(Rapid City, SD) – Prior to yesterday’s game against the Wichita Thunder, the Rush added winger Jesse Schultz to the lineup.  Schultz has spent the majority of his career in the American Hockey League (AHL) and also played a pair of games for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.  He becomes the first player in Rush history to have NHL experience under his belt.  To make room, the Rush waived defenseman Grant Farrell.

Schultz, a 6’0” 192-pound veteran, brings an impressive resume to the Rush lineup, having collected nearly 300 points at the AHL level.  The 28-year old joins the Rush after beginning this season in Italy with Cortina SG where he amassed 49 points (16g, 33a) in 33 games.

“Obviously we’re very excited to have a player with the career that Jesse’s had,” said Rush Head Coach Joe Ferras.  “Jesse decided to go over to Italy, but we maintained contact with him all year long not knowing if he’d be able to come back.  To our benefit, with their season ending, we were fortunate enough to get him back to the US and into our roster.  We’re counting on him to be a big piece of our puzzle and big part of this hockey club heading into the playoffs.  We know from talking to everybody that he’s a tremendous young man and great character guy, and whenever you can add those type of players this late into the season, that’s huge.”

From 2003-09, the Strasbourg, Saskatchewan, appeared in 441 AHL games for the Manitoba Moose, Chicago Wolves and Houston Aeros, totaling 284 points (129g, 155a).  In 2005-06, while with the Moose, Schultz led the team with 37 goals and 67 points in 80 regular season games.  In 2006-07, Schultz was called up from Manitoba and appeared in two games for the Vancouver Canucks.

“I don’t think that there’s a better place that you could want to come to,” said Schultz.  “I’ve heard a lot of great things about the organization and how the city has really embraced the team.  Coming from a last place team in Italy to a championship contender here in America is exciting.  I skated with Derek LeBlanc over the summer and he mentioned that Rapid City was a great place to play and after speaking to the coaching staff, I decided Rapid was the right fit.”

Schultz turned pro in 2003-04 with the Columbia Inferno of the ECHL after playing four seasons of junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL).