RUSH ANNOUNCE A FLURRY OF TRANSACTIONS AHEAD OF ALLEN

(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes, announced seven Black Hills Chiropractic Roster Adjustments prior to the team’s first road trip of the season against the Allen Americans.

The Rush signed defensemen Charles Curti, Ian Edmondson, Kevin Spinozzi, and Mikael Tam, forward Drew Callin, and goaltender Craig Pantano. Additionally, the team claimed forward Corey Durocher off waivers.

Curti joins the Rush following the completion of his rookie season last year with the Adirondack Thunder. The 6’0”, 192-pound defenseman logged 11 goals, 20 assists, and 31 points in 56 games. Prior to turning professional, the Mound, Minnesota native played four seasons of NCAA college hockey with Yale University, amassing career totals of 9 goals, 28 assists, and 37 points in 110 games. Additionally, he skated in a pair of seasons with the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, earning 2014 USHL All-Rookie Team honors.

Edmondson comes to the Rush after finishing his rookie season of professional hockey with the Kalamazoo Wings. The 6’1”, 205-pound blue-liner earned 4 goals, 16 assists, 20 points, and a +13 rating in 54 games with the K-Wings. Edmondson made his professional debut with the Wichita Thunder following his college career, and earned 4 points in 10 games at the end of the 2018-19 season. Before joining the pro ranks full-time, the Toronto, Ontario native played four seasons of NCAA college hockey with Canisius College, registering 4 goals, 30 assists, and 34 points in 122 games. He served as the Captain as a senior in 2018-19, and helped the team to the 2017 AHA Regular Season Championship.

Spinozzi joins the Rush after spending last season between the EBEL’s Italian club HC Bolzano and the Toledo Walleye. Beginning in Italy, the 6’2”, 200-pound defenseman earned 2 goals and 8 points in 25 games before coming back to North America and the ECHL. With Toledo, Spinozzi added another 4 goals and 11 points in 34 games with a +5 rating. A fourth-year professional, he previously split his time with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (21gp, 2ast) and ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers (56gp, 19g-24ast-43pts). Before turning professional, the Granby, Quebec native spent five seasons with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds and Sarnia Sting, earning 28 goals, 85 assists, and 113 points along with a +44 rating in 275 games.

A veteran of nine seasons of professional hockey, Tam comes to the Rush after spending the last three seasons in China with the VHL’s KRS Heilongjiang and KRS-BSU Beijing, and the KHL’s Kunlun Red Star. In 2019-20, the 5’11”, 205-pound blue-liner logged 11 KHL games with the Red Star and an additional 35 with KRS-BSU Beijing, earning 5 goals and 10 points with the latter. Tam last played in North American in 2016-17 with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors for a pair of games and the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals for 36, racking up 9 goals, 13 assists, and 22 points. Across his entire professional career in North America with the AHL, ECHL, and CHL, and overseas in Norway and China, Tam has 328 professional games to his credit with 34 goals, 66 assists, and 100 points. Prior to turning professional, Tam skated in five seasons with the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts, earning 140 points and a +85 rating in 318 games.

Callin heads to the Rush this season after completing his rookie season of hockey with the Worcester Railers. The 6’2”, 196-pound forward tabulated 14 goals, 11 assists, and 25 points in 54 games. He originally turned professional with the Railers at the conclusion of his college career in the 2018-19 season, and earned his first four professional points, 3 goals and an assist, in 6 games along with a +3 rating. From Middleton, Wisconsin, Callin played four years of NCAA college hockey with Bentley University, and racked up 28 goals, 62 assists, and 90 points in 141 games. He also played with the NAHL’s Janesville Jets for a pair of seasons, earning 69 points in 105 games.

Pantano joins the Rush for his first professional season of hockey following the conclusion of his NCAA college career with Northeastern University. Last season, the 6’1”, 170-pound net-minder posted a record of 18-13-3 in 34 games with a pair of shutouts, a 2.50 GAA and .915 SV%. Pantano was named to the 2020 Hockey East All-Academic Team, and was awarded the 2020 Eberly Award for the best save percentage in the Beanpot Tournament, annually played in Boston between Harvard University, Boston University, Boston College, and Northeastern.  Before completing his college career with Northeastern, he played with the NCAA’s Merrimack College from 2016-2019, going 17-29-5 in 57 games with 5 shutouts, a 2.87 GAA and .902 SV%.

Durocher, who was waived from the Allen Americans on Monday, was successfully claimed by the Rush off waivers. The 6’3”, 195-pound forward began the 2019-20 season with the Kansas City Mavericks, collecting 2 assists in 6 games. After his release from the Mavericks, he was signed by the Allen Americans, and registered 9 goals, 14 assists, and 23 points along with a +15 rating in 44 games. A fourth-year professional, Durocher has spent his entire career in the ECHL, skating with the Americans, Mavericks, Idaho Steelheads, and Brampton Beast, with career totals of 37 goals, 50 assists, and 87 points with a +31 rating in 144 games. Prior to playing professionally, he played four seasons of Canadian college hockey with USports’ Carleton University, amassing 83 points in 90 games. The Ottawa, Ontario native also played three seasons in the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs and Soo Greyhounds, finishing his major-junior career with 94 points in 191 games. Durocher was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL Draft (6th Rd-#153).

The Rush embark on their first road trip of the season against the heated rival Allen Americans for a weekend pair of games. Puck drop for both games is slated for 6:05 p.m. on Friday, December 18th, and Saturday, December 19th, at the Allen Events Center. Join us for our first watch party of the season for Friday night’s game at Buffalo Wild Wings in Baken Park!

Season Tickets for the 2020-21 season are available! To place a deposit, call 716-7825, or click HERE.

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