FORWARD MASON MCCARTY RE-SIGNS WITH RUSH

(RAPID CITY, S.D.)—The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, announced on Tuesday, via a Heartland Health & Wellness Roster Adjustment, forward Mason McCarty has re-signed with the club and will return for the 2024-25 season. McCarty, continuing his second stint with the Rush, will enter his fourth ECHL season.

“I am so happy to be back in Rapid City,” said McCarty. “I started there before I went to school, and when I got the chance to come back and play again, it restored my love for the game. Excited for a healthy, successful winning season. High tides raise all the boats.”

McCarty, 27, came over to the Rush in a December 2023 trade with the Reading Royals. After being acquired, the Blackie, Alberta native scored three goals in 11 games for Rapid City. McCarty missed the months of March and April after sustaining a season-ending injury.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound forward broke into professional hockey with the Rush in 2018-19, where he registered ten points in 15 games. After three years in college, McCarty returned to the ECHL, spending a full year in Kalamazoo and then half a season in Reading. McCarty has 83 pro games played in three seasons, all of them in the ECHL.

“Mason is a workhorse,” said Scott Burt, Rush Head Coach and General Manager. “He is a great teammate on and off the ice, and you see it in his work ethic. He has taken it upon himself to get bigger and stronger this summer. Mason reminds me a little of the Oilers’ Zach Hyman, the way he works hard around the net and likes to play down low.”

McCarty played three years of Canadian college hockey at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, where he was teammates with Rush forward Maurizio Colella. He spent his junior career in the Western Hockey League, where he totaled 225 appearances and racked up 157 points.

The hard-working McCarty and his Rush teammates take the ice in just under three months when Rapid City opens its season at Tulsa on October 19^th. Opening weekend at The Monument Ice Arena is scheduled for October 25^th and 26^th.

The Rush has announced the following eight signed players:
Forwards (5): Tyler Burnie, Maurizio Colella, Simon Boyko, Parker Bowman, Mason McCarty
Defensemen (2): Zack Hoffman, Aaron Hyman
Goaltenders (1): Christian Propp

Single-game tickets for opening weekend are on sale now! Secure your seats today and be a part of the action. The Rush kicks off its 17^th season in the Black Hills on Friday, October 25^th and Saturday, October 26^th. Call the Rush front office at 605-716-7825 or visit www.rapidcityrush.com for more information.