PEORIA, Ill. — Rivermen hockey returns to the Peoria Civic Center this weekend.
Head Coach Jean-Guy Trudel is back for his seventh season, but it is the team’s 38th season.
He told WMBD’s Greg and Dan, the home opener is always a big deal.
“Every single first game is always Bruce Saurs Night. I mean, he’s done so much for us, we keep that tradition alive. We’re proud of our team, but we pack it (the arena) in honor of Bruce. And, we’re gonna do it again this year,” Trudel said.
Rivermen Team Captain Alec Hagaman, a Dunlap native, first took to roller blades at the age of four or five.
“I jumped on the ice shortly after that. My parents thought I was doing pretty good in roller hockey. So, a couple of parents said, ‘Hey, let’s get our kids on the ice’, and it all kind of kicked off from there,” Hagaman said.
Hagaman, who had been with the Rivermen for several years, trains year-round and runs his own hockey camp for kids.
The Rivermen face-off with the Quad City Storm Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
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