(RAPID CITY, S.D.)—The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, are pleased to announce the organization has been named as a finalist in four categories for the 2025-26 ECHL Team Awards, presented by SponsorCX.

The Rush have been nominated for the following awards:

• Community Service Team of the Year
• Theme Night of the Year (Black Hills Brawl)
• Most Creative Ticket Package of the Year (Salute Our Veterans)
• Joe Babik Award – Media/PR Director of the Year (Cory Berberian)

In total, the Rush have been named as a finalist for 35 awards since 2020. The organization has taken home six league awards in total, including two last year—Most Creative Ticket Package of the Year and Corporate Partnership Professional of the Year.

“Top-to-bottom, our front office staff worked their tails off in all facets this past season and I am extremely proud of their accomplishments being recognized,” said Rush President Jared Reid. “It is always an honor to be nominated for ECHL awards and I’m looking forward to league meetings in Nashville.”

This is the fourth finalist nomination for Community Service Team of the Year. Rapid City won the award in 2022, splitting it with the Worcester Railers. The Rush were again finalists in 2023 and 2025. This season, Rush players and staff totaled 837 volunteer hours and reached more than 250 organizations through either volunteer service or donations.

The Rush are a one-time winner for Theme Night of the Year, having claimed the award for Rodeo Night in 2021. Black Hills Brawl Night was an all-new endeavor and a theme night multiple years in the making. The Rush brought Division II college football’s oldest rivalry to the ice, with Rapid City wearing South Dakota Mines jerseys and Worcester donning Black Hills State jerseys. The game had a collegiate feel throughout, with the Hardrocker Pep Band providing the tunes all night. Both schools’ jerseys were auctioned off with proceeds benefitting the respective school’s athletic department.

This is the third straight year a Rush ticket package has been named a finalist for Most Creative Ticket Package of the Year. The Salute our Veterans Package allowed local organizations the opportunity to donate tickets for local veterans and their families to the Veterans Appreciation Night game on November 8^th. Over 60 businesses chipped in to donate 1,300 tickets this season, making this the initiative’s most successful year yet.

This is the fifth time a Rush broadcaster has been up for the Media/PR Director of the Year award, and the second consecutive season Berberian has been a finalist. Brian Gardner was a finalist in 2022, while Mark Binetti received back-to-back nominations in 2020 and 2021.

The annual ECHL Team Awards honors teams and individuals across the league in numerous categories for their accomplishments during the season. The ECHL will announce the 2025-26 award winners at the ECHL Hockey Summer Meetings, presented by SponsorCX, in Nashville on June 24.

The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Calgary Flames, are Rapid City's premiere sports team. The 2010 President's Cup Champions have called The Monument Ice Arena home since 2008, drawing over 100,000 hockey fans each year. Call the Rush front office at 605-716-7825 or visit www.rapidcityrush.com for more information.