NELLO FERRARA TABBED AS ASSISTANT COACH

(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, announced today that Nello Ferrara has been named the Assistant Coach of the Rush for the upcoming 2017-18 ECHL season.

“This is a really exciting day for Rush Nation. Nello and I are former teammates, and I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a person that shares the same passion, values, and determination as I do. He is a guy that I believe will greatly impact our culture change, simply because he refuses to lose,” said Rush Head Coach Daniel Tetrault on the hiring of his new Assistant Coach. “We announced his hiring today, but he’s been working with me for the last month, and our relationship has been incredible. We’ve been working the phones every day trying to get guys with our same philosophies of the game. We recently attended the Minnesota Wild Development Camp last week in St. Paul, and the Wild organization is nothing but first class and accepted us with open arms. I’m looking forward to working with him on a daily basis, and I’m ready for a winning environment and winning season in Rush Nation.”

Ferrara, 41, comes to the Rush to begin the coaching chapter of his hockey career after playing 10 seasons in professional hockey. The 5’11”, 195-pound defenseman played in 103 professional games across six different leagues, including stints with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, Cincinnati Cyclones, Toledo Walleye, the Kalamazoo Wings in the IHL prior to joining the ECHL, and the former CHL’s Bloomington Blaze, Wichita Thunder, and former archrival Denver Cutthroats. He was also a teammate of Rush Head Coach Daniel Tetrault on the Port Huron Icehawks in the IHL.

“It feels absolutely great to have this announcement today. I’m very optimistic and confident that our plan to rebuild a dominant force in minor league hockey will be extremely successful,” said Ferrara on joining the Rush organization. “As a coach, I bring dedication and commitment to every single player. I spent more time on rosters watching from the stands than I did on the ice. The last I counted, I was around 700 games either scratched or waiting to get in, and I learned a lot about the game from sitting in those seats.

“I hope to build a physical, fast, and accountable team with Coach Tetrault this upcoming season,” Ferrara added. “I expect to win and take two steps forward with this team. It will be an exciting season, and I can’t wait for October.”

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Ferrara played his junior hockey in the late 90’s with the NAHL’s Springfield Jr. Blues and Indianapolis Jr. Ice, before jumping to the USHL to play for the Wisconsin Capitals and Sioux City Musketeers. He comes from a family of famous confectioners in Chicago, the Ferrara Candy Company, which is known for Lemonheads, Red Hots, and Original Boston Baked Beans among others.

REMINDERS:

• 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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