Rapid City SD – After a season-opening sweep in Missouri, the Rapid City Rush play in front of their home crowd for the first time Friday night.
The Rush open their 36-game home schedule at 7:05 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, against the Kansas City Mavericks at The Monument Ice Arena. It is the 19th home opener in franchise history.
Rapid City arrives at 2-0-0 after winning both games at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Mo., last weekend. Ryan Wagner scored twice, including the game-winner, in Saturday’s 4-3 win.
Wagner Strikes Twice as Rush Complete Opening-Weekend Sweep in Kansas City
Barn Night in Independence: How the Rush Spoiled Opening Night for an Old Friend
Opening Weekend at Home
The Rush and Mavericks meet three times in three days, the first home-opener three-in-three in franchise history. With the road trip, Rapid City opens the season with five straight games against Kansas City.
Friday, Oct. 23, 7:05 p.m. — USA 250 Celebration / Home Opener
- Pregame party from 5 to 6 p.m. on the Club Level, with music, raffles and drinks.
- The first 1,500 fans receive a rally towel and a magnet schedule.
- Freedom Fridays military tickets are $19, limit eight per person.
Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:05 p.m. — USA 250 Celebration
- The Rush wear America-themed specialty jerseys, auctioned live after the game.
Sunday, Oct. 25, 4:05 p.m. — Family Fun Spooktacular
- Costumes are encouraged, and a postgame skate includes free skate rentals.
Tickets are available at https://themonument.evenue.net or by calling the Rush front office at 605-716-7825 or at https://www.rapidcityrush.com
Family four-packs start at $113. Games stream on FloSports, with audio on Mixlr.
The Season at a Glance
The 2026-27 season is the franchise’s 19th. The Rush, the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, play 72 regular-season games: 36 at home and 36 on the road. Fifty-eight of those games come against Mountain Division opponents.
- Most frequent opponent: Allen, with 13 meetings, seven of them at home. Four come over Thanksgiving weekend at The Monument, on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with Thanksgiving Day off.
- Christmas: The Rush host Idaho on Dec. 26 and 27.
- New Year’s Eve: On the road at Wichita.
- New in the division: The New Mexico Goatheads, an ECHL expansion team, play their inaugural season in Rio Rancho, N.M. The Rush visit Oct. 30–31, then host the Goatheads six times.
- First meetings: Orlando visits Rapid City for the first time in December. The Rush play their first game in Savannah in January.
- Bye week: Thirteen days off between a Feb. 13 home game against Tahoe and a Feb. 26 game at Cincinnati, the longest break in franchise history.
- Strong finish at home: March has nine home games, the most of any month, and 12 of the final 18 games are at The Monument.
- Season finale: The regular season ends at home Saturday, April 10, against Tulsa.
Most home games start at 7:05 p.m.
Sunday games, and Saturday, Dec. 12, start at 4:05 p.m. The team notes all dates and times are subject to change.
Home Opponents
| Opponent | Home games |
|---|---|
| Allen Americans | 7 |
| Tahoe Knight Monsters | 6 |
| New Mexico Goatheads | 6 |
| Idaho Steelheads | 5 |
| Kansas City Mavericks | 3 |
| Tulsa Oilers | 3 |
| Orlando Solar Bears | 3 |
| Reading Royals | 3 |
Promotional Nights
The Rush announced 25 promotional and theme nights for the season. Highlights after opening weekend:
- Sat., Nov. 14 vs. Tahoe: Veterans Appreciation Night
- Sat., Nov. 28 vs. Allen: Outdoors Night, with specialty jerseys; camo or safety orange encouraged
- Sun., Nov. 29 vs. Allen, 4:05 p.m.: Sensory Friendly Night, with reduced volume and lighting and quiet spaces
- Sat., Dec. 12 vs. Orlando, 4:05 p.m.: Teddy Bear Toss; stuffed animals go to local organizations
- Sat., Dec. 26 vs. Idaho: Wands and Wizards Night
- Sun., Dec. 27 vs. Idaho, 4:05 p.m.: Bluey Night
- Fri., Jan. 8 vs. New Mexico: Star Wars Night
- Sat., Jan. 9 vs. New Mexico: Nugget’s Birthday 🎂🎈🎂
- Sat., Jan. 23 vs. Reading: Aces and Eights Night, with Deadwood-themed jerseys
- Sat., Feb. 13 vs. Tahoe: Black Hills Brawl, now in its second year, with the teams in South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State specialty jerseys
- Sat., March 6 vs. New Mexico: Military Appreciation Night, with specialty jerseys
- Sat., March 13 vs. Allen: First Responders Night
- Sat., March 27 vs. Idaho: Rush Fights Cancer, with a jersey auction benefiting Monument Health Foundation
- Sat., April 10 vs. Tulsa: Racing Night and the regular-season finale
The team says more giveaways and ticket packages will be announced during the season.
Sourcing
Rapid City Rush news releases announcing the 2026-27 season schedule (May 14, 2026), home opener (May 11, 2026) and promotional schedule (July 28, 2026), the team’s 2026-27 schedule flyer, the team’s Oct. 23 game page, and the Rush’s Oct. 17 game recap. Information on the Goatheads’ expansion season came from the Albuquerque Journal.
Leave a Reply