Rush Offseason Central

Welcome to Rush Offseason Central! As we gear up for October and the start of our 17^th season in the Black Hills, let us guide you through the twists and turns of the ECHL offseason.

Here, you’ll find all the important deadlines, announcements, plus a player tracker as the Rush builds its roster (and schedule!) for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.

This page will be regularly updated, so be sure to check back for all the latest!

Player Tracker - Last updated September 17, 2024

ECHL Contracts

Player	Position	Protected List	Season-Ending Roster	Qualifying Offer	2024-25 Status
Christian Propp	G	X	X		Signed with Rush
Billy Constantinou	D	X	X	X	Signed with Rush
Zach Taylor	D	X	X	X	HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas (Slovakia)
Chris Perna	D	X
T.J. Fergus	D	X			SC Riessersee (Germany)
Tyson Helgesen	D	X	X	X	Ferencvarosi TC (Hungary)
Zack Hoffman	D	X	X		Signed with Rush
Kenton Helgesen	D	X
Peter Muzyka	D	X	X
Charles Martin	D	X	X	X	Signed with Calgary (AHL)
Colton Leiter	D	X		Q.O. in 2023
Aaron Hyman	D				Signed with Rush
Brady Pouteau	D				Signed with Rush
Brenden Rons	D				Signed with Rush
Matt Araujo	D				Signed with Rush
Garrett Klotz	F	X
Parker Bowman	F	X	X		Signed with Rush
Alex Aleardi	F	X	X		Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL)
Brett Davis	F	X	X		Signed with Rush
Brett Gravelle	F	X	X	X	Dundee Stars (Scotland)
Blake Bennett	F	X	X	X	Odense Bulldogs (Denmark)
Jake Stella	F	X	X	X	Tingsryds AIF (Sweden)
Keanu Yamamoto	F	X	X	X	Dundee Stars (Scotland)
Maurizio Colella	F	X	X		Signed with Rush
Brandon Yeamans	F	X			Courchevel-Meribel-Pralognan (France)
Riley Ginnell	F	X	X
Mason McCarty	F	X	X		Signed with Rush
Logan Nelson	F	X	X		Tahoe Knight Monsters (ECHL)
Rylee St. Onge	F	X
Simon Boyko	F	X	X		Signed with Rush
Zach Court	F	X		Q.O. in 2023
Max Coatta	F	X		Q.O. in 2023	Villacher SV (Austria)
Jordan-Ty Fournier	F		X
Tyler Burnie	F				Signed with Rush
Ryan Wagner	F				Signed with Rush
Joe Widmar	F				Signed with Rush

NHL & AHL Contracts

Player	Position	2023-24 Season	2024-25 Season
Ilya Nikolayev	F	2^nd of 3-year NHL Entry-Level Contract (CGY)	3^rdof 3-year NHL Entry-Level Contract (CGY)
Matt Radomsky	G	AHL contract (CGY)
Connor Murphy	G	AHL contract (CGY)	AHL contract (CGY)
Jarrod Gourley	D	AHL contract (CGY)	Cardiff Devils (Wales)
Will Riedell	D	AHL contract (CGY)	Savannah Ghost Pirates (ECHL)
Mark Duarte	F	AHL contract (CGY)	Allen Americans (ECHL)

Schedule Announced: June 7

The Rush announced its full 72-game schedule, which begins on October 19 in Tulsa. The home opener at The Monument Ice Arena is Friday, October 25 against the Utah Grizzlies. Rapid City faces ten different opponents this year, including the expansion Tahoe Knight Monsters.

Protected List Due: June 8

The Rush protected 28 players: 17 forwards, ten defensemen, and one goaltender.

ECHL Teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided the players protected meet the following guidelines:

1. Signed an SPC (Standard Player Contract) in 2023-24 with the Member, and has not been traded or released, OR

2. Signed an SPC in 2023-24, and was recalled to the NHL/AHL or IIHF team, and has not been traded or released, OR

3. Had received a Qualifying Offer last summer for the current season, DID NOT sign an SPC, and has not been traded or released, OR

4. Has been suspended by the Member or League, and has not been traded or released, OR

5. Signed an SPC on or after the first day of the 2023-24 regular season, then subsequently signed an NHL/AHL contract, and has not been traded or released, OR

6. Has executed the ECHL Retirement Form and has not been traded or released.

Future Considerations Trade Deadline: June 20

The Rush completed its futures trade with Allen by acquiring forward Jordan-Ty Fournier from the Americans. Fournier, a native of Dorval, Québec, scored eight goals and 17 points in 49 games last season.

Rapid City dealt forward James Hardie to the Americans in March, and thus was owed a player to be named later.

Season-Ending Roster Due: June 22

The Rush announced its season-ending 20-man roster, consisting of 13 forwards, six defensemen, and one goaltender.

Season-Ending Rosters may include up to 20 players and must only consist of players who signed an ECHL contract in 2023-24.

First Day to Sign Contracts: June 23

The Rush can officially start building its 2024-25 roster on Sunday, June 23 when the signing period begins.

Qualifying Offers Due: July 7

The Rush announced it has extended qualifying offers to eight players: four forwards and four defensemen.

Each team is entitled to reserve rights for a maximum of eight players from the Season-Ending Roster by extending a qualifying offer. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four can be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played).

Qualifying Offer Acceptance Period Ends: July 22

Qualifying offers must remain open for acceptance until 9:59 p.m. MDT, at which time it becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or elect to take no further action.

Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season. A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player, or to a goaltender who has played more than 180 regular season games, will retain the rights to that player until 9:59 p.m. MDT on July 22.

Restricted Free Agency Ends: August 8

If a veteran player or goaltender is not signed to a contract by a team by July 22, he shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. The team with the player’s rights has the right to match a contract offer from another team.

If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by 9:59 p.m. MDT on August 8, the player shall be deemed an unobstructed free agent.