ECHL: Rapid City Rush Sign Jonathan Yantsis

The Rapid City Rush have announced that they have signed 6’2″ forward Jonathan Yantsis after the Trois-Rivieres Lions released him. This season, Yantsis played in 38 games, where he had seven goals and four assists for 11 points with 23 penalty minutes and a +5. Yantsis may not bring a lot of offensive help to the Rush, but he will bring a lot of physicality. Rapid City has had some issues with the physical side of their play throughout the season, and bringing in a guy like Yantsis could help the team.

Yantsis started his junior career in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers. In 214 OHL games, he had 97 goals and 52 assists for 149 points with 197 penalty minutes and a -3. In 28 playoff games, Yantsis had eight goals and two assists for ten points with ten penalty minutes and a -2. He then played in USports at Queen’s University for four seasons. In 61 games, Yantsis had 33 goals and 39 assists for 72 points with 145 penalty minutes. In three playoff games, he had two goals and 26 penalty minutes. In the 2021-22 season, Yantsis was named to the USports OUA East First All-Star Team, and he was named to the USports OUA East Second All-Star Team in the 2023-24 season.

After completing his collegiate career, he started his professional career in the ECHL with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. After ten games with the Swamp Rabbits, Yantsis was placed on waivers and then claimed by Trois-Rivieres, where he spent the rest of the 2023-24 season, playing in three games. Yantsis then re-signed with the Lions for the 2024-25 season. In 51 ECHL games, Yantsis has nine goals and four assists for 13 points. He has 25 penalty minutes and a -2.

The Rush will hit the road this week to take on the Tulsa Oilers at the BOK Center. The two teams will start their series on Thursday, March 27. They will then continue the series on Saturday, March 29, and wrap it up on Sunday, March 30. Puck drop will be at 6:05 p.m. MT on Thursday and Saturday, and at 2:05 p.m. MT on Sunday. Yantsis was placed on reserve by Rapid City, so he may not make his Rush debut this week.