The Rapid City Rush have announced that forward Keltie Jeri-Leon and forward Riley Ginnell will join the Rush for the 2023-24 ECHL season. It has also been announced that defenseman Alex Carlson will be coming back to the Rush.
Keltie Jeri-Leon
The Rapid City Rush acquired the rights to Keltie Jeri-Leon in early August when they traded Quinn Wichers to the Wheeling Nailers in exchange for the rights to Jeri-Leon.
Jeri-Leon enters his third ECHL season, having spent the first two seasons with the Maine Mariners and Wheeling Nailers. In the 2022-23 season, he played 38 games with the Mariners and 11 with the Nailers for a total of 49 games. He had a total of 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points. He had eight penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +1. In his two ECHL seasons, he has played in 106 games where he has 31 goals and 27 assists for 58 points. He has 12 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -8. In the 2021-22 ECHL season, Jeri-Leon played in the playoffs with the Maine Mariners. He played in five games where he had one goal and zero assists for one point. He had four penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +1.
In the 2021-22 season, Jeri-Leon also spent some time in the AHL with the Providence Bruins and Abbotsford Canucks. He played in a total of six games, where he had one goal and zero assists for one point. He had zero penalty minutes and a plus/minus of 0.
Riley Ginnell
Riley Ginnell joins the Rush after spending the last four seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Moose Jaw Warriors, and Regina Pats. In the 2022-23 season, Ginnell played two games for the Wheat Kings, 14 for the Moose Jaw Warriors, and 36 for the Regina Pats for a total of 52 games. He had ten goals and nine assists for a total of 19 points. He had 70 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -1. He also played in the playoffs with the Regina Pats. He played in seven games where he had one goal and five assists for six points. He had eight penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +3.
Ginnell played in a total of 163 games in the WHL, where he had 31 goals and 35 assists for 66 points. He had 165 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +4. He also played in the playoffs in two seasons. He played in a total of 13 games, where he had two goals and six assists for eight points. He had 12 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +3.
Alex “Kung Fu” Carlson
Alex Carlson has spent four of the last five seasons in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) with the Knoxville Ice Bears and Quad City Storm. He also has spent some time in the ECHL with the Iowa Heartlanders and Rapid City Rush. Carlson spent the 2022-23 season in the SPHL with the Quad City Storm and in the ECHL with the Rapid City Rush. Carlson played in 43 games with the Quad City Storm, where he had one goal and six assists for seven points. He had 67 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -17. Carlson played 12 games with the Rapid City Rush, where he had one goal and zero assists for one point. He had 12 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +3.
Through four seasons in the SPHL, Carlson has played in 95 games where he had five goals and ten assists for 15 points. He had 135 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -19. In his two ECHL seasons, Carlson has played in 58 games where he has two goals and zero assists for two points. He has 80 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -20.
Will Riedell
The Rapid City Rush have also announced that they have acquired the rights to defenseman Will Riedell in a trade with the Savannah Ghost Pirates. The Ghost Pirates will be receiving what is currently an unnamed player.
Riedell spent last season in the ECHL with the Savannah Ghost Pirates and in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda. He played 15 games with the Ghost Pirates, where he had zero goals and four assists for four points. He had eight penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +4. Riedell played 32 games with the San Jose Barracuda, where he had two goals and three assists for five points. He had 48 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -3.
Riedell spent the previous seasons playing Division One hockey at Lake Superior State University and Ohio State University. After his final college season in the 2021-22 season, he also spent a little time in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In his five collegiate seasons, Riedell played in 171 games, where he had 20 goals and 41 assists for 61 points. He had 126 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +22.
In two AHL seasons, Riedell played in 34 games where he had two goals and three assists for five points. He had 48 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -4.
My Thoughts on These Signings and Trade
I think all three players that were signed will help the Rush both offensively and defensively in the 2023-24 ECHL season. Alex Carlson helped the Rush a lot on defense when he was with the team last season. He is not afraid to throw his body around either, which was something that the Rush struggled with last season.
According to the Rapid City Rush, Will Riedell will start the season in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers, but if he is sent to the ECHL, he will be with the Rush. So, it is not known if we will see Riedell in a Rush jersey this season, but if he is with the Rush at some point this season, he should bring a lot to the team defensively.
