BACK ON FEBRUARY 26TH IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT TOP PROSPECTS FORWARD OF THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE, DYLAN RUMPKE, HAD SIGNED A NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE TENDER AGREEMENT WITH THE JOHNSTOWN TOMAHAWKS OF THE NAHL’S EAST DIVISION. RUMPKE, IN HIS SECOND YEAR WITH THE QUAKE, LED THE TEAM IN SCORING WITH 75 POINTS ( 43 GOALS, 32 ASSISTS.) RUMPKE IS THE FIRST QUAKE PLAYER TO SIGN AN NAHL TENDER SO FAR THIS SEASON AND HEAD COACH PHIL OBERLIN TALKS ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO SEE ONE OF HIS PLAYERS MOVE ON.
“HE’S VERY DESERVING OF IT. HE’S PUT UP GREAT NUMBERS THIS YEAR AND WE THOUGHT HE WAS A PLAYER COMING IN LAST YEAR THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT JUMP. IT’S GOOD TO SEE. OBVIOUSLY, THAT’S WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR PLAYERS ARE GETTING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES SO I’M GLAD HE ENDED UP GETTING IT. HOPEFULLY ENDS UP MOVING ON AND STICKING UP THEIR NEXT YEAR.”
IT’S A BENEFIT FOR THE QUAKE TO HAVE A PLAYER LIKE RUMPKE MOVE ON. THE NA3HL, THE LEAGUE THE QUAKE PLAY IN, SERVES AS ONE OF THE TOP TRAINING GROUNDS IN THE COUNTRY. COACH OBERLIN EXPLAINS HOW THE SUCCESS OF MOVING PLAYERS ON, COINCIDES WITH TEAM SUCCESS IN THE LONG TERM.
“THAT’S THE REASON WHY THEY CAME OUT, THEY WANT TO MOVE ON. SO IF WE CAN HELP THEM DO THAT, IT’S GOING TO REFLECT WELL ON THE PROGRAM. THEN MORE PLAYERS WILL WANT TO COME UP, BETTER, HIGHER QUALITY PLAYERS, TOO. THEY’LL SEE THAT WE’RE ADVANCING THOSE PLAYERS AND SO THEY’LL WANT TO COME PLAY FOR A PROGRAM THAT DOES THAT, THAT DOESN’T HOLD PLAYERS BACK JUST TO WIN. THIS LEVEL IT TRULY SHOULD BE ABOUT THEM MOVING ON.”
THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE FINISHED THE 2019-20 CAMPAIGN WITH A 19-25-2-1 OVERALL RECORD AND SWEPT GILLETTE IN THE FIRT ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS BEFORE THEIR SEASON WAS CUT SHORT. STAY TUNED TO THE BIG HORN RADIO NETWORK ALL OFF-SEASON FOR MORE ON YELLOWSTONE QUAKE HOCKEY.
