Watch above: After ten years as the Edmonton Rush, the National Lacrosse League team is now the Saskatchewan Rush. Kim Thue reports.
SASKATOON – After ten years in Alberta’s capital, the Edmonton Rush are now the Saskatchewan Rush.
“There were some American cities that were in interested in a team,” says Rush owner and governor Bruce Urban. “When we knew that Saskatoon was an option, to me it was, that’s where I want to be, that’s where I want this organization to be. We want to make this province proud.”
Urban says there were several things that contributed to the team relocating after a decade in Edmonton, the fact there was no long term arena option in Edmonton being at the top of the list.
“We put a lot of work into Edmonton and lacrosse had hit new strides in the last year or two in Edmonton,” says Urban. “We needed to have a proper venue and a proper arena deal, which we have with SaskTel (Centre).”
READ MORE: ‘It’s a hard pill to swallow for a lot of the fans’: Edmonton Rush player on move to Saskatoon
Nine teams make up the National Lacrosse League, ranging from Vancouver to New England.
The teams play a condensed 18 game schedule, which puts an emphasis on making each home game an event.
“When you look at it, it’s going to be nine huge events here,” says Rush president Lee Genier, who was the former senior vice-president of business development with the Calgary Stampeders.
“I’m going to take a little bit of what I used to do in the CFL; start early and it will go right until the buzzer goes at the end of the game.”
Watch below: Saskatchewan Rush president Lee Genier was on the Morning News, explaining why the team made the move from Edmonton and what fans can expect.
Rush captain Chris Corbeil says fans in Saskatoon will be instantly hooked, once they take in a ‘live’ professional lacrosse game.
“When you bring someone out for their first time everyone always say to me ‘wow, that was incredibly fun. That was amazing. That was so exciting’,” says Corbeil.
“It’s high scoring, it’s face paced, there’s hits, there’s the odd fight. It sort of has all the elements you want out of a sport.”
READ MORE: Edmonton’s professional lacrosse team is rushing out of town
In the Rush’s expansion year in Edmonton the team averaged 11,000 fans a game. That dropped to 6,500 a decade later.
Saskatoon is roughly a third the size of Edmonton, but Urban is optimistic in the number of fans who will come out to see the provinces newest professional sports product.
“I would not be surprised if our attendance is averaging in the 11,000 area. Our ticket price will be about $35,” says Urban. “Lacrosse is a tough sport. Once people get a feel for it, they are going to say ‘holy cow’.”
The National Lacrosse League is expected to release their schedule in mid-September, with the Rush beginning their inaugural season in Saskatoon in early January.
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