Photo Credit-Charlotte Rush

Charlotte Rush Head Coach Troy Schwab has a lot of great things to say about Dylan Ray. The mobile defender is returning to a defense group where he will be looked to in key roles. As Schwab will rely on him in key minutes, Ray will get a lot of ice time this year to impress scouts at the next levels of development.

Schwab said of Ray “ Dylan has consistently shown development every day since he arrived in Charlotte. A player who skates well, moves the puck well, and who can play in all situations and is going to be counted on heavily with the Rush this season. Being able to return a top pair on your D-core in Dylan Ray and Zac Gmerek is very fortunate at the Tier 3 level. Dylan is a player who is always doing the right thing on and off the ice. The next step is to take a bigger leadership role with our hockey club. “

Ray has had a familiar billet family. He has lived with Julie and Ryan Cruthers. Ray said “they’ve definitely taught me a bunch of life lessons outside the rink.”

On being a part of the Rush and knowing the Cruthers Family, Ray said “ it means the world, they’ve given me a lot of perspective.” Ray is looking forward to leading the group this year with championship goals.

Ray also noted that junior hockey is a unique spot to be in for players looking to earn a scholarship. Ray praised the environment that the Rush create and the culture they have. That culture and the expectations of winning combined with the resources the Rush give their players to develop on and off the ice are two reasons why Ray wanted to come back.

On the ice, the player that models his game after Nick Lidstrom wants to be like him. Lidstrom was the epitome of consistency on the ice in the NHL. Ray is looking to get better at being that presence of consistency this year for the Rush. The biggest part of that for Ray is using his strong skating to create more looks and better chances to improve his shooting percentage. Defenders who can do that in junior hockey get noticed fast when they can skate as well as Ray can.

The leader for the Rush is in camp getting ready to get his team back to where they were a few years ago, being national champions.

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