RAPID CITY - Jon Pelle and Joey Olson may look up to their hockey teammates, but they stand tall for the Rapid City Rush.
Pelle, listed at 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds, is moving up quickly on the Rush stat chart with seven goals and six assists in 17 games after signing with the Rush on Nov. 29.
Olson, 5-7 and 180 pounds, scored his first goal in Rapid City's 5-4 overtime win over the Rocky Mountain Rage on Sunday, and also has an assist after six games in a Rapid City uniform.
Pelle started the season skating in Denmark. Olson arrived in Rapid City on Dec. 26 in a trade with Laredo that dealt forward Matt Miller to the Bucks.
"When you play hockey at that size, you always want to prove to people that you can not only play the game, but be a go-to player," Rush head coach Joe Ferras said. "They're both playing very good hockey for us right now."
One stat you won't see either Pelle or Olson piling up is penalty minutes, especially those five-minute majors for fighting.
"Obviously you're out there to protect your teammates, but most of the time it works the other way around. They look out for us," Olson said.
"We have some guys here that are willing to stick up for the smaller guys," Pelle said. "We try to stay out of that stuff for the most part."
Sidestepping those bone-jarring body checks is a matter of brains more than brawn, speed overcoming size.
"They anticipate very well, and have a knack for where the puck's going to be," said Ferras. "And that comes from hockey sense."
"Obviously we have to be going harder," said Olson. "We take care of our position out of playing smarter instead of being more physical."
"For a small guy, you have to be on the quicker side and on the smarter side to avoid the big hits out there," Pelle said. "You make sure you're fighting through checks and getting to the net and the tough areas on the ice."
That intensity comes from deep within the individual, Ferras said.
"They're two guys who have big hearts and they compete every night," said Ferras. "You can't have enough of those guys."
