Most recently, Rapid City spent the last three seasons as the ECHL affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes. The Flames had been the NHL affiliate of the Kansas City Mavericks for the previous five seasons.
"I could not be more excited to partner with the Flames and Wranglers," Spire Holdings president Todd Mackin said. "When going through the process of finding an affiliate, Calgary stood out immediately as the type of franchise we wanted to join forces with. It's clear that this is going to be a true partnership, one that will be beneficial for all three organizations and that will help us continue to build a winner in Rapid City."
Rapid City enters the 2022-23 season coming off the franchise's most successful season since it joined the ECHL. The Rush went 36-25-6-5, qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the first time in seven years and defeated the Allen Americans in five games in the first round before falling to the Utah Grizzlies in six games in the second round.
"This is a big day within our organization," Rush head coach and general manager Scott Burt said. "With the familiarity, trust, beliefs and vision we all share, we believe affiliating with Calgary was the right move for us. We aim to help develop young prospects and seasoned players to help them reach their dream of competing at the highest level. We will continue to build our culture and winnings ways to make the Black Hills proud. Partnering with Calgary helps bring us one step closer to our goals."
Rapid City opens their season on the road against the Utah Grizzlies on October 21st. The first home game of the season comes against the Flames former ECHL affiliate, the Kansas City Mavericks on October 28th.
