Fixtures
| SPHL | 04/20 00:15 | 2 | Peoria Rivermen vs Evansville Thunderbolts | - | View |
Results
| SPHL | 04/18 00:00 | 2 | Evansville Thunderbolts v Peoria Rivermen | W | 2-7 | |
| SPHL | 04/14 00:15 | 3 | Peoria Rivermen v Pensacola Ice Flyers | W | 6-1 | |
| SPHL | 04/12 00:05 | 3 | Pensacola Ice Flyers v Peoria Rivermen | W | 2-3 | |
| SPHL | 04/07 00:15 | - | Peoria Rivermen v Quad City Storm | W | 2-1 | |
| SPHL | 04/06 00:10 | - | Quad City Storm v Peoria Rivermen | L | 4-3 | |
| SPHL | 03/31 00:10 | - | Quad City Storm v Peoria Rivermen | L | 5-3 | |
| SPHL | 03/30 00:10 | - | Quad City Storm v Peoria Rivermen | W | 1-2 | |
| SPHL | 03/24 00:00 | - | Evansville Thunderbolts v Peoria Rivermen | W | 1-4 | |
| SPHL | 03/23 00:00 | - | Evansville Thunderbolts v Peoria Rivermen | L | 3-1 | |
| SPHL | 03/17 20:15 | - | Peoria Rivermen v Quad City Storm | W | 3-0 | |
| SPHL | 03/16 00:15 | - | Peoria Rivermen v Quad City Storm | W | 3-0 | |
| SPHL | 03/10 01:15 | - | Peoria Rivermen v Pensacola Ice Flyers | W | 4-1 |
Wikipedia - Peoria Rivermen (SPHL)
The Peoria Rivermen are a professional ice hockey team in the SPHL. They play in Peoria, Illinois, United States at the Carver Arena. The team replaced an American Hockey League franchise of the same name that was purchased by the Vancouver Canucks and moved out of Peoria to Utica, New York.
The Rivermen are one of the few teams in the SPHL outside the southern United States, along with the Bloomington Thunder (2013–14 season only), the Evansville Thunderbolts (since the 2016–17 season), and the Quad City Storm (since the 2018–19 season).
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rivermen were one of several SPHL teams to not participate in the 2020–21 season.
History
On May 13, 2013, it was reported by the Peoria Journal Star that after being told the city would no longer have an AHL team, former Rivermen executives John Butler and Bart Rogers and former Rivermen owner Bruce Saurs announced that they had applied for admission into the Southern Professional Hockey League in an attempt to save hockey in Peoria. The SPHL is a low-minor hockey league with teams mostly based in the southeastern United States. Butler and Rogers' plan also included for the group to purchase the Bloomington Blaze of the struggling Central Hockey League and also move them to the SPHL. There was an SPHL Board of Governors and franchise general managers emergency conference call scheduled for the morning of May 14, 2013, to decide on the admission of the Rivermen and the Blaze.
On May 15, 2013, it was officially announced that the team had been accepted into the SPHL, along with the newly named Bloomington Thunder, ending the uncertainty of whether Peoria would have a minor professional hockey team in the coming year. Both teams were owned by Illinois Pro Sports, LLC. The Thunder would be shut down after one season when another ownership group obtained an expansion team in the junior United States Hockey League for Bloomington, isolating the Rivermen in the north.
In 2017, the majority ownership of the Rivermen was sold to CSH International Inc., the same owners of the Bloomington USHL franchise, with the former owners, Bart Rogers and John Butler, staying on with minority ownership.
On May 3, 2022, the Rivermen beat the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs in game four of the President's Cup finals in overtime to win the franchise's first President's Cup.
On April 7, 2023, the Rivermen and the Peoria Civic Center Authority (PCCA) made a joint announcement that, pending approval by the PCCA at their next scheduled meeting, the Rivermen would commit to playing the 2023-2024 season at the Civic Center, with a renewal option for the 2024-2025 season. The announcement came on the heels of the start of the Rivermen's playoff series to defend their President's Cup title in 2023. Bart Rogers, co-owner of the team, said “Being a part of the Peoria Hockey community is at the heart of the Peoria Rivermen culture and we’re excited to renew with the Peoria Civic Center, continue long-term discussions, and to defend our title.”
The team's home arena is the Carver Arena, which has a seating capacity of over 9,000 fans. The Rivermen have a strong fan base and are known for their passionate supporters who come out to cheer on the team at every game.
The team's logo features a fierce-looking river otter, which is a nod to the animal's presence in the nearby Illinois River. The Rivermen's colors are navy blue, red, and white.
Over the years, the Peoria Rivermen have had many successful seasons, including winning the SPHL championship in 2019. The team has also produced many talented players who have gone on to play in higher-level leagues, including the NHL.
Overall, the Peoria Rivermen are a beloved and successful ice hockey team that has a strong connection to the local community. Their exciting style of play and passionate fan base make them a must-see for any hockey fan in the area.