RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Rapid City Rush, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Arizona Coyotes, announced that defenseman Eric Israel will return to Rapid City for the 2020-21 season.
Israel re-joins the Rush following his rookie season as a professional when he posted 17 points (1g-16a) in 52 games. He was acquired in a trade from Fort Wayne, and made his professional debut with the Rush on October 19, 2019, earning two assists in a 5-0 win at Tulsa.
A native of Huntington Woods, Michigan, Israel turned professional following a successful four-year career with Robert Morris University. He completed his collegiate career with 85 points (21g-64a) in 146 games, and led Colonials defensemen in goals, assists, and points in each of his last three seasons. A 2017 Atlantic Hockey Association All-Conference Third-Team selection, Israel led the AHA, and ranked fifth in the NCAA, for blocked shots in the 2018-19 season. Additionally, following a career-best 2017 sophomore season, Israel was selected to represent Team USA in the Maccabiah Games, the largest Jewish Athletic Competition in the world, playing every four years in Israel.
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