(RAPID CITY, S.D.)—The Rapid City Rush (5-2-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, play their first game in 11 days tonight as they battle the Tahoe Knight Monsters (4-5-1) for the first time this season. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. MST on Wednesday at The Monument Ice Arena.

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LAST TIME OUT
The Rapid City Rush posted a wire-to-wire victory over the New Mexico Goatheads, 6-1, at Rio Rancho Events Center on October 31^st. Logan Nelson converted on a faceoff play just 1:08 into the game. Later in the first, Rapid City put together a gorgeous full-ice passing play while on the power play. Quinn Olson’s breakout feed hit Ryan Wagner at the blue line, who set up a cutting Nelson to the net for his second goal of the period and a 2-0 lead. In the second, Seth Fyten potted his first of the season on a net-front deflection. Then, Will Portokalis and Jake Ratzlaff exchanged goals, each one set up by the other, within minutes of each other. Portokalis recorded his first ECHL goal and first pro goal in North America. Early in the third period, Eric Parker capped off the scoring, capitalizing on a faceoff set play, stretching the lead to 6-0. New Mexico managed to break the shutout bid with just 12.6 seconds remaining, ending a streak of nine consecutive goals scored by the Rush.

ALL REVVED UP WITH NO PLACE TO GO
Due to unplayable ice conditions at Idaho Central Arena, the Rush’s three-game series against the Steelheads was postponed. Rescheduled dates have yet to be determined. This is the first instance in Rush history of ice conditions wiping out an entire series. As a result, Rapid City’s last contest was 11 days ago, a gap that is tied for the second-longest in franchise history—last December’s player strike meant no games in 11 days, while a scheduled 12-day gap during the pandemic-affected 2020-21 season remains the longest stretch of time away.

CALGARY SWAPS
The Rush flip-flopped forwards with the Calgary Wranglers last Tuesday, with Ryan Hofer earning his first call-up of the season and Alex Campbell re-joining the team in Boise. This Monday, a defensive switch was made—Tyson Feist, the Rush’s top-scoring defenseman—went up to the Wranglers while rookie Kent Anderson is set to make his ECHL debut tonight. Anderson, a Calgary native, captained the University of Denver Pioneers to the national championship in 2026 and reached the Frozen Four three times in his four seasons at DU.

STAYING FRESH
With nearly an entire week suddenly open, the Rush coaching staff took on the task of balancing rest, while making sure the players stay fresh ahead of this homestand. The team held their first practice back at The Monument on Friday morning, with three additional skates between then and game day. Dave Smith offered major praise for this week of practice during Tuesday’s coaches show.

NO LONGER IN FIRST, BUT…
Rapid City flew into Boise tied atop the Mountain Division standings with five wins and 10 points. While a couple of teams have used the Rush’s unexpected bye week to catch up to them, Rapid City begins this home series tied for second in overall points and alone in second place in points percentage (.714). The Rush have won five out of their first seven games for only the second time in their ECHL era, having started 5-1-1 in the fall of 2019.

SEM’S BACK
Dave Smith received some reinforcements to the Rush crease ahead of the Idaho trip, with Semyon Konopsky being activated off the 7-day injured reserve last Tuesday. The 20-year-old from Russia sustained an injury in the second period on October 17^th at Kansas City and was pulled during the intermission for Owen Say. Perhaps the ice issues served as perfect timing for Sem, who is set to make his first start at home this week.

SCOUTING TAHOE
The Tahoe Knight Monsters bring a vastly different profile into the 2026-27 season. Tahoe’s two big veterans—Luke Adam and Casey Bailey—have retired, and the Knight Monsters are carrying a younger group as a result. The Knight Monsters’ strength has been their goaltending thus far, with three contracted goaltenders on the roster, Tahoe owns a .922 save percentage through ten games, which ranks 7^th in the ECHL.

MORE OLD FRIENDS
The Rush are welcoming two of last season’s defensemen back to Rapid City. Chase Pauls and Bobby Russell both jumped ship from the Rush to the Knight Monsters over the summer and are set to face their former club for the first time tonight. The duo suited up for the Rush a combined 160 times.

IF IT’S ANYTHING LIKE LAST YEAR…
No head-to-head matchup in recent memory has gone the Rush’s way quite like their series with Tahoe last season. In a result that even left Dave Smith at a loss for words, Rapid City went 10-2-2 against the Knight Monsters, including a stretch of nine consecutive victories. Five Rush players recorded double-digit head-to-head points last year, including 17 points (9g+8a) each from Ryan Wagner and Ryan Chyzowski and 11 assists from Quinn Olson. Tonight is the first of nine meetings between the two clubs.

2026-27 Rapid City Rush season tickets, mini plans, and group experiences are on sale now! You can score the best deals on tickets and take advantage of exclusive perks, including season ticket holder-only events and discounts at the team store. Call the Rush office at 605-716-7825 or visit www.rapidcityrush.com to learn more and secure your seats today.