PEORIA — Championships are not easy, even though the Peoria Rivermen and Evansville Thunderbolts are two teams capable of making winning, and playing for a Cup, look routine.
The Rivermen have reached the SPHL President’s Cup Finals six times in 10 years. If they win the upcoming best-of-five championship series, they will be champions for the third time in five seasons.
That’s dynasty stuff.
Evansville is the defending champion, and trying to start its own legacy by becoming the fourth team in SPHL history to win back-to-back titles. So a Cup, rings, and a place in league lore is on the line for both teams as the southern-based SPHL sees two Midwest teams fight for its title.
The Rivermen side of it carries a 44-year franchise legacy that includes championships at all three levels of professional hockey below the NHL.
The Rivermen won it all in the class-AAA International Hockey League, taking the Turner Cup in 1984-85 and 1990-91.
They won the Kelly Cup in the class-AA ECHL in 1999-2000. And they have won the class-A SPHL President’s Cup in 2021-22 and 2023-24.
“What is our approach? We demand to win,” said Rivermen head coach Jean-Guy Trudel, the winningest coach in SPHL history and Peoria franchise history. “Our goal every year is to add to our legacy, bring a championship for each other, the organization and the community.”
They have a tough path in finals opponent Evansville.
The Bolts are one of only two teams that had a winning record against regular-season champion Peoria this season. The Rivermen went 6-7-1 in that season series.
Home ice could be everything in this series. The Rivermen were just 1-5-1 at Evansville. They were 5-2-0 in Carver Arena, where Peoria gets to host three games if needed.
Rivermen championship series history
2025-26 SPHL President’s Cup Finals
Series schedule
(1) Peoria Rivermen vs (4) Evansville Thunderbolts
(best-of-5 series)
How to get tickets
Tickets for the SPHL President’s Cup Finals are available now.
They can be purchased online via Ticketmaster, or in person at the Rivermen team offices in the Civic Center or via phone with the team at (309) 676-1040.
Glass seats are $33. Lower bowl premium seats are $27. Pilot House seats are $21. Upper bowl seats are $20. Select upper bowl seating areas are $15.
How to watch
The SPHL announced on Wednesday that Game 1 of the President’s Cup Finals will be streamed on @FloHockey 24/7.
FloHockey 24/7 is a free, ad-supported streaming channel available on Prime Video and Fubo (U.S.); Fubo and Bell Fibe TV (Canada), and on FloHockey’s YouTube channel.
There is a link set up to stream the game live here.
The series by the numbers
(1) Rivermen vs (4) Thunderbolts
Players to watch
Evansville: LW Scott Kirton (57 games, 19g, 23a, 7 GWG, 9 ppa); LW Myles Abbate (56 games, 19g, 17a); C Tyson Gilmour (24a, 8ppa); D Joey Berkopec (19a, 9ppa); G Kristian Stead (23-16-3, 2.11, .923, 3 shutouts).
Peoria: C Alec Baer (58 games, 14g, 44a, 26 ppa); Mike McChesney (54 games, 33g, 12a, 10ppg, 11 GWG); C JM Piotrowski (6 games, 1g, 2a); C Garrett Devine (33 games, 10g, 18a); G Nick Latinovich (17-8-1, 1.98gaa, .930, 4 shutouts); G Jack Bostedt (17-7-2, 1.58, .946, 5 shutouts).
Who’s hot in the playoffs
Rivermen goaltender Nick Latinovich is 5-1 with a 1.01 goals-against, .960 saves rate and three shutouts in this postseason.
Veteran Peoria center JM Piotrowski joined the team late in the regular-season and has five goals, second-most in the playoffs.
Peoria rookie winger Kullan Daikawa has seven assists, most in the playoffs.
Peoria winger Mike Gelatt emerged in the semifinals and has six assists and a playoffs second-best eight points.
Stead, the Evansville goaltender, is 5-2 in this postseason, with a 2.00 goals-against and .941 saves rate.
Thunderbolts Myles Abbate leads the playoffs with three game-winners.
Head-to-head
The Rivermen and Evansville played a 14-game regular-season series in 2025-26.
Here’s a look at the primary producers in that series:
Peoria: Mike McChesney (14 games, 6g, 2a); Alec Baer (14 games, 2g, 6a); Griffen Fox (13 games, 5g, 2a); Garrett Devine (8 games, 4g, 2a); Nick Latinovich (3-5-0, 2.18, .917).
Evansville: Myles Abbate (13 games, 5g, 5a); Matthew Hobbs (14 games, 3g, 3a); Scott Kirton (14 games, 3g, 3a, -6); Kristian Stead (6-4-0, 1.71, .934).
River Readings
Peoria is believed to be the only hockey market in North America to win a championship at all three minor-league levels. … Evansville has won five straight playoff series going back to their championship last season. Tale of the tape: Evansville forwards average 6-foot-1½, 199 pounds. Evansville defensemen average 6-2½, 203 pounds. … Rivermen forwards average 6-foot, 185 pounds. Rivermen defensemen average 6-1½, 189 pounds. … Rivermen veteran winger Jordan Ernst has a chance to win his fourth SPHL championship (Pensacola 2020-21, Peoria 2021-22, 2023-24). … The Rivermen are 38-25 all-time in the SPHL playoffs. … How important is Game 1 of the SPHL Finals? In the 20 previous SPHL championship series, the winner of Game 1 has gone on to win the Cup 19 times. The lone exception? The Rivermen, who lost Game 1 at Huntsville in 2023-24 and came back to sweep to the title in Peoria.
(This story has been updated to add information on how to watch Game 1 on a national live stream free)
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and 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 deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria Rivermen and Thunderbolts competing for SPHL supremacy
Reporting by Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
