How Rivermen celebration included a magic crystal, grandma drinking from the Cup, a military watch party and more

PEORIA — About 90 minutes after the Peoria Rivermen won their second SPHL President's Cup in three seasons, players, fans, front office staff were still on the ice at Carver Arena celebrating.

The team skated the Cup, saluted its fans and headed temporarily to the locker room for a celebration.

Head coach Jean-Guy Trudel took the sixth and final game puck for Peoria's playoff paddlewheel -- one for each postseason win on the way to a championship -- and handed it to veteran center Alec Baer.

Baer slammed it into place and touched off a champagne celebration, cold bubbly covering players, staff in a triumphant shower.

"When we were in here before the start of the third period, Hags said, 'One last ride' and it kind of eased the nerves and got us all focused," Baer said. "Hags and (head coach) Jean-Guy Trudel are so much a big part of this city and the Rivermen history. They led us."

Then they headed back out and joined that city, waiting for them on the ice and in the grandstand.

From Carver Arena to overseas

Fans came packing signs for Game 3, from "Let's Go Rivermen" to "We'll miss you No. 17" to "This isn't bible study: Get Loud."

A young couple carried a newborn dressed in a Rivermen jersey. Former players, including Mike Gurtler and Brandon Greenside, filled the grandstand.

Peoria's 182nd Airlift Wing watched the game live while at an undisclosed location overseas.

So did the family of Rivermen defenseman Renat Dadadzhanov, who watched the game live from Russia.

Sharing the Cup

Rivermen defenseman Meirs Moore was on the ice with his father and grandfather, three generations of hockey champions.

Rivermen center JM Piotrowski had 14 family members who came in to see the game, celebrating on the ice with him.

One of them was his grandmother, who he helped drink from the President's Cup.

"I think karma was part of our story this season," said Piotrowski, who scored the game-winner in overtime in Peoria's 2022 Cup clincher at Roanoke. "We were very disciplined, played a clean game in the postseason and we were rewarded for that.

"Those games this playoffs, every single guy on our bench was really dialed in. We brought that back with us from Roanoke in 2022."

He helped build a champion

Peoria-born winger Mitch McPherson, now 29 and recently promoted to a carpenter's apprentice role at Peoria-based Baldovin Construction, hugged the Cup, victory cigar dangling.

He worked his eight-hour job and then gave the Rivermen 60 minutes of the toughest, most determined playoff performance you'll ever see.

And he netted the game-winner. Three goals in the clinching Game 3, from two Peoria-born guys in McPherson and Hagaman.

"I would do anything for this team, for these fans," McPherson said. "I was here in the grandstand, a little kid, the night the Rivermen won the Kelly Cup in the ECHL. I saw it, and there hasn't been a day I didn't think about how much I wanted that for myself.

"Winning a championship on home ice, it's just special. Now my career is complete. I think I'm done now. I'm retiring."

The father and son story

Rivermen head coach Jean-Guy Trudel signed his son, rookie winger Tristan Trudel, before the season started.

The 20-year-old player had a big year and earned a place on the playoff roster.

They were out there on that Carver Arena ice celebrating together.

Trudel kissed his son on the cheek as they embraced. An emotional moment as father shared a championship with his son.

"When you win a championship you become so confident, it changes you for the better, you grow," Trudel said. "I wanted Tristan to have that, to feel good about himself and be a champion. It's what I want for everyone."

The magic crystal

The Rivermen had a legendary orb during their 1990-91 IHL championship season that saw them win a professional hockey record 18 straight games.

The 2023-24 champion Rivermen had a crystal, hanging on a necklace around the neck of center Joe Drapluk.

"My little sister gave it to me," Drapluk said. "I had one when we faced Roanoke in the playoffs last year and I lost it in Roanoke. They went on to win the championship.

"So I have this new one, and it's been with our team all year. (Assistant coach) Eric Levine or someone else wears it on the bench during every game.

"The guys think I'm the crystal magician."

A moment to reflect

Rivermen defenseman Zach Wilkie came out onto the Carver Arena ice, a couple hours after the game was over and everyone was gone but two stragglers in the press box.

He ran out wearing only American flag pants, then knelt at center ice on the Rivermen logo and prayed.

It was meant to be a private moment, but then he stood up, turned toward the auxiliary scoreboard where the 5-1 final score had been left on display, and simply pointed at it and walked off.

The championship belt

Rivermen head coach Jean-Guy Trudel created a championship belt at the start of the season and had all his players sign it.

On the belt was written: Leadership, humility, dynasty.

He gave it to retiring team captain Alec Hagaman.

"This team alone, five finals last eight years and he (Alec Hagaman) helped build this dynasty and you know why?" Trudel said. "He left the jersey in a better place than when he came here."

Championship merchandise and a farewell

The Rivermen are working on details for a public celebration with the team in the next few days.

It will be in Carver Arena, as soon as the facility finishes taking out the ice. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, President's Cup championship merchandise is already stocked and waiting in the team's store.

It can be viewed and purchased online at www.rivermenteamstore.com.

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.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Inside the Rivermen title celebration, from magic crystal to military watch party and more