(INDEPENDENCE, Mo.)—The Rapid City Rush (1-0-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, look to build off their solid opening night performance as they face the Kansas City Mavericks (0-1-0) in game two. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. MDT on Saturday at Cable Dahmer Arena. WATCH | LISTEN LAST TIME OUT The Rapid City Rush opened up the 2026-27 season with a wire-to-wire victory, defeating the Kansas City Mavericks, 6-3, at Cable Dahmer Arena on Friday. The Rush scored twice in each period, did not trail throughout the contest, and were not tied beyond 0-0. Ryan Wagner and Ryan Hofer opened up a 2-0 first period lead. Alex Campbell buried twice in the second. The Mavericks cut Rapid City’s lead to just 4-3 in the third period, but Alex Young sniped an insurance goal with three minutes remaining and Logan Nelson hit an empty net to pull away with the victory. NOW THAT’S A DEBUT Alex Campbell led the way in his first game with the Rush, posting his second career multi-goal game and second three-point night. His two tallies came just 2:48 apart in the second period, answering a Kansas City goal on both occasions. The Quebec native joined the Calgary Wranglers organization in the offseason after playing 46 games with the Adirondack Thunder last season. HIS FIRST IN THE ECHL Owen Say impressed in his ECHL debut, making 26 saves on 29 shots to earn the victory against the defending Western Conference champions. The second-year pro had his rookie season with the Calgary Wranglers cut short due to an injury on January 10 th . He came through with timely saves and showed no rust or jitters in his first game back. AND HIS FIRST AS A PRO Ryder Boulton brought the crowd to his feet—and raised eyebrows across Rush Nation—when he took on Kansas City big man Hudson Wilson late in the first period. Despite giving up about four inches in height and taking a hit at the start of the fight, Boulton retaliated with a pair of solid punches and roughhoused Wilson to the ice. FACING AN OLD FRIEND This Rush-Mavericks odyssey brings about a subplot between the pipes: Connor Murphy, who spent three years in the Rapid City and Calgary organizations, has taken his talents to Kansas City after signing with the Coachella Valley Firebirds this summer. The Rush saw Murphy on opening night and put five pucks past him on 22 shots for a victory. NEW TANDEM IN NET For the first time since 2018-19, the Rush are rolling out an entirely new set of goaltenders. Owen Say—who spent the first half of last season with the Calgary Wranglers before a season-ending injury—and rookie Semyon Konopsky join Rapid City on AHL contracts. Shane Farkas, a rookie out of Mount Royal University, is the Rush’s lone ECHL-contracted goalie. FROM ACROSS THE LEAGUE 11 members of the Rush’s season-opening roster have come to the Black Hills after competing for another ECHL team last year. The list includes two pairs of teammates: Andy Noel and Marko Sikic from Cincinnati, and the defensive combo of Tyler Inamoto and Tyson Feist from Fort Wayne. LOTS OF EXPERIENCE Tonight’s roster features 11 players who have seen AHL game action, totaling 509 games. Additionally, five NHL draft picks are likely to suit up tonight: Logan Nelson, Tyler Inamoto, Alex Campbell, Quinn Olson, and Alex Young. BRINGING IN THE VETS Dave Smith went out and re-acquired two veterans to provide support and leadership for Ryan Wagner this season in Logan Nelson and Alec Butcher. The two were teammates in Rapid City during the 2021-22 season, and both have produced their best seasons in a Rush uniform. Wagner, Nelson, and Butcher bring 1,547 combined games of pro experience into this campaign. 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.