The ECHL’s Rapid City Rush announced today that they have reached a “multi-year agreement” with the Calgary Flames organization to serve as their ECHL affiliate. This news is today’s third announcement of new NHL-ECHL affiliation agreements. Flames assistant GM Brad Pascall gave the following statement as part of the announcement:
The Calgary Flames are pleased to reach an affiliate agreement with the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush. Our organization prides itself on its ability to develop young prospects and was seeking a team with great ownership like Rapid City that shares our principles and objectives regarding player development. This affiliation with a hockey city like Rapid City, led by general manager and head coach Scott Burt, will be a great fit with the Calgary Flames.
The Flames have a new location for their AHL affiliate this season, with the new Calgary-based Wranglers coming into the fold. Now they have a new ECHL affiliate to pair with the Wranglers as part of their player development plan. The Rush spent the past three seasons as the ECHL affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes, who earlier today announced an agreement with the Atlanta Gladiators.
The ECHL is generally considered to be most relevant to NHL clubs as a place to develop goaltenders. The Flames’ goaltending situation throughout their organization is relatively clear-cut. As a result, the Rush are, at least at this point, unlikely to play a large part in the team’s player development plans for next season.
Goaltenders Dustin Wolf and Oscar Dansk are clearly entrenched as the Wranglers’ tandem, and Jacob Markstrom and Daniel Vladar are the same in Calgary. That being said, this is a multi-year agreement, per the announcement, so fans in Calgary should expect to see some prospects eventually don a Rush jersey as they look to climb the pro ladder as a member of the Flames organization.
Don’t forget Calgary needs a place for Daniil Chechelev to play.