It's been a whirlwind three weeks for Rapid City Rush rookie goalie Danny Battochio, but nothing a superhero can't handle.

Battochio, who picked up the nickname "Batman" during his major junior hockey years, opened his professional career in mid-September with a tryout with the American Hockey League's Peoria Rivermen, joining four other Rush players getting a look from the higher-level AHL as free agents.

Jon Pelle and Devon LeBlanc skated with the Worcester Sharks, and Colt King attended camp with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before being released in time for the opening of Rush training camp on Oct. 5.

Derek LeBlanc remains with the Manitoba Moose.

Battochio also stayed on as backup goalie after the Rivermen had provided an extra netminder to their NHL parent St. Louis Blues for their season-opening series against the Detroit Red Wings in Sweden.

Once home, the Blues returned backstop Ben Bishop to Peoria, which then sent Battochio back to Rapid City.

"It went really well, better than expected," said Battochio of his AHL experience.

"They (Rivermen) didn't know anything about me, so I was just trying to make a good impression. I got to stick around to start the season."

Battochio had the chance to work with Blues goaltending consultant Ed Belfour, ranked third in NHL history with 484 wins.

"That was an experience, an eye-opener by itself," Battochio said. "He said the fundamentals are there, but said the important thing is just keep working hard, try to battle every day and never give up."

Battochio didn't see any time in net during game action before being released by the Rivermen on Oct. 4.

He arrived in Rapid City on Oct. 6, just in time to take the ice for a Rush afternoon scrimmage.

"I only had Monday off but traveled that day. I did feel a bit drained, but that's hockey," he said.

He spent about 60 minutes total between the pipes in a weekend pair of exhibition games against the Amarillo Gorillas, allowing four goals with about 22 saves.

"That's what preseason games are for, getting my feet wet. There's a couple of those (goals) I'd like to have back, but that's probably going to happen the rest of the year. You just try to limit those as much as you can," he said.

While the Triple-A level AHL boasts a quicker-paced game, Battochio said the talent level in the CHL is nothing to sneeze at.

"(In the AHL) you're dealing with guys that are going up and down from the NHL. It's a step up. I didn't know what to expect here, but the guys are just as fast. You have to stay sharp and you can't take any breaks," he said.

"I'm just focusing on the job here in Rapid City and having some fun. It's my first pro year," he said.

And Rush fans are sure to have some fun with the "Batman" moniker, picked up during his years in the Ottawa Hockey League.

"The fans there ran with it and it just stuck with me my whole career," he said. "It's harmless fun, so I don't mind it at all."