(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush announced today that former NHLer Brandon Mashinter has been signed by the team ahead of their stretch of six consecutive matchups, and three on the road this week, against the Idaho Steelheads.  In a separate transaction, forward Alec Baer has been released.

“I can’t express how excited I am to have a player of Brandon’s caliber on my team,” Rush Head Coach Daniel Tetrault said of Mashinter’s acquisition.  “He’ll bring a great deal of leadership to our young team.  This stretch of games is very important for us.  We don’t want to be a .500 team.  We’re looking to gain ground on the division and separate ourselves from the bottom, and Brandon will help tremendously with that.”

Mashinter comes to the Rush after most recently playing in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda last year.  The 6’4”, 212-pound forward played in 64 games in San Jose, earning 11 goals, 18 assists, and 29 points, and appeared in an additional 3 playoff games.

“On top of his leadership, Brandon brings size and toughness, and will add to the already sterling compete level and work ethic of my locker room,” Tetrault added on Mashinter.  “Brandon has consistently proven he can play at a high level, having recorded roughly 30 points or more in almost all nine seasons that he’s played at the AHL level.  His NHL experience is also invaluable: he can teach our young team what it takes to play at a high level, and what it means to be a professional hockey player.  Again, I can’t express how excited I am to have him join our club.”

A native of Bradford, Ontario, Mashinter, 30, enters his 10th season as a professional hockey player.  The vast majority of his career has been played at the AHL level, where in appearances with the Rockford IceHogs, San Jose Barracuda, Worcester Sharks, and Hartford Wolfpack/Connecticut Whale, he compiled totals of 126 goals, 135 assists, 261 points, and 645 PIM in 535 games.  On four different occasions, Mashinter has played in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, and New York Rangers, appearing in a total of 64 games with 5 points to his credit (1g-4ast).  Before turning professional, he played his junior hockey in the OHL with the Sarnia Sting, Kitchener Rangers, and Belleville Bulls, earning 100 points in 242 games (57g-43ast).  In 2008 with Kitchener, he claimed the OHL Championship.

The Rush now begin a stretch of six consecutive matchups against the Idaho Steelheads, with the first three games coming next week at CenturyLink Arena.  Puck drop for game one is slated for 7:10 p.m. MST on Wednesday, November 14th.

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