Rapid City SD – The Rapid City Rush opened training camp Monday at The Monument Ice Arena in front of rows of empty seats, under a video board that read “Training Camp” in letters taller than the players.
The initial camp roster lists 27 players: 18 forwards, six defensemen and three goaltenders.
Camp rosters are fluid, and the names on day one rarely match opening night.
This one is a mix of returning anchors, Calgary prospects and players fighting for a permanent spot.
Morning practices are open to the public through Friday, with doors opening at 10:15 a.m.
Behind the Bench
Dave Smith, Head Coach and General Manager. Smith was named head coach and GM on June 23, 2025, the fifth head coach in franchise history.
He brought 27 years of NCAA Division I coaching to Rapid City, including eight seasons as head coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2017-25) and 12 at Canisius College, where he led the program to its first NCAA tournament in 2013. He began as an assistant at Miami (Ohio), Bowling Green and Mercyhurst.
With both titles, Smith is responsible for tactics on game nights and for building the roster alongside the Calgary affiliation.
John Mitchell, Assistant Coach. Mitchell was named assistant coach on June 29, 2026.
He comes from the NAHL’s Wisconsin Windigo, where he was head coach for two seasons and added the GM role in 2025-26.
He led the Windigo to the Robertson Cup Playoffs both years, won a Central Division championship in 2025 and was named NAHL Coach of the Year that season. Rapid City is his first professional coaching job.
A Neenah, Wisconsin, native, Mitchell played four seasons at the University of Wisconsin, reaching the national championship game as a senior in 2010, then logged 193 AHL games over a five-year pro career.
Kohl Hedquist, Assistant Coach/Video Coach/Operations/Team Services. Hedquist joined the Rush in July 2026.
Last season he was Director of Player Development for Smoke Eaters Geleen II in the Netherlands and Director of Recruiting for Hamline University men’s hockey.
The Tempe, Arizona, native played Division III hockey at Hamline and two years in Europe, and before college he was an assistant captain on a USPHL national championship team.
His title covers four jobs: breaking down game tape and scouting opponents as video coach, working as an assistant coach, and handling the team’s operations and logistics.
Also new to hockey operations: Head equipment manager Trevor McClary, a Kansas City native entering his eighth pro season, and assistant athletic trainer Alyx Sharp, who joined in June 2026.
The ECHL Core: Signed and Ready
These players are on ECHL contracts and expected to form the spine of the locker room.
Ryan Wagner. The Park Ridge, Illinois, native spent seven AHL seasons with the Chicago Wolves and Colorado Eagles, totaling 294 games, before coming to Rapid City.
He played four seasons at the University of Wisconsin and wore an “A” as a senior.
In his second season as Rush captain, Wagner led the team with 40 assists and 64 points and was second with 24 goals. He returns as a foundational piece for the younger forwards.
Logan Nelson. Nelson returns for his third stint and fifth overall season with the Rush.
He is the club’s ECHL-era leader in points (198) and assists (128), and ranks in the top five in franchise history in goals, assists, points and games played.
A 2012 fifth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres from Rogers, Minnesota, he is entering his 13th professional season.
Over the last two seasons he played for the Tahoe Knight Monsters, captained the Greensboro Gargoyles and finished with the Fort Wayne Komets.
His three best point-producing seasons all came in Rapid City.
Rounding out the forwards: Ryan Mahshie, Will Portokalis, Deagan McMillan, Seth Fyten, Rasmus Ekström and Kenny Belanger Jr.
The blue line: Ben Wozney, Hunter Donohoe, Eric Parker, Jake Ratzlaff and Andrew Noel.
The crease: Shane Farkas enters camp as the lone goaltender on a standard ECHL deal, competing with two goalies assigned from Calgary.
The Calgary Wranglers Pipeline
Nine players have been assigned from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, the Rush’s affiliate along with the NHL’s Calgary Flames.
Assigned forwards: Ryan Hofer, Braden Birnie, Alex Young, Ryder Boulton, Quinn Olson, Alex Campbell and Marko Sikic.
Hofer, a sixth-round pick of the Washington Capitals in 2022, is known for a physical game.
Campbell was a third-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2019.
Assigned players are in Rapid City to prove they can produce at the ECHL level and earn a call-up.
Assigned goaltenders: Semyon Konopsky and Owen Say. Say signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Flames in March 2025 covering the 2025-26 season. Both goaltenders were sent to Rapid City for game minutes and will compete for the starting job.
Tryouts and Travel
Professional tryouts: Forward Jordan Stock and defenseman Grant Docter are in camp on PTOs, giving them a short window to earn a contract.
Pending arrivals: Forwards Alec Butcher and Timofei Khokhlachev are on the camp roster, but their travel to Rapid City is pending.
What Comes Next
The Rush hold their annual intrasquad scrimmage Saturday, Oct. 10, at 3:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena. Admission is free.
After that, the coaching staff will cut the camp roster down to the opening night group.
The Rush season opens away on Friday, Oct. 16, at Kansas City.
The home opener on Slumberland Furniture Ice at The Monument is the following Friday, Oct. 23, also against the Mavericks.
For information regarding season tickets or promotions contact the Rush directly at 605-716-7825.
Sourcing
Rapid City Rush releases and hockey operations staff page (rapidcityrush.com, OurSports Central); ECHL.com; Canadian Press; Washington Capitals; Victoria Royals and contemporaneous 2012 draft coverage; The Hockey News; EliteProspects (2025-26 record).
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