Pair of rookies join Rush

RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Rapid City Rush, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, announced that rookie forwards Anthony Flaherty and Danny Smith have signed with the team for the 2017-18 season.

Flaherty, 25, comes to the Rush after playing four years in the NCAA-III ranks with Norwich University, tabulating career totals of 64 points (26g-38a) in 101 games. As a senior last year, the South Boston, Mass. native was the fourth-leading scorer on the Cadets roster, and notched career-highs in every category, scoring 12 goals along with 19 assists for 31 points, helping Norwich University to the 2017 NCAA-III National Championship, the university’s fourth in program history.

Smith, 25, comes to the Rush after playing four seasons with the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he racked up career totals of 48 points (20g-28a) in 135 games. With the Tigers, he helped the club win three consecutive AHA regular-season championships, and earn spots in the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and 2016. Prior to playing college hockey, the Edmonton, Alberta native registered 138 points (62g-76a) in 176 games over parts of four seasons with the Sherwood Park Crusaders in the AJHL.