Peoria Rivermen
Encyclopedia
The Peoria Rivermen are a professional ice hockey
team in the American Hockey League
. They play in Peoria, Illinois
, USA at the Carver Arena
.
The franchise was taken over by the Peoria Civic Center in 1984, which held a contest with the Peoria Journal Star newspaper to re-name the team. Rivermen was the winner.
The Peoria Rivermen operated in the 1984-85 season and won the IHL's Turner Cup.
They were bought by Bruce Saurs in the summer of 1989, and he owned the club for 18 seasons.
The franchise dropped down to the ECHL for the 1996-97 season, playing nine seasons there before moving to the American Hockey League for the 2005-06 season, where it presently operates; the current franchise, however, follows the history of the Worcester IceCats
.
The Peoria franchise is the ninth oldest continuously operating minor-league pro hockey franchise in history.
The 2010-11 season marks Peoria's 29th franchise season in that run. It was announced by Dave Checketts that the St. Louis Blues, Scottrade Center and the Peoria Rivermen are all up for sale.
This market was previously served by:
Their main rivals are the Rockford IceHogs
, the AHL affiliate of the Blues' top rivals the Chicago Blackhawks
, and the Chicago Wolves
.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. They play in Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, USA at the Carver Arena
Peoria Civic Center
Peoria Civic Center is a convention center located next to Peoria City Hall in downtown Peoria, Illinois. USA. It has an arena, a theater, an exhibit hall, and meeting rooms...
.
History
The Peoria Rivermen franchise was born in 1982-83 in the old International Hockey League, operating under owner Ken Wilson as the Peoria Prancers.The franchise was taken over by the Peoria Civic Center in 1984, which held a contest with the Peoria Journal Star newspaper to re-name the team. Rivermen was the winner.
The Peoria Rivermen operated in the 1984-85 season and won the IHL's Turner Cup.
They were bought by Bruce Saurs in the summer of 1989, and he owned the club for 18 seasons.
The franchise dropped down to the ECHL for the 1996-97 season, playing nine seasons there before moving to the American Hockey League for the 2005-06 season, where it presently operates; the current franchise, however, follows the history of the Worcester IceCats
Worcester IceCats
The Worcester IceCats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA at the Worcester Centrum...
.
The Peoria franchise is the ninth oldest continuously operating minor-league pro hockey franchise in history.
The 2010-11 season marks Peoria's 29th franchise season in that run. It was announced by Dave Checketts that the St. Louis Blues, Scottrade Center and the Peoria Rivermen are all up for sale.
This market was previously served by:
- Peoria Blades of the CntHL (1972–1982)
- Peoria PrancersPeoria PrancersThe Peoria Prancers were an ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. They played in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena.In 1983, Peoria Prancer Paul Fenton won the Ken McKenzie Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding American born rookie, playing in the International Hockey League....
/ Peoria RivermenPeoria Rivermen (IHL)The Peoria Rivermen were an ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. They played in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena....
of the IHL (1982–1996) - Peoria RivermenPeoria Rivermen (ECHL)The Peoria Rivermen were an ice hockey team in the ECHL. They played in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena.The Peoria Rivermen were an ice hockey team in the ECHL. They played in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena....
of the ECHLECHLThe ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
(1996–2005)
Their main rivals are the Rockford IceHogs
Rockford IceHogs
This article is about the former UHL franchise. For the current American Hockey League franchise, see Rockford IceHogs.The Rockford IceHogs were a professional ice hockey team in Rockford, Illinois USA. They were a member of the United Hockey League from 1999 to 2007. The IceHogs played their home...
, the AHL affiliate of the Blues' top rivals the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, and the Chicago Wolves
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois...
.
Regular season
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | OTL | SOL | Points | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
80 | 46 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 100 | 253 | 226 | 3rd, West |
| 2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals.... |
80 | 37 | 33 | 2 | 8 | 84 | 221 | 242 | 5th, West |
| 2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:... |
80 | 38 | 33 | 4 | 5 | 85 | 247 | 242 | 7th, West |
| 2008–09 2008–09 AHL season The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:... |
80 | 43 | 31 | 2 | 4 | 92 | 215 | 211 | 2nd, West |
| 2009–10 2009–10 AHL season The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11... |
80 | 38 | 33 | 2 | 7 | 85 | 233 | 248 | 5th, West |
| 2010–11 2010–11 AHL season The 2010–11 AHL season is the 75th season of the American Hockey League. An all-time high of thirty teams will play 80 games each during the regular season schedule, which started on October 8, 2010 and ended on April 10, 2011... |
80 | 42 | 30 | 3 | 5 | 92 | 223 | 218 | 4th, West |
Playoffs
| Season | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
L, 0–4, Houston Houston Aeros The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :... |
— | — | — |
| 2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals.... |
Out of playoffs. | |||
| 2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:... |
Out of playoffs. | |||
| 2008–09 2008–09 AHL season The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:... |
L, 3-4, Houston Houston Aeros The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :... |
— | — | — |
| 2009–10 2009–10 AHL season The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11... |
Out of playoffs. | |||
| 2010-11 | L, 0-4, Houston Houston Aeros The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :... |
— | — | — |
Team captains
- 2005–06: Brenden Buckley
- 2006-08: Aaron MacKenzieAaron MacKenzieAaron MacKenzie is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for EHC Black Wings Linz of the Austrian Hockey League .-Playing career:...
- 2008-09: Trent WhitfieldTrent WhitfieldTrenton Grant Whitfield is a Canadian ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League .-Playing career:...
- 2009-10: Yan StastnyYan StastnyYan Stastny is an American-Canadian born professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Yan comes from a notable hockey family, and is the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Šťastný...
- (Was traded to the Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
on March 3, 2010. The team remained without a captain for rest of season.) - 2010-present: Dean ArseneDean ArseneDean Arsene is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, currently under a two-way contract with the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes. He is the captain of the Coyotes AHL affiliate Portland Pirates.-Playing career:...
Coaches
- 2005–06: Steve Pleau
- 2006–08: Dave Baseggio
- 2008-Jan. 2, 2010: Davis PayneDavis PayneDavis Payne is a retired Canadian ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins and is the former head coach of the St. Louis Blues.-Playing career:...
- Jan. 2 2010–April 2010: Rick WamsleyRick WamsleyRichard James Wamsley is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs...
- 2010–present: Jared BednarJared BednarJared Bednar is a retired Canadian professional ice-hockey player, currently the head coach of the Peoria Riverman of the AHL.- Playing career :...
Current roster
| Title | Staff Member |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Jared Bednar Jared Bednar Jared Bednar is a retired Canadian professional ice-hockey player, currently the head coach of the Peoria Riverman of the AHL.- Playing career :... |
| Assistant Coach | Drake Berehowsky Drake Berehowsky Drake Berehowsky is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks and Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League... |