#PeoriaRivermen

[mitchbeck]

KEELEY: MARINERS ANNOUNCE END OF SEASON AWARDS

Wallin, Ronning, Fox, Hart, and Culkin recognized  BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners PORTLAND, ME – April 23, 2020 – Mariners Head Coach and Assistant General Manager Riley Armstrong announced the end of season team awards on Thursday. Forwards Terrence Wallin, Ty Ronning, Dillan Fox, Ted Hart, and defenseman Ryan Culkin were all recognized for their achievements in the 2019-20 season. The “Community Leader” Award went to Terrence Wallin. The second-year alternate captain put in 12 hours of community service in 2019-20, the most of anyone on the team. He participated in events such as the South Portland Fire and Police Community Open House, volunteering at the South Portland Food Cupboard, and participating in the Aroma Joe’s Community Skate. Wallin also runs “Evolution Hockey,” which puts on camps for youth hockey players and has launched a computer-based “Quarantine Classroom,” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although he’s a native of Pennsylvania, Wallin has Maine roots in Kennebunk, which he called home for many years. “Terrence has devoted himself to the community in Portland,” said Armstrong “He continues doing work even now with his zoom hockey skills to help develop and grow the game in Maine.” The “Most Improved Player” award went to Ty Ronning, who saw his season similarly split between Maine and the Hartford Wolf Pack for the second year in a row. The 2016 draft pick of the New York Rangers posted 11 goals and 13 assists in his 28 games as a Mariner in 2019-20. “The way Ty approached this season on being sent to Maine was a 180 from last season,” said Armstrong. “His maturity level both on and off the ice was eye-opening for me. The way he played in Maine, he really deserved to be up in Hartford.” Ronning got a pair of call ups to the Wolf Pack – first on October 24th, 2019, and again on February 3rd, 2020, after which he stayed in the AHL for the remainder of the season. With the Mariners in 2019-20, Ronning had three multi-goal games, highlighted by his second career hat trick on January 24th, 2020 in an 8-1 home win against the Worcester Railers. Ronning will forever hold legendary status in Mariners history for his five-point ECHL debut on November 24th, 2018 vs. Manchester, still a single-game franchise record. The team’s “Unsung Hero” was Dillan Fox for the second year in a row. Fox was tied for the team lead in goals with 23, and power play goals with five. He has also become the franchise’s career leader in both categories through its first two seasons. Fox played in 59 games for the Mariners in 2019-20, second to Michael McNicholas’ 60. “Dillan pretty much put the team on his back at the start of the year scoring some big goals and breaking the 20 goal plateau,” said Armstrong. His blazing start to 2019-20 was marked by six goals in the first six games of the season. Fox initially joined the Mariners on a loan from the SPHL in January 2019 and made a name for himself by scoring 16 goals in 37 games for Maine in the inaugural season. This past season, he had nine multi-point games for the Mariners including a four-point performance on November 22nd at Norfolk. On December 28th, 2019, Fox was loaned to Hartford and made his AHL debut by dressing in two games for the Wolf Pack. Ted Hart was named “Rookie of the Year.” The Cumberland native officially became the first Maine-born Mariner on November 9th, 2019 when he made his ECHL debut in a 5-1 win over the Adirondack Thunder. Hart scored his first ECHL on November 20th at Norfolk and finished the season with 10 goals and eight assists in 48 games. Hart was initially cut from the team after training camp, but put up six points in five games with the Southern Professional Hockey League’s Peoria Rivermen, and stuck with the Mariners for the rest of the season after his November recall. “Once he came back to Maine from the SPHL, he showed that he can play in this league,” said Armstrong. “I can see Ted scoring 30 goals if he puts the work in the summer.” Hart, 24, is a former two-time Maine state champion for Greely High School and played four seasons of NCAA Division I hockey for Yale University before turning pro this past season. Armstrong named co-MVPs for 2019-20. Wallin and defenseman Ryan Culkin share the honor. “Terrence was our most consistent player throughout the course of the year making a big impact in every game that he played in,” said Armstrong. “Ryan was a big part of the D-core even though he only played half the season for us. He played in all key areas and big minutes.” Wallin finished second on the team with 43 points, and tied Fox for the goals lead, with 23. That mark was a career-high in his fifth pro season, and he was seven points shy of his career-high in points, with 10 games canceled due to COVID-19. To illustrate his consistency, Wallin had just one span of more than two games without a point in the entire 2019-20 season. He registered his first career hat trick on January 3rd, 2020 against the Jacksonville Icemen. Culkin, also a second-year Mariner, was remarkably productive offensively from the blue line. His 33 points in 45 games were by far the most by a Mariners defenseman (13 more than the next highest: Sean Day), and also good for fifth on the team overall. Under contract with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, Culkin was recalled in late November and again – for good, in mid-February. Like Fox, Culkin had a four-point game on November 22nd in Norfolk, highlighting his season. Maine Mariners Award History: Community Leader 2018-19: Louie Rowe 2019-20: Terrence Wallin Most Improved Player 2018-19: Dwyer Tschantz 2019-20: Ty Ronning Unsung Hero 2018-19: Dillan Fox 2019-20: Dillan Fox Rookie of the Year 2018-19: Michael McNicholas 2019-20: Ted Hart Most Valuable Player 2018-19: Greg Chase 2019-20: Terrence Wallin/Ryan Culkin The Mariners are supporting local COVID-19 relief efforts in a number of ways. “HOME” t-shirts are on sale through Friday, April 24th at the online merchandise store, with net proceeds benefitting the United Way of Greater Portland and other local COVID-19 relief funds. Local school districts and other non-profits are also being supported by the Mariners by way of an exclusive specialty jersey auction through Handbid, which runs through May 1st. Additionally, the Mariners have partnered with Evergreen Credit Union, the Portland Sea Dogs, and the Maine Red Claws to support the Good Shepherd Food Bank in a virtual food drive at Fans4Food.com. Read the full article

[drive1997-blog]

Yesssssss Quad city wins on a penalty shot in OT #sphl #qcstorm #peoriarivermen https://www.instagram.com/p/BpLe8FFBLIs/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=d2ekm0i97q0x

[instapicsil3]

Ralfs Grinbergs of the Rivermen kneels on the ice after a Roanoke score during game 2 of an SPHL playoff game Friday, April 12 2019 at Owens Center. Already down by 1 game, the top-ranked Rivermen were eliminated in the best-of-3 series in a 4-3 Roanoke upset. (@journalstar photo by @rnjohnshooter) #RonJohnson #hockey #minorleaguehockey #prohockey #rivermenhockey #peoriarivermen #pjstarsports #sphl #sphlplayoffs #roanokerailyarddawgs #owenscenter @peo_rivermen http://bit.ly/2Udbz7e

[crowdalbum]

22 pictures, photos and videos of Peoria Rivermen at Knoxville Ice Bears at Knoxville Civic Coliseum - Knoxville, TN on April 01, 2016 https://www.crowdalbum.com/album/56fe60997574692233001cc6/Peoria-Rivermen-at-Knoxville-Ice-Bears_20160401

[carlygayle74]

Tyler Shattock

[victoriouspages]

Here's the game puck one of the officials tossed to me after I lost my phone in the stands and he helped me find it :)))))) #hockey #peoriarivermen #eep #ahl #myfeels (at Peoria Civic Center)

[frozenfaceoff]

Tweaked the color on the red lines and dots. There are still a few AHL ices that I need to correct the red color on. My old color pallet was pretty flashy!

[kphockeyblog-blog]

Dave Allison Aboard In Peoria

   For the past seven seasons, the Peoria Rivermen have just not been able to get to the job done. In that timeline, the Rivs made the playoffs three times (twice being swept by the Houston Aeros during the 2005-06 and 2010-11 playoffs and one time were they made it to a game seven with Houston but eventually fell during the 2008-09 playoffs). This year, again, was a disappointing season for the Rivs as they finished 42-30-3 and did not qualify for the playoffs for the fourth time in those seven seasons. To make matters even worse, head coach Jared Bednar was not resigned as the Rivs coach for the 2012-13 season.

  “I want to thank Jared for his dedication and passion for our organization and the game of hockey,” said Peoria GM Kevin McDonald. “He deserves tremendous credit for developing our young players over the past two seasons and we sincerely wish him the best in the future.” In his two seasons as coach, Bednar went 81-63-5-7 and made the Calder Cup Playoffs in his first season.

   A day after his firing, McDonald announced that former Ottawa Senators head coach Dave Allison was hired to become the  18th Rivermen head coach in franchise history.  “With the track record Dave has with developing young players as well as his commitment and passion to the sport, we know we have found the right fit for Peoria,” said McDonald. “We are extremely excited to welcome Dave to the Rivermen family.” Allison, who is currently an amateur scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins and will remain with the club through the draft until the end of June. Allison has been 18 years as a coach, coaching in a variety leagues such as the AHL, NHL, OHL and the IHL. He briefly coached the Ottawa Senators during the 1995-96 season, where he went 2-22-1, which even though is a horrifying stat, Allison has had time to rebuild himself as a coach, learning from inside other organizations. "I  am excited for the opportunity to join Peoria and coach these young men who are the future of the St. Louis Blues,” said Allison. “To work again with Doug [Armstrong] and the quality people associated with the St Louis Blues organization is humbling and exciting for both myself and my family, and a responsibility I embrace and am grateful for.”

   Allison played his junior career for the Cornwall Royals of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He went undrafted by was signed as a free agent by the Montreal Canadiens in 1979. He went on to spend five seasons with Montreal's AHL affiliate, the Nova Scotia Voyagers. He eventually went on to play for the AHL affiliates of Edmonton, Toronto and Quebec before calling it quits in 1989.

   Dave Allison brings new hope and new goals to the Rivermen as he hopes to bring this team back to the Calder Cup playoffs. The Rivs and Captain Adam Cracknell hope that this season is just the begining of something golden....or silver. Congratulations to Coach Allsion and the best of luck to the Rivermen this upcoming season.

[mitchbeck]

KEELEY: TED HART RETURNS TO MARINERS

Cumberland native signs from SPHL BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners  PORTLAND, ME – November 5, 2019 – Ted Hart has a second chance to become the first Maine native to suit up for the Mariners. The Cumberland born forward signed to a standard player contract (SPC) on Tuesday, re-joining the Mariners from the SPHL’s Peoria Rivermen. Hart was in training camp with the Mariners, but did not make the opening night roster. One of three hockey playing brothers, Hart is an alumnus of Greely High School where he was a part of back to back state championship teams in 2012 and 2013. He went on to play collegiately at Yale University, where he was two-time ECAC All-Academic. Hart graduated last spring and signed with the Mariners over the summer. Hart played in Maine’s lone preseason contest against the Worcester Railers on October 5th in Exeter, New Hampshire. He was released the following day. After the Mariners cut him from training camp, the 23-year-old Hart signed in the Southern Professional Hockey League with the Peoria Rivermen. In five SPHL games, Hart has a goal and five assists. "I'm very excited to be back in Maine and get another opportunity with the Mariners," said Hart. "I really enjoyed my time with the Peoria Rivermen and I was able to work on some details in my game, so hopefully I can continue that success and contribute to the Mariners organization." In the past two weeks, the Mariners have lost three forwards, as Ty Ronning, Lewis Zerter-Gossage, and Ryan Dmowski were all recalled to AHL Hartford. The Mariners are home on Saturday night against the Adirondack Thunder at 6 PM for Military Appreciation Night presented by Martin’s Point in partnership with Bath Iron Works. The first 2,000 fans through the door will receive an exclusive Mariners winter “lobster” beanie, courtesy of Martin’s Point. It’s also a “Family Four Pack” game: families of four can get four tickets, four food and drink vouchers, and four Mariners can koozies for as low as $80. Family four packs must be purchased in advance. The Mariners are also home on Monday, November 11th at 7:00 PM against the Reading Royals. Famous Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty will be in the building. Limited Gritty packs are available at MarinersOfMaine.com which include a Gritty puck, Mariners hat, a professional photo with Gritty, and more. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to MarinersOfMaine.com, call 833-GO-MAINE, or visit the Mariners front office at 94 Free St. in Portland. PHOTO CREDIT: Kristin Basnett, The Sin Bin Read the full article

[mitchbeck]

KEELEY: MARINERS RE-SIGN GOALTENDER BRASSARD

Brassard becomes the first goalie on 2019-20 roster BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners PORTLAND, ME – August 1, 2019 – The Mariners have locked up their first goaltender for the 2019-20 season, announcing on Thursday the re-signing of Francois Brassard. The rookie netminder was a sixth-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2012 and played six games for the Mariners at the end of the 2018-19 season. Brassard, a 25-year-old from Gatineau, Quebec, signed with the Mariners on March 20th, shortly after Connor LaCouvee’s recall to the Laval Rocket. He ended up appearing in six of the team’s final seven games, posting a 1-4-0-0 record, a 3.28 GAA, and a .917 SV%. Of his six appearances, four were starts. “I’m really excited to be back in Portland, especially with the same core of guys as last year,” said Brassard. “I think we had good team chemistry and I’m looking forward to build on what was started in Maine last year.” Prior to signing in Maine, Brassard had been playing collegiately in Canada for Carleton University (USports), where he posted a 2.02 GAA and .947 SV% in three seasons. It was in the QMJHL, however, that he caught Ottawa’s eye. Brassard played for the Quebec Remparts, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, and Gatineau Olympiques over a four-season junior career. In his final three seasons, Brassard played an average of over 52 games a year, not including playoffs, in which he was involved in two deep President’s Cup runs. In the 2014-15 season, Brassard accomplished a strange but impressive feat, scoring two empty-net goals – one each for Cape Breton and Gatineau. Although he joined the Mariners from the college ranks, Brassard played five games professionally in the 2015-16 season for the Peoria Rivermen of the SPHL. That season, he went 2-2-0 with a 2.33 GAA and a .903 SV%. His ECHL debut came with the Mariners on March 29th, 2019 at Reading, where he stopped all four shots faced in relief. The following night, Brassard made his first ECHL start, and suffered a tough-luck loss at Adirondack, making 43 saves on 46 shots in a 4-2 defeat. Brassard continued to play well in his next two appearances but had his first ECHL win elude him until April 5th, when the Mariners got a 4-2 home win over the Worcester Railers, keeping their playoff hopes alive. Brassard stopped 41 of 43 shots. His final appearance came in a losing effort the next night in Manchester, as the Mariners officially saw their postseason aspirations ended by the Monarchs. The Mariners retained to the ECHL rights to goaltender Connor LaCouvee by issuing him a qualifying offer on July 1st, but LaCouvee signed an AHL deal with the Laval Rocket in June. The Mariners current roster sits at 16 players (nine forwards, six defensemen, one goaltender), with 13 returning from the 2018-19 team. Click here to view the roster. The second season of Maine Mariners ECHL hockey kicks off October 11th at home when the Adirondack Thunder visit the Cross Insurance Arena for a 7:15 PM faceoff. Full and half-season plans along with 12-game mini-plans and group tickets are on sale now by calling 833-GO-MAINE or visiting the Mariners front office at 94 Free St. in Portland. Single-game tickets will go on sale on September 16th. Read the full article

[mitchbeck]

KEELEY: MARINERS RE-SIGN FIVE PLAYERS FOR 2019-20

Mariners bring back five players, four with New England ties BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners PORTLAND, ME – June 17, 2019 – The Maine Mariners announced the re-signing of five players to standard players contracts on Monday, officially marking the beginning of the 2019-20 roster. Forwards Terrence Wallin, Michael McNicholas, and Dillan Fox, along with defensemen Derek Pratt and Josh Couturier, have all agreed to deals for 2019-20. Wallin, a 27-year-old forward, was an Alternate Captain in 2018-19 but found himself getting significant time in the AHL. The Yardley, PA native with Maine ties by way of Kennebunk, played 23 AHL games with the Hartford Wolf Pack in addition to his 41 with Maine. As a Mariner, Wallin put up 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists), finishing fourth on the team in scoring. The Mariners acquired Wallin in their first ever trade last September, when they sent defenseman Matias Cleland to the Adirondack Thunder. Wallin has been a pro since 2015-16 when he played for the SPHL’s Peoria Rivermen. He played his college hockey in New England at UMass-Lowell. McNicholas is a 25-year-old forward from Reno, NV. After starting his 2018-19 season in Norway with Manglerud, he returned to the U.S. and signed with the Mariners on October 31st, 2018. The former University of New Hampshire Wildcat led the team in assists (40) and points in a Mariners uniform (53), finishing second only to Taylor Cammarata in overall point scoring. His 40 assists were also good for fourth among all ECHL rookies. McNicholas scored his first ECHL goal on November 10th, 2018, the game-winner in a 3-1 home victory over Worcester. He also finished tied for the team lead in shootout goals, with three. The Mariners coaching staff named McNicholas the team’s Rookie of the Year. Dillan Fox was an unexpected key piece to the 2018-19 team. Signed to an SPC in January while playing for the SPHL’s Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs, Fox was out to prove he deserved to stick in the ECHL. In just 37 games, Fox scored 16 goals, good for the third most on the team. As the Mariners dealt with injuries and call ups through February and March in particular, Fox became one of the primary scoring options on the roster. He produced three multi-goal performances along the way and was ultimately named “unsung hero” by the coaching staff. Fox played NCAA DIII hockey at SUNY Plattsburgh and had been almost exclusively in the SPHL since 2016, besides a 10-game stint with Reading in 2017-18, near his hometown of Hummelstown, PA. He just celebrated his 28th birthday last Thursday. On the Mariners blue line, few defensemen provided a more steady presence than Derek Pratt. The rookie D-man suited up in 63 games, leading all Mariners D. The Mount Hermon, MA native is known much more for his stay-at-home play than point production, but he put up a respectable two goals and 16 assists from the Mariners blue line. Included, was a goal in his professional debut on October 19th, 2018 against Reading at the Cross Insurance Arena. A former Captain at the University of Connecticut, Pratt wore an “A” on his sweater amidst call ups to the original Mariners captains in 2018-19. He earned a look with both Hartford and the Utica Comets, with which he made his AHL debut in April. Josh Couturier didn’t join the Mariners until mid-February, but he had a significant impact after the trade that saw him shipped over from Wheeling. Just two days after playing at the Cross Insurance Arena as a visitor with the Nailers on February 10th, he quickly turned around and headed back to Portland to join the Maine lineup. Couturier scored a goal in his team debut on February 13th and finished with 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) in 19 games as a Mariner after posting just two points 32 contests with Wheeling. The 24-year-old blue-liner hails from Newbury, MA and played collegiately for both Boston College and UMass-Amherst. ECHL teams can sign players on their season-ending roster to SPCs up through June 30th, after which eight players per team can be issued qualified offers to extend the retention of their rights. Free agency begins on July 1st. Fans are invited to meet the players, plus coaches and staff at a meet and greet at Binga’s Stadium on Tuesday, June 18th from 7-8:30. Fans can also enter to win a Mariners prize pack at the event. The second ECHL season of Maine Mariners hockey kicks off October 11th at home when the Adirondack Thunder visit the Cross Insurance Arena for a 7:15 PM faceoff. Full and half season plans along with 12-game mini-plans and group tickets are on sale now by calling 833-GO-MAINE or visiting the Mariners front office at 94 Free St. in Portland. Single game tickets will go on sale on September 16th.   Read the full article

[mitchbeck]

