Tempe, AZ - The Central Hockey League's newest franchise, the Rapid City Rush, selected five players in Friday's CHL Expansion Draft which took place at the CHL Summer Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Rush Head Coach Joe Ferras used the draft to gain two experienced scorers, a solid defenseman and a young forward. The Rush also traded one of their choices looking towards the team's future.

The Rush selected forward Garrett Prosofsky (previously with Oklahoma City) with their first selection, center Derek LaBlanc (previously with Rocky Mountain) with their second selection, defenseman Cody Blanshan (previously with Mississippi) with their third selection, forward Mike Lukajic (previously with Wichita) with their fourth pick and finished by selecting goaltender Mike Minard (previously with New Mexico) with the fifth selection. The Rush then traded Minard to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in exchange for future considerations.

Rush Expansion Draft Selections:

1st Selection – Garrett Prosofsky

2nd Selection – Derek LeBlanc

3rd Selection – Cody Blanshan

4th Selection – Mike Lukajic

5th Selection – Mike Minard

The Rush were able to choose players off a list compiled by the 15 other CHL franchises. Each team exposed four players but no team could lose more than one player.

Prosofsky, 28, has played 206 games with the Oklahoma City Blazers over the past four seasons totaling 74 goals and 119 assists for nearly a point-a-game average. In 21 career playoff games with the Blazers, the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native scored 10 goals with seven helpers. The veteran forward has played 375 professional games seeing action, along with the CHL, in the ECHL, the American Hockey League and in Germany. His junior career was spent in the Western Hockey League where he scored 330 points (134-196=330) in 328 games.

LeBlanc, 22, joined the Rocky Mountain Rage late in the season last year posting an assist in five games (his first as a professional). His junior career (2003-07) was spent with Brandon and Calgary where he scored 49 goals with 52 assists in 246 games.

Blanshan, 24, scored a pair of goals with 18 assists and 118 penalty minutes in 63 games with the Mississippi RiverKings. The former eighth round selection of the New York Islanders in 2003 NHL Entry Draft has played 197 professional games with his best season coming during the 2005-06 campaign with Greenville (ECHL) where he totaled 27 points (12-15=27).

Lukajic, 27, split time between Colorado and Wichita last season where he combined for 20 goals and 12 assists. After a successful college career at SUNY-Oswego, the Mississauga, Ontario native has played 172 career games pro (all in the CHL).