(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, announced today that the team has swapped goaltenders with its AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild. Steve Michalek has been recalled to Iowa, while Adam Vay has been assigned to the Rush.
Vay comes to the Rush having played in only one contest with the Iowa Wild this season. The 6’5”, 227-pound net-minder suffered an overtime loss to the Tucson Roadrunners in his only start, stopping 29 of 34 shots in 63:19 of work. Last season, Vay played his first season as a professional with the Quad City Mallards, appearing in 39 games and registering a 20-17-0-2 record with 3 shutouts to his credit, along with a 3.03 GAA and .900 SV%.
A native of Budapest, Hungary, Vay played his junior hockey in the United States with the El Paso Rhinos of the WSHL. In Texas, he played in a total of 58 games in two seasons, and boasted an impressive 53-5-0 record, appearing in back-to-back Thorne Cup Finals and winning the first in 2014. In the 2013-14 season, his 25-1-0 record, 1.76 GAA, and .936 SV% were all best in the league, and his five shutouts were tied for the most in the WSHL.
Internationally, Vay has played with the Hungarian National Team, most recently doing so in the 2016 IIHF World Championship. He tallied a 3.67 GAA and .911 SV% in three contests, including a 35-save performance in a 5-1 loss to Team USA, . He also played in the 2010 U-18 Division 1 World Championships and 2011 U-20 Division 2 World Championships, claiming a silver medal in both tournaments.
Michalek went 3-2-0 with the Rush, with a 3.17 GAA and .880 SV%. Since making his debut on October 27th at Colorado, the former 161st overall pick to Minnesota in the 2011 NHL draft started in five consecutive games, winning two of his final three against the Brampton Beast last week. He was responsible for securing the first win of the season for the Rush in net, stopping 19 of 22 shots in a 4-3 win over the defending Kelly Cup Champion Colorado Eagles.
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