(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes, announced today that 2019 Blaine Jarvis “Heart and Soul Award” Winner Cedric Montminy has re-signed with the Rush for the 2020-21 Season, his third with the club. His re-signing marks the second Black Hills Chiropractic Roster Adjustment of the 2020 offseason.
Montminy began the season with a point in each of the first four games of the season, and 5 points (2g, 3ast) in 8 games before an upper body injury sidelined him for 29 games. The 5’11”, 190-pound forward finished the campaign with 6 goals and 6 assists in 26 games.
“Rapid City gave me my first chance in the ECHL. I’ll always stay loyal to the Rush organization,” Montminy explained of his decision to re-sign with the team. “The new ownership group has been phenomenal, and they’re doing great things for our team. We have a great future ahead of us because of great people, great ownership, and great staff both in the front office and the locker room. Combine all of that into the team, and it made it an easy decision to come back.
“Last season was really tough because I’ve never had to face such a devastating injury in my career. It was tough mentally knowing I couldn’t play, and physically because I had to recover and get back to 100%,” Montminy continued. “Outside of picking up from where we left off as a team, my goal is to be an ‘iron man’ and play all 72 games. I want to be in a position to help the team by staying in the lineup and staying healthy, and through that, help lead this team to the playoffs. We want to give a playoff push to our fans as a team. That’s where we left off, and that’s what I hope to achieve for Rapid City next year.”
Rush Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Daniel Tetrault said of Montminy’s re-signing: “I’ve said it before, but if you had 20 Cedric Montminys on your team, you’re bound to have a high-character group that competes at 110% every day. I’m thrilled to have Cedric come back for a third season in Rapid City. Our lineup was so different without Cedric due to his injury, and was challenging for both him and for our locker room. Despite his adversity, he still found a way to be a great leader, a phenomenal teammate, and an outstanding community ambassador for our organization.
“With Mo being at full health entering the 2020-21 season, I’m certain he’ll continue to play a major role in our locker room, on our penalty kill, and winning crucial draws for us,” Tetrault finished. “Starting our offseason with back-to-back Blaine Jarvis ‘Heart and Soul Award’ Winners is a great indication of how impressive our roster is shaping up to be for the new ECHL campaign.”
A native of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Montminy returns to the Black Hills for a third season with the Rush. Since joining the team as a rookie in the 2018-19 campaign, he’s earned 26 goals, 24 assists, and 50 points in 86 games. In his rookie season, Montminy led the Rush in goal-scoring, becoming the fifth rookie in team history to amass 20 goals in a season, and also became the fourth player and first rookie in team history to amass 20 or more goals and 100+ PIM in a single campaign. Later that season, he was the fourth recipient of the Blaine Jarvis “Heart and Soul Award”, the team’s highest individual honor. Before joining the Rush, Montminy was a prolific scorer in France and Germany, earning 97 points (40g-57ast) in 61 games. Prior to turning professional, Montminy played in the QMJHL with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, but spent the vast majority of his junior career in the QJAAAHL as a member of the Sherbrooke College-Champlain Cougars and Saint-Jerome Panthers.
The 2020-21 home schedule is out! Check out our 36 home dates for the upcoming season HERE.
Additionally, Season Tickets for the 2020-21 season are available! For more information, visit our Season Ticket Holder Page. To place a deposit, call 716-7825, or click HERE.
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