Getting a Rush in South Dakota

So last week my wife Annie and I had to drive up to Rapid City, South Dakota to attend my aunt's funeral. She was almost 84 and she always treated me great when I was a kid, so I was more than happy to drive the 400 miles to pay my respects. Just a terrific lady.

The service was Friday afternoon, so we had the evening free before we came back home Saturday morning. My younger brother and sister had come for the funeral as well, so I imagined we would be hanging out at the hotel, drinking beer and telling stories like we always do.

Well, it turns out that my step-cousin Barry Peterson is a part owner of the Rapid City Rush, which competes in the Central Hockey League. For those of you from around Denver, they compete in the same league as the Colorado Eagles- if it were baseball, it would be considered AA level. It's two steps from The Show.

So during the reception after the service Friday afternoon, Barry asked us if we would like to go the the game that evening- his team was playing against the Quad City Mallards in the first of a weekend series ("Quad City" is a group of towns in Eastern Illinois and Southern Iowa, in case you were wondering- I had to look it up).

If you don't know how I answered that question, then you need to read this blog more often. Hockey game? Just tell me where and when- you bet your ass I'm there. So Barry made a phone call and hooked us up with some seats, and we made plans to head on down to the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Kids, I've been going to hockey games since 1975, starting with the old Colorado Rockies when they first got into the NHL. I was a season ticket holder with the Colorado Avalanche, and I was actually at game seven in 2001 when Ray Bourque finally won his cup. I've been to hundreds and hundreds of games at all levels.

But you know what? I can't remember the last time I had this much fun at a hockey game.

It started an hour before the opening faceoff. There is a Holiday Inn right in the same parking lot as the arena, and they have $2 beers in their courtyard and bar before every Rush contest. So we drove down there, and it was just a sea of humanity inside the hotel. There were tons of people, and most of them were wearing their red and white team jerseys, jackets, and hats. It was like a tailgate party, only indoors. And they were really fired up for the game.

All this intensity for minor league hockey? No shit? I had been to several games of the Rocky Mountain Rage (same CHL league as the Rush) before they went tits up last year, and it was never anything like this. It was fun, but it certainly wasn't the event they were putting on in Rapid.

About 15 minutes before game time, we walked across the parking lot, and into the arena. The Civic Center holds around 5000, and it was already filled almost to capacity. Barry tells me that they sell out most of the time, especially after the holidays. And I was about to find out why.

Boys and girls, the show that the Rush organization puts on during a game rivals anything I've ever seen in the NHL. Starting with the player introductions, the presentation is absolutely top shelf. The music is just the right combination of new and old, and really serves the purpose of keeping the crowd fired up during the game.

They had fun activities between periods. That night, after the first, they had a race between two guys driving those scooters that old people use. Can't say I've ever seen that before, and it showed a lot of imagination.

Then after the second, they had a deal where you could buy foam rubber pucks, and when they gave the signal, you threw them on the ice, and the one who came closest to the center dot would win a prize. I think there is a technique to that, because I ended up throwing like old people screw, which is badly. Not even close, but it sure was fun.

Myself, I was kind of hoping for the guys in the big sumo outfits that play and try to knock each other down. That kills me every time- I see on their website that they've done it before.


See? That can't help but be funny

Now, here's a source of a running argument between Annie and myself. They had cheerleaders (the Rushettes), which she doesn't think belongs in hockey. I respectfully disagree- anything that serves to keep the crowd entertained, especially during timeouts, is fine by me. I was fascinated at how they kept their routines coordinated, because it changed every time they would play a different song before faceoffs. Plus, you know, there's this...


Yeah-that's hockey right there...

And here was my favorite part of the evening. Quad City scored early to take the lead, and then about two minutes later, Rapid City put in a shot from the point to tie things up. Right after the puck hit the back of the net, it started raining stuffed animals on the ice. Kids, I'm talking about hundreds of stuffed toys coming in from all parts of the arena. The ice was literally covered with the things.

I looked at Annie and yelled, "What the hell is happening?" A lady behind me, wearing full Rush gear and whom I assumed was a season ticket holder, told me that every year they have a toy drive for the needy kids in the area. Everybody brings a stuffed animal, and when the Rush scores that first goal, that's the way they collect the toys.

You should have seen it. I don't know if it's because I wasn't expecting it, but honest to God, it may have been the coolest thing I've ever seen at a hockey game. And like I said, I watched Ray Bourque get his Stanley Cup. I'm getting goose bumps just writing about it now.

As for the game itself, the level of play was solid. The intensity of the crowd had to help, because both teams were busting their ass out there. It was a wide open, very attractive contest. And the fans were eating it up- I can't even imagine what it must be like in there when the playoffs start.

Late in the third, the Mallards scored on a power play to take a 4-3 lead, and things were looking grim for the home side. The Rush pulled their goalie for an extra attacker, and had the puck in the Quad City zone. With less than 10 seconds left, the puck got dropped back to a Rapid City defenseman, and he ripped a shot that sniped the top corner of the net. Tie game.

Tell you what- the friggin' roof about came off the joint. I didn't have any stake in this game, and I didn't know any of the players, but I found myself jumping around like a little kid, and high fiving everyone in sight. I was that caught up in the atmosphere.

They ended up going into overtime, and unfortunately the Rush lost in a shootout. But the thing that I'll remember about the end is that starting with a minute left in the game, and going all the way through the shootout, which was probably a total of 15-20 minutes, nobody in the arena sat down. Not once. And the part that kept coming back to me was that it was a regular season game in early December, not a crucial game late in the season.

I've been to some Avalanche games recently, and I think because they charge so damn much for tickets, regular hockey fans can't afford to go anymore. That's why even on the rare occasions when they have a decent sized crowd, there is a different feel now. Honestly, it's like going to the freaking library. There isn't the excitement that I discovered in South Dakota for a lousy 17 bucks per seat.

Barry, thanks to you and your fans for showing me again what going to a hockey game should be all about. You have a terrific organization, and I can't wait to do it again.