RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Rapid City Rush announced Thursday that alternate captain Maurizio Colella will be returning for his third season with the ECHL team. Colella, a forward, is the only player to have played the last two full seasons with the Rush.
Colella, 28, has scored 36 points in 70 games last season and 32 points in 72 games the previous year. He has a chance to become the eighth player in the team’s history to play 200 games with the Rush.
“I am really excited to be back in Rapid City and play in front of the best fans in the league,” Colella said in a statement. “I know myself, the coaching staff, and the team are eager to get things started and make a push towards the postseason.”
Rush Associate Coach Peter Drikos praised Colella for his character, leadership, and versatility on the ice.
Prior to joining the Rush, Colella played a year in Italy and three years of college hockey at Acadia University in Nova Scotia. The Tottenham, Ontario native also played five seasons of junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League.
The Rush are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames.