11 things to know about the Peoria Rivermen schedule for the 2023-24 SPHL season

PEORIA — The Peoria Rivermen had their path laid out ahead of them Monday when the Southern Professional Hockey League released the 2023-24 schedule.

The Rivermen open their 56-game schedule on the road at Quad City on Oct. 21, then stage their home opener in Carver Arena against Evansville on Oct. 27.

They wrap up the campaign at home against Quad City on April 6.

In between, there is plenty to unpack, from the schedule's most challenging stretches, to a Saturday game in Bloomington, a student morning game, Thanksgiving on the road, New Year's Eve at home and an opponent's first appearance in Carver Arena since 2018.

"The schedule has some good dates, a very challenging month of December with so many home games in a traditionally tough month to have games," Rivermen co-owner Bart Rogers said. "But no matter what night we play, we have a promotional calendar shaping up to be the best in decades with theme nights, specialty jerseys and high-end premium giveaway items that we hope will attract casual fans."

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Bound for Bloomington

The Rivermen are slotted for 14 Fridays, 10 Saturdays and 3 Sundays.

Under the team's lease agreement with the Peoria Civic Center, facility general manager Rik Edgar can bump two Rivermen games out of their scheduled slots during the season and put them on other nights. If that happens, it will most likely be Saturdays the Rivermen will lose from the schedule.

To give themselves an extra prime Saturday playing date, the Rivermen will turn to Bloomington to host a Feb. 10 game against Quad City at Grossinger Motors Arena.

They launched that secondary home venue concept last season and it nearly sold out there.

The SPHL league average for Saturday home games in 2023-24 is 12 per team. The Rivermen received 9 from the Peoria Civic Center, and could see that reduced to 7 during the season.

"We are excited to take our product back to Bloomington to gain a Saturday in February, which is critical for our financial bottom line and to build off the almost 5,000 fans who came out to see us last season," Rivermen co-owner Bart Rogers said. "Our staff goal for this second go-round is to fill the building. Our sponsorship commitments for that game have already doubled what we produced over there last season."

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11 things about the Rivermen schedule

● The Rivermen play a 15-game series against Quad City, including eight games in Moline, six in Peoria and one in Bloomington.

● Fayetteville comes to Carver Arena for the first time since splitting two games here on Nov 9-10 of 2018.

● Peoria faces a brutal three-games, three-nights road stretch that covers Thanksgiving. It opens with a Nov. 22 game at Knoxville, then shifts to Huntsville for the next two nights, including Thanksgiving on Nov. 23.

● The Rivermen play 12 times in December, including seven games at home. It is not traditionally a good attendance month.

● The Rivermen will have a massive home presence at the end of the season, playing a stretch of 11 home games in 12 outings from Feb. 10 through March 16.

● Peoria finishes the regular-season with two games against Evansville on the road, then four straight against Quad City, including three in Moline.

● The annual Black Friday home game is gone, as the team plays on the road this season. The Rivermen play at home against Quad City on New Year's Eve.

● Defending SPHL champion Roanoke comes in for a pair of games on Nov. 17-18. Two other deep-South opponents come in for three-games, three-nights series in Carver Arena -- Huntsville (Jan. 12-14) and Fayetteville (Feb. 16-18).

● Thursday, Dec. 14, is the Education Day game. It drew nearly 7,000 kids from area schools last season. The Rivermen will host Quad City in the 10:30 a.m. start at Carver Arena.

● The Rivermen are away from Carver Arena for 21 days during a seven-game road trip Jan. 20-Feb. 9.

● Peoria plays every team in the SPHL. Knoxville is the only opponent that does not visit Carver Arena.

More: Which players did the Peoria Rivermen put on the SPHL protected list?

River Readings

Longtime Pensacola Ice Flyers head coach Rod Aldoff announced his retirement on June 14. He was at the helm of the powerhouse Pensacola team for nine seasons, including championships in 2014, 2016 and 2021. He finishes with a record of 237-154-54. ... Big center Jim Bermingham, who played for Huntington in the ECHL against the Rivermen and was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2019, died in late May at age 51. ... Rivermen goaltender Josh Boyko landed on the player protected rights list for Idaho in the ECHL. ... Other former Rivermen -- some from distant years -- are also on ECHL protected lists, like TJ Hensick (Toledo), Tyler Parks (Atlanta), Lordanthony Grissom (Greenville) and Darren McCormick (Norfolk).

Full Rivermen 2023-24 schedule

OCTOBER

21 -- Peoria at Quad City

27 -- Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

29 -- Peoria at Quad City

NOVEMBER

3 -- Quad City at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

10 -- Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

14 -- Peoria at Evansville

17 -- Roanoke at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

18 -- Roanoke at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

22 -- Peoria at Knoxville

23 -- Peoria at Huntsville

24 -- Peoria at Huntsville

DECEMBER

1 -- Peoria at Pensacola

2 -- Peoria at Pensacola

8 -- Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

9 -- Peoria at Evansville

14 -- Quad City at Peoria, 10:30 a.m.

15 -- Peoria at Quad City

16 -- Peoria at Evansville

22 -- Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

23 -- Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

26 -- Peoria at Quad City

29 -- Macon at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

30 -- Macon at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

31 -- Quad City at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.

JANUARY

4 -- Peoria at Pensacola

5 -- Peoria at Huntsville

6 -- Peoria at Huntsville

12 -- Huntsville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

13 -- Huntsville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

14 -- Huntsville at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.

19 -- Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

20 -- Peoria at Evansville

26 -- Peoria at Knoxville

27 -- Peoria at Knoxville

FEBRUARY

1 -- Peoria at Roanoke

2 -- Peoria at Fayetteville

3 -- Peoria at Fayetteville

9 -- Peoria at Quad City

10 -- Quad City at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

16 -- Fayetteville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

17 -- Fayetteville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

18 -- Fayetteville at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.

23 -- Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

24 -- Peoria at Evansville

MARCH

1 -- Birmingham at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

2 -- Birmingham at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

8 -- Pensacola at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

9 -- Pensacola at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

15 -- Quad City at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

16 -- Quad City at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

22 -- Peoria at Evansville

23 -- Peoria at Evansville

29 -- Peoria at Quad City

30 -- Peoria at Quad City

APRIL

5 -- Peoria at Quad City

6 -- Quad City at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.

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 Twitter @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 11 things to know about the 2023-24 Peoria Rivermen schedule