Edmonton Rush
Encyclopedia
The Edmonton Rush is a professional lacrosse
team in the National Lacrosse League
(NLL) that started playing in the 2006 NLL season
.
The NLL announced that Edmonton
, Alberta
, Canada
would receive an NLL franchise on May 5, 2005. They play their home games at Rexall Place
. The Edmonton team is owned by businessman and Calgary resident Bruce Urban, 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
. 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.
The Rush will have Derek Keenan
as head coach and general manager for the 2010 season. Keenan joined Edmonton after the demise of the now-defunct Portland Lumberjax.
". 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.
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.
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
Goals - Chris Gill, 37 (2007)
Assists - Ryan Ward, 43 (2010)
Points - Ryan Ward, 71 (2010)
PIM - Jamie Floris, 67 (2009)
Loose Balls - Brodie Merrill, 190 (2010)
Box lacrosse
Box lacrosse, also known as indoor lacrosse and sometimes shortened to boxla, LAX or simply box, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. The game originated in Canada, where it is the most popular version of the game played in contrast to the traditional field lacrosse game...
team in the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
(NLL) that started playing in the 2006 NLL season
2006 NLL season
-All-Star game:The 2006 All-Star Game was held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario on February 25, 2006. The West Division defeated the East Division 14-13. The MVP of the game was Lewis Ratcliff of the Calgary Roughnecks, who scored 4 goals, including the game winner...
.
The NLL announced that Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
would receive an NLL franchise on May 5, 2005. They play their home games at Rexall Place
Rexall Place
Rexall Place is an indoor arena in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada situated on the north side of Northlands. It is currently the home to the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League, the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League and the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL...
. The Edmonton team is owned by businessman and Calgary resident Bruce Urban, who purchased the dormant Ottawa Rebel
Ottawa Rebel
The Ottawa Rebel was a team in the National Lacrosse League based in Ottawa, Ontario from 2001 until 2003. They played at the Corel Centre in nearby Kanata originally, but then part-way through the 2002 season, the Rebel moved to the Ottawa Civic Centre, which is a smaller arena, but more...
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
Calgary Roughnecks
The Calgary Roughnecks are a professional box lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League and play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The team name is derived from the roughnecks who work drilling rigs in...
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
Philadelphia Wings
The Philadelphia Wings are a member of the National Lacrosse League, a professional box lacrosse league in North America. They play at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
13-12 on January 6, 2007 in the season opener.
After starting the 2008 NLL season
2008 NLL season
The 2008 National Lacrosse League season, the 22nd in the history of the NLL, began on December 29, 2007 and concluded with the Buffalo Bandits winning the championship game over the Portland LumberJax on May 17, 2008....
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
Les Bartley Award
The Les Bartley Award is given annually to the National Lacrosse League head coach of the year. The award was simply called the Head Coach of the Year award until 2004, when the award was renamed in honour of Les Bartley, the winningest coach in NLL history....
and GM of the Year
National Lacrosse League GM of the Year Award
The General Manager of the Year Award is given annually to the National Lacrosse League general manager who has done the best job of ensuring his team's success.-Past winners:...
, Bob Hamley
Bob Hamley
Bob Hamley is the current head coach of the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League. He is also a former head coach and General Manager of the Edmonton Rush, and a former NLL player....
. 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
2009 NLL season
-Pre-season:* August 19, 2008: The NLL announced that the Minnesota Swarm would be moving from the East division to the West division, giving the West six teams to the East's seven....
. After finishing last in the West for the second straight season, Hamley was fired.
The Rush will have Derek Keenan
Derek Keenan
Derek Keenan is a former lacrosse player, and current head coach and General Manager of the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League.After a long amateur career, , and appearances with the Canadian National Field team at several...
as head coach and general manager for the 2010 season. Keenan joined Edmonton after the demise of the now-defunct Portland Lumberjax.
Rivalry with the Calgary Roughnecks
The arrival of the Rush created another version of "The Battle Of AlbertaBattle of Alberta
The Battle of Alberta is a term applied to the intense rivalry between the Canadian cities of Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta, and Calgary, the province's largest city...
". The head coach of the Edmonton Rush however, has come under fire by the Calgary Roughnecks
Calgary Roughnecks
The Calgary Roughnecks are a professional box lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League and play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The team name is derived from the roughnecks who work drilling rigs in...
. 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
Toronto Rock
The Toronto Rock is a lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The Rock of the late 1990s / early 2000s has been called a dynasty, having won five NLL championships in seven years. From 1999 to 2003, the Rock appeared in an NLL-record...
, 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
Edmonton Sun
The Edmonton Sun is a daily newspaper published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is a division of Sun Media, a Quebecor company.It began publishing in 1978 and shares many characteristics typical of Sun Media tabloids, including an emphasis on local news stories, its conservative editorial stance,...
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.
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.
All time Record
| Season | Division | W-L | Finish | Home | Road | GF | GA | Coach | Playoffs | Avg Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 2006 NLL season -All-Star game:The 2006 All-Star Game was held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario on February 25, 2006. The West Division defeated the East Division 14-13. The MVP of the game was Lewis Ratcliff of the Calgary Roughnecks, who scored 4 goals, including the game winner... |
Western | 1-15 | 6th | 0-8 | 1-7 | 150 | 202 | Paul Day | Missed playoffs | 10,629 |
| 2007 2007 NLL season The Knighthawks had the overall top seed in the playoffs, but were unable to host the Championship game due to a scheduling conflict at the Blue Cross Arena.-Team Movement:... |
Western | 6-10 | 5th | 4-4 | 2-6 | 160 | 189 | Paul Day | Missed playoffs | 9,602 |
| 2008 2008 NLL season The 2008 National Lacrosse League season, the 22nd in the history of the NLL, began on December 29, 2007 and concluded with the Buffalo Bandits winning the championship game over the Portland LumberJax on May 17, 2008.... |
Western | 4-12 | 5th | 3-5 | 1-7 | 141 | 197 | Paul Day (0-5) Bob Hamley (4-7) |
Missed playoffs | 9,639 |
| 2009 2009 NLL season -Pre-season:* August 19, 2008: The NLL announced that the Minnesota Swarm would be moving from the East division to the West division, giving the West six teams to the East's seven.... |
Western | 5-11 | 6th | 4-4 | 1-7 | 159 | 200 | Bob Hamley | Missed playoffs | 9,473 |
| 2010 2010 NLL season The 2010 National Lacrosse League season, the 24th in the history of the NLL, began on January 8, 2010 and ended with the Championship game on May 15.-Team movement:... |
Western | 10-6 | 3rd | 5-3 | 5-3 | 186 | 201 | Derek Keenan | Lost in Western Final | 7,558 |
| 2011 2011 NLL season The 2011 National Lacrosse League season, the 25th in the history of the NLL, began January 8, 2011 and ended with the Championship game, won by the Toronto Rock 8-7.-Team movement:... |
Western | 5-11 | 5th | 4-4 | 1-7 | 175 | 204 | Derek Keenan | Missed Playoffs | 7,152 |
| Total | 6 seasons | 31-65 | 20-28 | 11-37 | 971 | 1,193 | 9,009 | |||
| Playoff Totals | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 22 | 19 |
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 SeasonGoals - Chris Gill, 37 (2007)
Assists - Ryan Ward, 43 (2010)
Points - Ryan Ward, 71 (2010)
PIM - Jamie Floris, 67 (2009)
Loose Balls - Brodie Merrill, 190 (2010)