RAPID CITY - It's a good thing that Daniel Nieves likes to talk hockey.

He'll be doing a lot of that for the Rapid City Rush.

Nieves will be doing play-by-play broadcasts of all 64 Rush games on Rapid City's 100.3 The Fox FM. He'll also be putting his knowledge of the game to good use as the Rush's media relations director.

"I'd just be sitting around talking hockey anyway, so I might just as well get a paycheck for it," he said with a laugh.

Nieves comes to Rapid City straight out of college at Bowling Green University in Ohio.

"I graduated on Aug. 9 and was in Rapid City on Aug. 16," said Nieves. "I had a week off."

While earning a degree in telecommunications, Nieves spent five years honing his trade as color commentator and play-by-play announcer for the Bowling Green Falcons of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

Nieves faces several challenges as he moves into professional sports broadcasting: A new league to learn, a greater number of games to prepare for, and catering his broadcasts for a non-traditional hockey audience.

"With college there were two games on the weekend, one on Friday and another on Saturday, and that was it for the week," he said.

"With the CHL, we'll be traveling to places like Odessa and Corpus Christi. It's going to be three different teams, three different nights, and three different cities, so that's going to be a little bit different," he said.

Nieves said he'll also have to balance his radio broadcasts for both novice and experienced hockey fans.

"That will be my challenge. "I can't say 'On the (penalty kill), you've got to get it out to the point,' and expect everyone to know what I'm talking about," he said. "I'll do some hockey 101. I have to be educational without being corny. I need to taylor the (broadcast) to both audiences."

Nieves said coming to a non-traditional hockey area has been a little different adjustment.

"But that's my job to get people excited about it," he said.

Nieves' hometown is Tavernia, Fla., but he grew up in Denver. That's where the hockey bug first bit. He learned to skate at age 3 and was playing hockey by the time he was 4. Nieves also played baseball and lacrosse, but ultimately hoped to play Division I college hockey. That dream enticed Nieves to Bowling Green.

"I was good at hockey, but not good enough to be recruited. I was hoping to be a walk-on, so I wanted to leave that door open," Nieves said. "That's what pushed my school selection up north. It happened to be at Bowling Green, because they also had my degree, something I could fall back on.

"Obviously, the hockey thing didn't work out, so I thought, I just can't do a 9-to-5 regular business. Sports is my passion, so I figured, 'Hey, how about broadcasting? I still get to be one of the boys.'"

Nieves visited Rapid City as a boy, and since arriving here in August has been impressed with a community that has had its ups and downs with professional sports franchises.

"The community has been so accepting. People have been great to come out and meet the players. It seems like they're ready for something exciting," he said.

Nieves' first broadcast for the Rush will be during the Oct. 17 CHL season opener against Colorado. The Rush will play its first 14 games on the road while the finishing touches are put on the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center's new ice arena.

The Rush's first game on home ice will be Nov. 29 at 2:05 p.m., also against Northwest Division foe Colorado Eagles.

Neives, who is keeping busy preparing media guides and game advance stories, still finds time to lace up his skates to hit the ice at the Roosevelt Ice Arena.

"It's fantastic. To be my age and here is just ahead of the curve," he said. "I've just got to keep it going. I'm happy to be where I'm at now."