHL’s Evansville IceMen and Rapid City Rush. Along the way in his career, Tetrault expanded his knowledge of hockey even further by playing under many outstanding coaches, such as Bob Lowes in the WHL, Bill MacDonald and Steve Martinson in the CHL, and former NHL players Brent Hughes, Kevin McClelland, and Rich Kromm.

“First of all, I’d like to thank the ownership group of the Rush (Scott Mueller, Barry and Luke Peterson, and Donnie Ward), and GM Joe Ferras for this outstanding opportunity. I am very honored and privileged to be the named the next Head Coach of the Rapid City Rush as we enter our 10th anniversary season,” said Tetrault, the third bench boss in the 10-year history of the Rush. “I am very confident in my abilities, and I truly believe I can guide this team to a playoff spot and, ultimately, a Kelly Cup championship.

“I personally believe that we play in the toughest division in the ECHL. I know there will be a lot of work to be done, but I am fully committed to bringing this team to a championship level,” Tetrault added. “I also believe that we have the most passionate fans in the ECHL, and I’d like to thank them for their passion and loyalty towards our team as we get ready for a very important season in our team’s history. This is one of the best communities to live in as well. You won’t meet nicer people anywhere else. I promise to bring players that have the passion, determination, and a ‘do whatever it takes’ attitude to put the team first, and to bring our organization back to its winning ways. I am very excited for what lies ahead for our team, and can’t wait for October.”

Originally from La Broquerie, Manitoba, Tetrault, now 37, began the coaching chapter of his career after 15 seasons as a defenseman in which he played 921 games on the blue line in the AHL, ECHL, CHL, IHL, and WPHL, and notched 502 career points. He was named the best at his position as the CHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman during his stay with the Austin Ice Bats in the 2001-02 season, where he tabulated 43 points in 58 games. In the final year of the CHL’s existence back in the 2013-14 season, he joined the Allen Americans and helped them secure their second Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup in franchise history, marking his only professional championship as a player. Prior to the start of his career of a decade and a half, Tetrault played for the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, winning the 1996 WHL Championship, Team Canada, where he won a U-18 World Junior Championship Gold Medal, and was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1997 NHL Draft (4th Rd-#91).

REMINDERS:

• The Rush are holding a contest for fans to select our 10th-year anniversary logo, and the final round of the voting process is underway! Head to www.rapidcityrush.com/logo-contest/ to vote on which logo you feel should represent our 10th season of hockey! The final round of voting ends TOMORRROW at 5 p.m. MST!

• The 2017-18 ECHL Schedule is OUT! Head to www.echl.com to see where the Rush play during their 10th anniversary season!

• For more information on Season Ticket Memberships for our 10th anniversary, call 716-7825.

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