Peoria Rivermen (IHL)
| Peoria Rivermen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Peoria, Illinois |
| League | International Hockey League |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Home arena | Carver Arena |
| Colors | Blue, Red, and Yellow |
| Franchise history | |
| 1982–1984 | Peoria Prancers |
| 1984–2015 | Peoria Rivermen |
The Peoria Rivermen are an ice hockey team that originally played in the International Hockey League. They played in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena. The Peoria Rivermen currently compete in the SPHL and are still located in Peoria, IL. The Rivermen's home ice is Carver Arena @ the Peoria Civic Center.
History
The Peoria Rivermen were 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 rename 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.
They held professional hockey's longest winning streak at 18 games from 1991 until the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League broke the record by winning 28 consecutive games in 2012.
Owner Bruce Saurs died in July 2014.[1]