(INDEPENDENCE, Mo.)—The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, gear up for their 19 th season-opener in franchise history as they battle the three-time defending Mountain Division champion Kansas City Mavericks. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. MDT on Friday at Cable Dahmer Arena. WATCH | LISTEN HAPPY OPENING NIGHT! The time has come—year 19 of Rapid City Rush hockey kicks off tonight at Cable Dahmer Arena against the three-time defending Mountain Division champion Kansas City Mavericks. The Rush are opening up in Independence, Mo. for the second consecutive season, and on the road for the fifth straight year. JUST GET THE FIRST ONE A major emphasis in the Rush’s gameplan for the 2026-27 season is starting the season strong and avoiding having to play catch-up for much of the year. Rapid City is looking for their first opening night victory since 2023 (@ Iowa) and first 1-0 start within the division since 2022 (@ Utah). A GAUNTLET TO START The Rush have their work cut out for them right out of the chute this season, starting with a two-week, five-game series against Kansas City. This is the first time Rapid City has opened up the regular season by facing the same opponent in back-to-back weeks. Looking ahead to the first half, 26 of the Rush’s first 31 games are against teams that qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs in 2026, so this group stands to be tested every night. LOADED UP The relationship between the Rush and Calgary continues to thrive, and Rapid City begins the season with 12 AHL-contracted players on the roster, which is tied for the most in the ECHL (South Carolina.) The only member of that list to have a Wranglers contract last season is Quinn Olson, while Braden Birnie earned an AHL deal after signing with the Rush out of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. NELLY’S BACK The Rush accomplished their goal of landing their most coveted free agent: Logan Nelson. ‘Nelly’ is back for his third stint and fifth season with Rapid City, having last played for the Rush in 2024 before joining the expansion Tahoe Knight Monsters and Greensboro Gargoyles. The 33-year-old from Rogers, Minn. is the franchise’s ECHL-era leader in points and assists, and has a chance to recapture the goals lead this season. A REALLY BIG TEAM Dave Smith’s plan to build a bigger and stronger roster is evident when sorting the ECHL by height. With an average height of 6 foot, 1.6 inches, the Rush own the tallest roster in the league heading into opening night. 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. CHANGES TO HOCKEY OPS Dave Smith made two changes to his coaching staff over the summer, bringing in John Mitchell and Kohl Hedquist as assistant coaches. Both men are entering their first North American professional coaching opportunities. Mitchell will be on the bench with Smith, while Hedquist will assist on the ice with practices and serve as the team’s video coach during games. QUOTABLES “Some of the guys are just naturally more physical. They want to bump and they want to get their game ready. That’s what I love about the pros: they know what it takes to be effective. If the guys are more physical, and that’s part of their game, then it is nice to see them bring it every day.” – Dave Smith during training camp. 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.