The Rapid City Rush announced the return of Danny Battochio, Scott Wray, and Riley Weselowski for the 2011-12 season on Tuesday in front of a large crowd at the Civic Center Ice Arena. (Photo Seth A. McConnell/IDS)

All one had to do was look around at the swarm of Rush fans packing the Civic Center Ice Arena rink to understand why three cornerstones of the Rapid City Rush resigned.

“I just love playing here,” captain Scott Wray said. “I can’t see myself wearing another jersey this year, that’s for sure.”

Tuesday night, the Rush announced the return of three key players for the 2011-12 season at the State of the Union Summer Barbeque for season ticket holders. Returning to the ice for Rapid City are goaltender Danny Battochio, captain Scott Wray and defenseman Riley Weselowski. With the signings, the squad bolsters all areas of the ice and recoups championship experience. All three were members of the 2009-10 President’s Cup Championship team.

They all had the same refrain: they just didn’t want to leave.

Rush defenseman Riley Weselowski had a strong 2010-11 campaign with 26 points and a plus 20 rating. (Photo Seth A. McConnell/IDS)

“Rapid City is home for me right now,” defenseman Riley Weselowski said. “I’ve had a lot of fun here, so it was an easy decision for me.”

The theme of the night was Reload, not Rebuild, and it all starts between the pipes for the Rush.

Battochio is considered a big signing after accumulating more wins in the CHL than any other goalie over the past two seasons. He led the league with 30 wins, 54 games played and logged the most minutes. The all-star goaltender returns for his third season after being named a finalist for CHL’s Most Outstanding Goaltender in each of his first two years.

“It’s obviously the place to play in this league,” Battochio said. “It’s been an awesome two years that I’ve been a part of here and I didn’t want things to change. I think we have a great chance of putting together another championship team this year.”

The captain is back, Scott Wray will return after scoring 20 goals and tallying 28 assists last season. (Photo Seth A. McConnell/IDS)

Wray will become the first back-to-back captain for the Rush as he enters his 13th year in professional hockey. Last year he had 20 goals, good for fourth on the team, and his 28 assists only finished behind Ryan Menei. Last year, Wray finished 4th on the team in goals (20) and points (48) while totaling 28 assists, good enough for second on the squad. The veteran reached numerous milestones throughout the season, including his 300th regular season goal (11/20 vs. COL), 800th career game (4/24 vs. FTW) and 700th career point (5/3 @ COL).

Despite making it to the brink of the Presidents’ Cup Finals a season ago, Wray said a draw to coming back was topping last year’s conference finals run.

“We had an exceptional year as a franchise,” Wray said. “We held the all-star game here, we did a lot of good things as a franchise. Anytime you can make it back to the conference finals and have a season we did – still a successful season – but it leaves a sour taste in your mouth.”

Wray’s dedication to getting the Cup back to Rapid City gives a glimpse to what makes him so important to the other Rush.

“(Wray)’s been a great leader for us throughout the whole two years I’ve been here, and he’s got a reputation throughout his whole career of being a leader,” Battochio said. “So getting him is huge. That’s a big step in the right direction.”

Weselowski will enter his fourth season as a pro and becomes the first defenseman signed by the Rush this offseason. He is coming off of a strong season in which he set career highs in goals (5), assists (21), points (26) and penalty minutes (74). The stay-at-home defenseman led all Rush defenseman and finished third on the team with a +20 rating.

Weselowski talks with Rush fans at the Ice Arena after the announcement that he will return for next season. (Photo Seth A. McConnell/IDS)

“Joe (Ferras) is putting our team in that direction. The whole league is going in that direction,” Weselowski said. “You look five years ago at where minor hockey was. You had the third line for sure, and maybe even your second line, was big bruisers that couldn’t necessarily move but clutch and grab and lots of hitting over the ice. Now with the way the rules are, you can’t have that. You have to have guys that can skate and get up and down the ice, guys that can move.”

Rush fans will be pleased to learn the fleet-skating Weselowski is back in the fold. The appreciation is mutual.

“Our fans are incredible,” Weselowski said. “They didn’t necessarily know hockey three years ago, and now they live and breathe hockey. They’re true hockey fans. They embrace their hockey team and they’re very passionate about it.”

By signing Battochio, Wray, and Weselowski the Rush have now signed five core players from last year’s squad. In May, playmakers Konrad Reeder and Ryan Menei also resigned with the club.

“When Mark (DeSantis) and I start putting together a winning hockey team we want our team identity to be players that have high character, leadership and bring a tremendous work ethic to the rink every day,” said Rush Head Coach Joe Ferras. “Today’s announcement of Scott, Danny and Riley, has done just that for our club as all three players exude these qualities.”