KEELEY: MARINERS RE-SIGN CUMBERLAND NATIVE TED HART

Hart scored 10 goals in solid rookie campaign BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners PORTLAND, ME – June 29, 2020 – Last August, Ted Hart signed his first professional contract with his “hometown” team, hoping to become the first Maine-born player to suit up in a regular season game for the Mariners. Although he didn’t make his ECHL debut until November, the Cumberland native played in 48 of the Mariners’ 62 games in 2019-20, enjoying a productive rookie season. On Monday, the Mariners announced the re-signing of Hart, making him the second player on the 2020-21 roster. “I’m thrilled to sign on for another year with the Mariners,” said Hart. “I love playing in Portland in front of my family and friends, and I’m always excited to show up to the rink each day to work with the staff and my teammates. I can’t wait for the season to start and I’m looking forward to reaching our first playoff series!” Hart, 24, initially signed in late August of 2019 but did not make the opening night roster. He signed with the Peoria Rivermen of the Southern Professional Hockey League and began the season there. After posting six points in five SPHL games, the Mariners came calling again in early November. On November 9th, 2019, in front of the largest crowd of the season at the Cross Insurance Arena, Hart made his ECHL debut, becoming the first Maine-born Mariner in franchise history. The Mariners defeated Adirondack, 5-1. Read the full article

[drive1997-blog]

2 minutes left in OT #sphl. #peoriarivermen #qcstorm (at TaxSlayer Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpLeqApBCnc/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=o8tzx1fh1bq5

[drive1997-blog]

1 to 1 after 2 #sphl #peoriarivermen #qcstorm (at TaxSlayer Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpLZ5v3hcqz/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=afjmey3pj80t

[drive1997-blog]

Almost time for hockey!!!!! #minorleaugehockey #qcstorm #peoriarivermen #sphl (at TaxSlayer Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpLIg86hn4Q/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1tfhjf1qf7miq

[mitchbeck]

KEELEY: MARINERS SIGN NEIL, INVITE SCHULTZ TO TRYOUT

Former SPHL forwards in the mix for 2018-19 BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners PORTLAND, ME – August 10, 2018 – The Maine Mariners added two more forwards to the mix for their inaugural season on Friday, announcing the signing of Ken Neil and inviting Durham, New Hampshire native Evan Schultz to a tryout. Both players spent the 2017-18 in the SPHL.

Ken Neil (5’8, 150) is a forward from Clarenville, Newfoundland, who has spent parts of the last two seasons with the Pensacola Ice Flyers (SPHL). In 38 games last season, Neil scored 14 goals and added 11 assists. He had six points in nine games for Pensacola in 2016-17 after graduating from SUNY Oswego, where he had been an assistant captain his Senior season. He was also the team’s leading scorer with 43 points in 25 games. “We have been searching for a center and we feel Ken adds more depth for us up the middle,” said Mariners head coach Riley Armstrong. “He put up some good numbers in college hockey and I'm looking forward to seeing Ken at training camp.” Over four seasons at Oswego, Neil tallied a total of 122 points in 102 games (59 goals, 63 assists). Prior to college, Neil had two highly successful seasons with the Nepean Raiders of the CCHL, putting up 85 and 77 point seasons back-to-back in 2011-12 and 12-13 (60 and 61 games played respectively).

Evan Schultz (5’6, 165) signed a tryout agreement with the Mariners and will attempt to bring a local element to the team. His hometown of Durham, New Hampshire is located just an hour from Portland and sits right on the New Hampshire-Maine border. A former Portland Jr. Pirate and New Hampshire Jr. Monarch, the forward began his collegiate career with Neil at SUNY Oswego in 2013-14 but played only four games before transferring to Salve Regina in Rhode Island. With the Seahawks, Schultz averaged more than a point-per-game (77 in 71) and joined the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the SPHL for four games at the end of 2016-17. After starting last season with the Dawgs, Schultz ended up playing 45 games with the Birmingham Bulls, scoring 13 goals and adding 17 assists. “I have seen Evan skate for the past couple of summers and I feel he will push for a spot on the roster coming into training camp,” said Armstrong. “Evan sees the big picture in his development and understands that everyone is on the same level going into training camp and every spot is open for the taking.” The Mariners inaugural roster currently includes eighteen players (ten forwards, seven defensemen, and one goaltender). The full roster can be found on MarinersOfMaine.com. The Mariners, proud affiliate of the New York Rangers, will start to play in the inaugural season October 13, 2018, as members of the ECHL. The ECHL is the premier AA hockey league in the United States. Season tickets for the Mariners inaugural season are on sale now by visiting marinersofmaine.com or call toll free 833-GO-MAINE. Read the full article