RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - The Rapid City Rush is retiring the jersey of its former captain Saturday, a first for the seven-year-old western South Dakota hockey team.
The team planned to honor Scott Wray by retiring his No. 17 jersey during Saturday night’s final regular season home game against the Quad City Mallards.
Wray, now the head coach of the Powassan Voodoos, a Tier 2, Junior A team of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, scored at least 20 goals in each of his first four seasons with the Rush, including 31 regular-season goals during his first year with the club in the 2009-10 season, (https://bit.ly/1MQz94d ).
Wray spent the final five years of his 16-year professional career with the Rush. He retired as the Rush’s career leader in games played (314), goals (106) and total points (236). Wray is second in career assists (130) and penalty minutes (359).
Wray’s jersey will be the first to be retired during the seven-year history of the Rush, which is part of the East Coast Hockey League.
Players and coaches said Rush commanded the team during his tenure, even once fighting the opposing team’s enforcer - “in a preseason game, a meaningless preseason game, just to get the guys fired up,” said Rush defenseman Riley Weselowski.
“That’s the kind of leader he was,” he said.
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