Peoria Rivermen honor players and history at annual award banquet. See who won
PEORIA — The Peoria Rivermen revealed some new names on prestigious old trophies as they joined the Rivermen Captain's Booster Club annual spring team banquet on Tuesday at Raber's.
The second-place team will move on with the business of trying to get its name on the President's Cup when the SPHL playoffs start next month. But Tuesday was for honoring the team with a dinner presented by their most ardent fans.
"This is a blessing, I can't thank you enough," Rivermen rookie winger Tristan Trudel said as he addressed teammates and fans packed into a new banquet facility at Raber's on Farmington Road.
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Trudel was named to the Pete BardezBanian Award, which is presented each season to the Rivermen player deemed to be the Most Popular Player by the boosters. It was an historic moment Tuesday as Trudel followed his father — Rivermen coach Jean-Guy Trudel — who won the award as a player in 1998 and 2008. They are the first father-son winners of the award.
The younger Trudel has 13 goals in 36 games this season, along with eight fights, many of which he dominated.
Veteran center Joe Drapluk was named to the Mark Olson Trophy — named after one of hockey's founding fathers in central Illinois. That award goes to the Rivermen player who demonstrates devotion to the team, the sport and the community.
Finally, the Bruce Saurs Leadership Award — named in honor of the late, longtime Rivermen team owner — went to veteran winger-now-defenseman Jordan Ernst.
"(Ernst) has sacrificed so much, changed positions, played with a knee injury all season," Rivermen captain Alec Hagaman said during his presentation of the trophy to his teammate. "He's one of my best friends. I'm proud to present this to him."
River Readings
The Rivermen are 23-1-3 at home this season, tied for the most home wins in a season in SPHL history. Peoria is tied for the record with two of its own teams, the 2021-22 and 2018-19 clubs, and Knoxville (2021-22, 2005-06) and Columbus (2005-06). Peoria has a chance to break the record when it hosts Quad City in the regular-season finale on April 6. … The Rivermen have the fewest regulation losses at home (1) than any team among the 102 pro teams in the NHL, AHL, ECHL and SPHL. … The Booster Club said it will return to Raber's for the 2025 banquet. … The Rivermen put scrappy winger Spencer Kennedy on SPHL waivers Tuesday. He's been on a call-up with ECHL Atlanta since mid-January.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
Below is a full history of the Peoria Rivermen team awards:
Peoria Rivermen hockey Pete BardezBanian Award history
Named for Rivermen Hall of Fame, builders inductee, Pete BardezBanian, and awarded annually during the franchise’s IHL, ECHL, AHL and SPHL eras by the Captains’ Booster Club to the team’s most popular player.
1983 — Brad Kempthorne, c.
1984 — Jerry August, d.
1985 — Bob “The Hammer” Fleming, w.
1986 — Bob “The Hammer” Fleming, w.
1987 — John Vecchiarelli, c.
1988 — Grant Rezansoff, c.
1989 — Darrell May, g.
1990 — Richard Pion, w.
1991 — Richard Pion, w.
1992 — Richard Pion, w.
1993 — Richard Pion, w.
1994 — Geoff Sarjeant, g.
1995 — Parris Duffus, g.
1996 — Ron Hoover, c.
1997 — Dustin McArthur, w.
1998 — Jean-Guy Trudel, w and Marcel Kuris, g.
1999 — Joe Rybar, c.
2000 — Luke Gruden, d.
2001 — Tyler Willis, c.
2002 — Ryan Finnerty, c.
2003 — Duane Derksen, g.
2004 — Ken Goetz, w.
2005 — Alfie Michaud, g.
2006 — Colin Hemingway, w.
2007 — Cam Keith, w.
2008 — Jean-Guy Trudel, w.
2009 — Eric Neilson, w.
2010 — Derek Armstrong, c.
2011 — Jake Allen, g.
2012 — Kyle Hagel, w.
2013 — Mike McKenna, g.
2014 — Taylor Larsen, w.
2015 — Matt Summers, w.
2016 — Matt Summer, w.
2017 — Ben Oskroba, d.
2018 — Mike Economos, w.
2019 — Austin Vieth, w.
2020 — Skyler Smutek, d.
2021 — no season/pandemic.
2022 — Zach Wilkie, d.
2023 — Zach Wilkie, d.
2024 — Tristan Trudel, w.
Peoria Rivermen hockey Mark Olson Trophy history
Named for Rivermen Hall of Fame, builders inductee, Mark Olson, and awarded annually during the franchise’s IHL, ECHL, AHL and SPHL eras by the Captains’ Booster Club to the player who demonstrates devotion to the team, the sport and the community.
1986 — Bob “The Hammer” Fleming, w.
1987 — Mike Posavad, d.
1988 — Dave Thomlinson, w.
1989 — Darrell May, g.
1990 — Richard Pion, w.
1991 — Dave Thomlinson, w.
1992 — Richard Pion, w.
1993 — Ron Hoover, c.
1994 — Michel Mongeau, c.
1995 — Rene Chapdelaine, d.
1996 — Ron Hoover, c.
1997 — Butch Kaebel, w.
1998 — Jean-Guy Trudel, w.
1999 — Joe Rybar, c.
2000 — Duane Derksen, g.
2001 — Blaine Fitzpatrick, w.
2002 — Phil Osaer, g.
2003 — Duane Derksen, g and Randy Rowe, w.
2004 — Marty Johnson, c.
2005 — Randy Rowe, w.
2006 — Charles Linglet, w.
2007 — Charles Linglet, w.
2008 — Aaron MacKenzie, d.
2009 — Trent Whitfield, c.
2010 — Chris Porter, w.
2011 — David Spina, w.
2012 — Kyle Hagel, w.
2013 — Mike McKenna, g.
2014 — Cole Ruwe, d.
2015 — Cole Ruwe, d.
2016 — Mark Corbett, d.
2017 — Ben Oskroba, d.
2018 — Alec Hagaman, w.
2019 — Ben Oskroba, d, and Mike Gurtler, w.
2020 — Robin Hoglund, w, and Drake Hunter, w.
2021 — no season/pandemic.
2022 — Alec Hagaman, w.
2023 — Nick Neville, d.
2024 — Joe Drapluk, c.
Peoria Rivermen hockey Bruce Saurs Leadership Award history
In memorial to late longtime Rivermen owner Bruce Saurs, the annual honor is given to the player who shows commitment to the game and leadership on and off the ice, and contributing to efforts to grow hockey in central Illinois.
2015 — Cole Ruwe, d.
2016 — Ben Oskroba, d.
2017 — Dan Bremner, lw, and Ben Oskroba, d.
2018 — Mike Economos, w, and Will Smith, c.
2019 — Ben Oskroba, d.
2020 — Eric Levine, g.
2021 — no season/pandemic.
2022 — Eric Levine, g.
2023 — Ben Assad, c.
2024 — Jordan Ernst, w-d.
Source: Dave Eminian, Journal Star archives, Peoria Rivermen archives.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria Rivermen annual awards banquet held by team booster club
