ELMIRA, N.Y. - August 28, 2012 - The Elmira Jackals announced today that they have agreed to terms with defenseman Kyle Bushee for the 2012-13 season. Bushee is the seventh player to come to terms with the Jackals for the upcoming season, and the first to have never previously played for Elmira.

"Kyle is a veteran defenseman with young legs. His gap control and ability to retrieve pucks, break out and join the rush at top speed are the skills that impressed me. He should be a leader on the blueline for us," said Jackals head coach Pat Bingham.

With the Jackals Bushee will embark on his fifth season of professional hockey. He has spent the majority of the last three with Elmira's divisional foe, the Wheeling Nailers. The 6-0, 190-pound rearguard brings a wealth of experience to the Jackals' defensive corps with 273 ECHL games under his belt between stops in Cincinnati, Johnstown and Wheeling. Bushee has also played in 25 Kelly Cup playoff games including helping Wheeling reach the Eastern Conference final against Kalamazoo in 2011.

For his ECHL career, Bushee has notched 91 points (21G, 70A), 178 penalty minutes and a +5 rating. His best season was 2010-11 with 31 points (7G, 24A) that led all Nailers defensemen.

In 2011-12 he suited up in eight games with the American Hockey League's St. John's IceCaps and tallied three points (1G, 2A). In total, Bushee has played 10 AHL games combined between St. John's, Manitoba, and Portland.

"I wanted to come to Elmira because I wanted to play in a good hockey town with a good coach. Coach Bingham has had a history of success and the Jackals' fans make playing in Elmira miserable for the visitors. I am looking forward to playing in front of them, and am excited to begin our quest for the Kelly Cup," said Bushee.

Click here for Kyle Bushee's player profile.

Season tickets to see the Jackals in 2012-2013 are on sale now!

Packages start as low as $360 and include tickets to all 36 regular season and any preseason home games. Exclusive advantages available only to season ticket holders include a discount off the walk-up ticket price, the same seat all season long, access to the annual Blue/White scrimmage, discounts to select First Arena events, and special season ticket holder coupons.

Avoid lines at the box office on game day by purchasing season tickets to see the Jackals in 2012-2013. Fans may download the 2012-2013 season ticket form at http://www.firstarena.com/ or can order their tickets by calling (607) 734-PUCK (7825) or by visiting the First Arena Box Office.   
  
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UPCOMING FIRST ARENA EVENTS:

September 5, 2012, 7:00 p.m. - Free Community Movie Night. "We Bought a Zoo." Bring a can or bag of cat/dog food to donate to Chemung County SPCA and receive a free bag of popcorn.
 

September 15, 2012, 7:30 p.m. -  Art of Combat 1. Be a part of the first ever mixed martial arts fighting event at First Arena. Tickets start at just $22. Click here for tickets.
 

September 22, 2012, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. - Wegmans Twin Tiers Tap In presented by TLC Limo. An impressive roster of over 30 breweries from the local, regional, and national scene will be on hand for the inaugural beer festival. Tickets are $30 for 25 3oz samples. Click here for tickets.  
 

October 12, 2012, 7:05 p.m. - Jackals Home Opener vs. Reading Royals.