After winning the last three, will the RUSH end the weekend above .500? 

West Coast Influence

This weekend will be the first time we get to see Podnar suit up for the RUSH this season. How will his unique and diverse skill set fit into the team dynamic?

Max has been a handling all-star in his two games so far, putting up 9 assists and 6 hockey assists between them. With only three hucks, watch out for those numbers to potentially increase as he gets used to this squad, although the RUSH’s strength this season will always be their speed over their height. It’s been fun watching his connection with Marty Gallant - let’s see how it continues on against tougher opposition. 

While Gagan has been racking up a full-box score every game, and has a +6 in his overall +/-  in his three games. Fans were maybe expecting to see his patented flick huck this season, but if he’s also more of the “elder statesmen” amongst this young squad, that could be beneficial as well. 

Injuries

Toronto is going into this heavy weight weekend looking like they could gain a few pounds. Knowing they are going to have to guard some of the best cutters in the world, missing Keith McRae, Adam Turcotte, Aki Muraoka, and Kelsi Mallany is going to hurt. This will shift the load to other defensive-minded players, such as Eric Zhuang, Harry Norris, and Owen Robinson to continue to deliver.

DC

DC have played five games so far this season, splitting two results with New York and otherwise getting results you might expect. Watch out for Jacques Nissen as this 7-year vet who improves every year as his defensive responsibilities have increased. Don’t forget about DC’s big off-season signing, grabbing Sean Mott from Philly. This efficient cutter will put the disc down in an endzone, and has started this season well as a connector with 21 assists in 5 games. He could be walking in a danger zone though - the rush has several speedy guys who could give him a run for his money. 

Boston

Boston is the best team in the league. There, we said it. With maybe a dozen guys who would be the best player on several other UFA teams (both Decraenes, Cable, Sadok, Thomas Edmonds, Rowan McDonnell, just to name a few), guarding these guys is a full time job. Fortunately, one of their several MVP’s, Jeff Babbitt, is listed out for the weekend. 

For the RUSH roster, note the addition of Rui Carvalho on Sunday. This man-monster might be the defensive coverage Toronto needs to cover some of the height Boston brings to the field. 

Halfway

After this weekend, Toronto will have played half their games this season. IF (capital f) Toronto ends Sunday afternoon with 3 wins and 3 losses, then the most important thing is going to be how the team played. They’ve had recent wins, but wins you might expect (Philly, Montreal, Montreal), The last time Toronto played a team of this calibre, it was not great. However, the 2026  team has improved chemistry, and a home crowd behind them. If Toronto ends the weekend with a 4:2 record, or even a 5:1, they will have not only shown that they can win against the big boys, but they might actually have a real chance of making the playoffs this season (remember, it’s top 3 in the division). At the end of the day, what’s most important is that they entertain the fans, who are rumoured to have over 500 students in attendance, and keep evolving with this new look squad.