The Saskatchewan Rush will have a new face on the bench when they open their exhibition schedule this weekend in Toronto.

The Rush have hired Jeremy Tallevi as an assistant coach to replace the departing Jimmy Quinlan, who resigned during the offseason to focus on his family.

"It is a great opportunity to work with Derek [Keenan] again as well as Jeff McComb,” said Tallevi in a media release on Thursday. “To come to a team that has just won a championship and has won three of the last four is certainly a dream come true."

Tallevi has previously been a part of the Rush organization, working under Head Coach/General Manager Derek Keenan in Edmonton during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

“This is an incredible situation for me to come to the best team in the league," Tallevi stated. "I learned so much from Derek before not just about lacrosse but how to treat people and how to work with people. I know the expectations are high and there will be no room for complacency.”

The London, ON product has been the head coach of the University of Western Mustangs for 19 seasons, winning four Canadian collegiate titles, including the past three. He also has championship experience in the Junior 'A' and 'B' ranks.

Tallevi will be responsible for the Rush’s defensive core, which features four-time Defensive Player of the Year Kyle Rubisch, Captain and All-Pro Chris Corbeil, as well as Brett Mydske, Mike Messanger and Matt Hossack.

"It is an unbelievably athletic group and individually spectacular defencemen," said Tallevi. "They have bought into the system and work it masterfully, and if anything does get by them, there is a great goaltender there in Evan Kirk to bail them out."

The Rush open their 2018 training camp on Friday in Oakville, ON and then they take on the Toronto Rock on Sunday in their first exhibition game ahead of the 2018-19 season.

NLL Partners with ALL 

The National Lacrosse League and the Arena Lacrosse League have officially announced a formal working partnership between the two leagues.

Details of the new deal have not been announced, but it will allow player movement between the two leagues to continue, placement of game officials, and the development of future NLL coaches, management, and players.

The release states, "The Arena Lacrosse League was formed to allow players that needed a bit more experience the opportunity to compete and develop at a high level with the aspiration of playing the sport professionally in the NLL."