Should you bump into Robert Rush and he seems more relaxed right now, there’s a good reason for that.

Heading into his 21st season at the Air Force Academy, and 17th as the hockey team’s equipment manager (code for jack of all trades), the man affectionately known as Rushy  can exhale during summer months that begin with J. He can also re-acquaint himself with family and friends, maybe enjoy a night or two out.

“June is really slow. I’ll take time off here and there,” Rush says. “Same with July, though later in the month we start ramping it back up.”

MORE INSIDE STORIES

Secrets to Air Force’s success

Part 2 of Keeping the Falcons well-equiped

Keeping the Falcons in one piece

Preparing the Falcons for battle

However it’s not always like this during the offseason. Just because hockey season is over doesn’t mean Rush can kick his feet up right away. His position demands foresight, and the planning for the 2018-19 season was well underway within weeks’ of the Falcons’ second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament’s elite eight.

“(In late April) we had a stick and skate day, where all of the (returning players) get fitted for next season,” Rush says. “I gather that information so we can get that ordered before June so we can have it for the upperclassmen in August.

“The freshmen, I wait until they get here for basic training (which began in late June) just in case some decide not to come. We’ve been burned a few times with kids not showing up when I’ve had their stuff ordered. … Now I wait until after basic.”

Gearing up a Falcon

Hockey players are notoriously superstitious about their gear. There are different levels of that superstition, and some players might try to convince you it’s just a “habit” or a “tradition” or “the way I’ve always done it”, but make no mistake, a comfort level with their gear under whatever guise is hugely important.

This encapsulates what is probably the most recognizable aspect of Rush’s job.

“I try to keep them as comfortable as possible,” he says. “If they’re comfortable with what they bring in, as long as it keeps them safe, I don’t force them to change it for something newer.

“But the college game is more physical than juniors so we make sure they’re well protected.”

For helmets, pants and gloves, that means Warrior products. The Michigan company is growing in stature in the hockey gear world, and many Falcons also opt to wear their other pads (shins, elbows, shoulders) as well.

“That’s our  main contract. We get set prices from them, and they do a lot for us,” he says.

There is no room for sentimentality in the locker room, however. Players’ long-term relationships with gear can be one area that tests Rush’s easy-going nature.

“As soon as it starts to wear out …,” he trails off. “I go through the locker room every day and look at everyone’s gear. As soon as it starts to wear out I’ll suggest to them, ‘Hey, I know you’re comfortable in this but we need to switch it out. Straps come loose, padding gets thin. … Usually they’re pretty good about it.”

On sticks and skates

Of all of the gear Rush deals with, sticks and skates are hands down the two that the players spend the most time with.

The postseason fittings revolve almost exclusively around those two areas. And with technology advancing fastest and furthest in those areas they easily dominate Rush’s time in the equipment realm. Skate technology has advanced to the point where players’ feet can be measured by a 3-D program and have that data translated into making a custom-built boot.

That’s big, but even that might pale in comparison to sticks.

“Guys are really particular about their sticks – the flex, the curve, how it feels in their hand. That’s why we had a stick day,” Rush says. “I had the pro reps in from Warrior and Bauer, and these guys got their sticks exactly where they want the flex, the curves. It’s ridiculous how precise it is now, and every kid’s different.”

Perhaps none was more different – or difficult – than recently graduated senior defenseman Phil Boje, a mortal enemy of composite sticks if ever there was one.

Rush says the average Falcon will go through approximately 18 sticks per season, a span stretching from practices in September through games at least to the end of March – roughly seven months. Boje and his howitzer-like shot doubled that total for a few years.

In fact, Boje once snapped all six sticks he had on weekend trip – in two games. One can only hope he goes easier on his next piece of Air Force equipment – he’s headed to pilot training.

“We finally got him dialed in these last couple years,” Rush says. “We had him in the wrong setup as far as his shaft and his flex. His last year and half here he wasn’t breaking as many.

“It got to the point where (coach) Frank Serratore would turn to me on the bench during games and ask what we could do. ‘(6-foot-9 Boston Bruins defenseman) Zdeno Chara can find sticks that don’t break, why can’t Boje’?”

This is one of the ways the partnership with Warrior paid off.

“We had an issue with (rising sophomore defenseman Zack) Mirageas with his sticks at the beginning of the year,” Rush recalls. “We got Warrior to come in and analyze him. We’re going to bump his flex up; he’s a little too strong for his sticks. He’s agreed to do it.”

The interaction with the equipment company isn’t as big of a deal as it might sound. Warrior, after all, has added Air Force graphics to stick shafts, painted them in Falcons colors, extra touches that players – and opponents – notice.

The Falcons also are involved in testing new sticks for the company, due in large part to the relationship Rush has forged.

“Four or five of our guys are involved with helping them test new sticks,” he says. “These are sticks that are coming out next spring. Our guys are trying them out, seeing how they feel and giving Warrior feedback. That’s valuable.

“NHL guys aren’t seeing some of these sticks before our guys. They’ll send black sticks, no graphics on them. They’ll tell us, ‘Try this in practice. Beat it up, hack it, tell us how it feels.’ Then the players go to a website and fill out a form telling them how it feels, what they think could be better about it.”

Look good, feel good

As the Falcons celebrated 50 years of hockey this past season they actually outdid themselves in one area that they already were strong in – their sweaters.

Already blessed with beautiful home white and road blue jerseys, the Falcons raised their game with an alternate white jersey and a 50th anniversary one for the 2017-18 season.

“The 50th anniversary white we just went back to the first year we had hockey here,” Rush says. “We had our jersey manufacturer replicate it. He really gets into designing for us. Right now he’s working on a gray (alternate) jersey for us. He’s all excited about it. We might tweak our home white and road blue a little bit, just to change it up.”

With so many options, how do the Falcons decide what to wear on a given night at home? Democracy takes over at times.

“I’ll ask the captains what they want to wear,” Rush says.

“Sometimes it depends on what mood I’m in. At Friday night at 1 in the morning when I’m doing laundry do I want to rewash this set or put out the alternates for Saturday? A lot depends on the locker room. The players and the coaches have their superstitions.”

At other times, the decision more resembles a monarchy.

“We wore our blues at home because we were winning in our blues. Frank did ask me to call AIC and ask if they could bring their whites so we could wear our blues,” Rush says. “His reasoning was our fans never get to see us in our blue jerseys … and his next text was we’re 7-2-2 in our blue jerseys.”

Regardless, it’s good to have as many good options as the Falcons, do.

NEXT: You would not want this man’s schedule

©First Line Editorial 2017-18