Board of Governors approves Transfer of Controlling Interest in Greenville and Rapid City

The ECHL announced on Friday that the League’s Board of Governors has approved the Transfer of Controlling Interest in the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Rapid City Rush Memberships to Spire Sports + Entertainment by unanimous vote.

Based outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, Spire Sports + Entertainment is bolstered by principled employees with decades of collective experience in brand consulting, celebrity representation and career management, business development, sponsorship placement and program management, event activation, hospitality, media relations, social media support and strategic consulting.

Spire Sports had a minority ownership investment with Rapid City during the 2019-20 season, and will now serve as the majority ownership interest with both Greenville and Rapid City.

“For over a year now, Spire Sports + Entertainment has been a welcome part of the ECHL, and their impact and experience have been valuable assets in Rapid City and to the League,” said Ryan Crelin, Commissioner of the ECHL.  “On behalf of the ECHL, I’d like to thank Scott Mueller in Rapid City and Doug Heinzer and the existing ownership in Greenville for their commitment to hockey in those respective markets and making this transition possible, as we welcome a larger presence from Spire Sports and their talented team of personnel to further grow the ECHL fanbase in these two markets.”

About the ECHL

Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 26 teams in 19 states and two Canadian provinces for its 32nd season in 2019-20. There have been 676 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 14 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2019-20 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 25 of the 31 NHL teams in 2019-20, marking the 23rd consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.