All-Star defenseman Young back with Rush

RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Rapid City Rush, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, announced that defenseman Michael Young will return for the 2017-18 season.

Young comes back to the Rush after skating with the club for a second full season, and third time since the team joined the ECHL. He shattered his career-highs in virtually every statistical category last season, playing in 62 games and registering 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points, along with a +3 rating. He finished the season as the sixth-leading scorer on the Rush roster, and for his efforts was named to the ECHL All-Star Team for the 2017 ECHL All-Star Classic.

A native of Calgary, Alberta, Young originally joined the Rush for the final eight games of the 2014-15 season via a reassignment by the AHL's Providence Bruins. Young notched six points (2g-4a) in 12 playoff games that postseason, and ultimately stretched that success into the regular season and established himself as one of the most consistent defensemen in recent Rush history. Ultimately, he’s played in a total of 105 games with the Rush and registered 52 points (17g-35a) and a +11 rating.

Prior to turning pro, Young played four years of college hockey with the University of Nebraska-Omaha where he captained the Mavericks and registered 68 points (15g-55a) in 148 games.