Edmonton Rush
Team logo | |
Division | Western |
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Founded | 2005 |
Home arena | Rexall Place |
Based in | Edmonton, Alberta |
Colors | Black and Silver |
Head coach | Derek Keenan |
General manager | Derek Keenan |
Local media | Shaw TV Edmonton, Global Edmonton, CTV Edmonton, City Edmonton, CBC Edmonton, Edmonton Sun, Edmonton Journal |
Championships | 2015 |
Division Championships | 2014, 2015 |
Later | Saskatchewan Rush |
![](../I/m/Edmonton_Rush_versus_Toronto_Rock_February_2010.jpg)
The Edmonton Rush were a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) that played from 2006 NLL season to 2015.
The team announced on July 20, 2015 that they would be relocating to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for the 2016 season. The Saskatchewan Rush play out of the SaskTel Centre.[1]
History
The NLL announced that Edmonton, Alberta would receive an NLL franchise on May 5, 2005. They play their home games at Rexall Place. The Edmonton team was owned by businessman Bruce Urban,[2] who purchased the dormant Ottawa Rebel to start the Edmonton team. Although early reports suggested that they would be playing as the Edmonton Speed, they selected the name Rush on June 9, 2005.
On February 17, 2006, the Rush recorded the first victory in their franchise history, defeating the Calgary Roughnecks 12-11 in a thrilling game, scoring the winning goal with only 0.2 seconds left in the game. Their first home victory didn't come until their second season, when they defeated the Philadelphia Wings 13-12 on January 6, 2007 in the season opener.
After starting the 2008 NLL season with an 0-5 record, the Rush fired the franchise's original head coach and general manager, Paul Day, and replaced him with former NLL Coach and GM of the Year, Bob Hamley.[3] The Rush finished the season last in the West with a 4-12 record, and after rebuilding much of the team in the off-season, the Rush struggled again in 2009. After finishing last in the West for the second straight season, Hamley was fired.[4]
Relocation
During Edmonton's playoff run in 2015 Urban began threatening to move the team, telling the Edmonton Sun "It appears that it's coming to an end.[5] After much Speculation, the team officially announced they'd be moving to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to play as the Saskatchewan Rush beginning in 2016.[6]
Rivalry with the Calgary Roughnecks
The arrival of the Rush created another version of "The Battle Of Alberta". The head coach of the Edmonton Rush however, has come under fire by the Calgary Roughnecks. The Rush took out ads in Calgary newspapers before their first meeting that the Rush would "Open a Can" on the Roughnecks.
This proved to backfire as the Roughnecks defeated the Rush in their first meeting.
The tactic continued though when the Rush were playing the Toronto Rock, but once again it proved to backfire as the Rock easily won.
However, Calgary tried this tactic against Edmonton before the April 5, 2008 game by taking an ad in the Edmonton Sun saying that Edmonton was a "City of Losers" instead of a city of champions. Just as it had for the Rush, the plan backfired as the Rush won 11-9.
The rivalry heated up March 13, 2009 in Edmonton as Calgary built up a 14-3 halftime lead over the Rush. At the one second mark of the 3rd quarter, a line brawl broke out between the two teams resulting in nine fighting majors and nine misconducts.[7]
Edmonton did get the upper hand in the first playoff meeting between the teams as the Rush won 11-7 in Calgary on May 1, 2010.
Edmonton had played four games against the Calgary Roughnecks in the 2012 season. The Rush went 0/4 in the regular season when they faced the Calgary Roughnecks. Calgary ended their season with the record of 12-4, while Edmonton dominated the second ever playoff Battle Of Alberta with a win over Calgary 19-11. Edmonton went on to the Western division final against the Minnesota Swarm toward another win, 15-3, and headed to the NLL finals.
Roster
Edmonton Rush roster | |||||||||
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Active (20-man) roster | Inactive roster | Coaches | |||||||
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Roster updated 2014-12-18 |
Retired numbers
No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retirement |
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81 | Jimmy Quinlan | F/T | 2006–13 | January 17, 2014 |
Hall of Famers
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Team captains
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Head coaches
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All-time record
Season | Division | W–L | Finish | Home | Road | GF | GA | Coach | Playoffs | Avg Attendance |
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2006 | Western | 1–15 | 6th | 0–8 | 1–7 | 150 | 202 | Paul Day | Missed playoffs | 10,367 |
2007 | Western | 6–10 | 5th | 4–4 | 2–6 | 160 | 189 | Paul Day | Missed playoffs | 10,815 |
2008 | Western | 4–12 | 5th | 3–5 | 1–7 | 141 | 197 | Paul Day (0–5) Bob Hamley (4–7) | Missed playoffs | 8,820 |
2009 | Western | 5–11 | 6th | 4–4 | 1–7 | 159 | 200 | Bob Hamley | Missed playoffs | 8,347 |
2010 | Western | 10–6 | 3rd | 5–3 | 5–3 | 186 | 201 | Derek Keenan | Lost in Western Final | 7,558 |
2011 | Western | 5–11 | 5th | 4–4 | 1–7 | 175 | 204 | Derek Keenan | Missed Playoffs | 7,151 |
2012 | Western | 6–10 | 4th | 4–4 | 2–6 | 167 | 175 | Derek Keenan | Lost in Final | 7,050 |
2013 | Western | 9–7 | 3rd | 2–6 | 7–1 | 203 | 170 | Derek Keenan | Lost in Western Semi-final | 6,714 |
2014 | Western | 16–2 | 1st | 8–1 | 8–1 | 220 | 157 | Derek Keenan | Lost in Western Final | 7,844 |
2015 | Western | 13–5 | 1st | 6–3 | 7–2 | 241 | 177 | Derek Keenan | Won Championship | 6,578 |
Total | 10 seasons | 75–89 | 40–42 | 35–47 | 1,802 | 1,872 | 8,103 | |||
Playoff Totals | 8–6 | 3–1 | 5–5 | 152 | 116 | 9,695 |
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NLL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; G/G = Goals per game; A/G = Assists per game; * = current Rush player
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Team records
Single Season
Goals - Mark Matthews, 53 (2015)
Assists - Mark Matthews, 62 (2015)
Points - Mark Matthews, 114 (2015)
PIM - Jamie Floris, 67 (2009)
Loose Balls - Brodie Merrill, 190 (2010)
Forced Turnovers - Kyle Rubisch, 61 (2014)
NLL awards
See also
- Edmonton Rush seasons
References
- ↑ "Rush announce relocation to Saskatchewan". NLL.com. 2015-07-20.
- ↑ "Bruce Urban Bio at Edmonton Rush Website". EdmontonRush.com. Archived from the original on 2008-02-12. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
- ↑ Paul Tutka (2008-02-21). "Bob Hamley hiring made official". NLLInsider.com. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
- ↑ Tutka, Paul (May 19, 2009). "Breaking: Bob Hamley released by Edmonton Rush". NLLInsider.com. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
- ↑ Gerry Moddejonge (2015-05-20). "Threats by Rush owner Bruce Urban to move team not backed by NLL commissioner". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
- ↑ "Rush announce relocation to Saskatchewan". NLL.com. 2015-07-20.
- ↑ http://www.nll.com/stats.php?ps=http://nll.stats.pointstreak.com/teamplayerstats.html?teamid=38725%26seasonid=3260%26sortby=g
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