Why the Peoria Rivermen were scattered all over multiple cities to start hockey training camp

PEORIA — Opening day of training camp always comes with questions, and the Peoria Rivermen got right to work on finding answers Tuesday at Owens Center.

Can the defending SPHL champions win a title for a third time in four seasons? Will Jean-Guy Trudel become the winningest head coach in SPHL history? Will veteran center Alec Baer be able to pick up where Alec Hagaman left off as the new captain of the team?

And where is the other half of the team?

The Rivermen skated with reduced numbers on Tuesday and will continue to do so for a while, an annual rite of Fall as good SPHL teams wait for their best players to cycle through camps with the higher-level ECHL.

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The Rivermen have 13 players in ECHL camps right now.

"If we get all those guys back, we're going to be a really, really good team," Rivermen coach Jean-Guy Trudel said. "We adjusted to starting off this way long ago. It's a little tough here with 13 guys up in ECHL camps. But it's fun, we have a good foundation with two lines and some defensemen that will be here during the season.

"It's the first day of starting to build what we try to build every single year in Peoria."

That would be one of the winningest teams in pro hockey since 2015, when Trudel started Peoria on a trajectory that has produced six regular-season league points championships, five trips to the SPHL President's Cup Finals and two titles.

Among those Rivermen players in ECHL training camps are defensemen Renat Dadadzhanov (Maine), Joe Spencer (Tulsa), Josh Martin (Bloomington), Nick Aromatario (Trois-Rivieres), forwards Tyler Kobryn (Florida), Mike Gelatt (Bloomington), Cole Crowder (Worcester), Tristan Trudel (Fort Wayne), Jake Vaughan (South Carolina), John Kaljian (Allen) and goaltenders Colby Muise (Atlanta) and Troy Kobryn (Tulsa).

A new man wearing the 'C'

Veteran center Alec Baer, a former SPHL scoring champion and MVP, has taken over the captaincy vacated by Peoria-born Alec Hagaman, who retired after capturing the Cup last spring.

Trudel, who loves Hagaman like a son, took an opportunity to tease him from afar Tuesday.

"We're better off now that Hagaman isn't around," Trudel said, joking. "He made things too easy here, knew all the drills, knew the concepts, I didn't get to do a lot of teaching because he handled the team. He's gone now and I have to get to work."

Baer will make things easier, too. He had a good debut in the camp opener Tuesday.

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"He's been great. I can't say enough," Trudel said. "You lose a piece like Alec Hagaman it's always a little scary. But I believe Alec Baer is going to do a phenomenal job, he was great again today. I think with (veterans) Jordan Ernst and Zach Wilkie, all the guys coming back, you always say captaincy is made by a leadership group, and we have a great leadership group here to build around."

Former Rivermen goaltender Eric Levine, now the team's assistant coach, will be a big asset as well as a middleman between the head coach and his players and a guy well-versed in the 43-year franchise's culture.

"It's understanding the culture coming in," Trudel said. "I know that's a big word and it's used too much, but we do have a great culture in Peoria. Getting them on the same page. Over the last 8-9 years here we've had some great leaders. As soon as the season starts they carry that locker room, and as coaches all you have to do is make sure everyone is structured the right way, doing the right things every single day.

"Nothing is going to change for us. We've lost six of our nine top forwards from the playoffs. But we won't make excuses. We will find the right players to come in. By right, I mean it's not always about the most (talent), but guys who want to come here and buy in and do the right things and be coachable. With coachable guys, you can make anyone a great player."

Six more victories to go

Trudel has led the Rivermen to 362 regular-season victories in the SPHL. That's second-most among all coaches in league history. He trails leader Jerome Bechard, who logged 368 wins at the helm of a now-defunct Columbus team.

Trudel has 31 playoff wins in the SPHL — already the most in league history.

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"Those individual things, maybe I'll care about them more when I'm 75 and smoking a cigar on my patio," Trudel said, laughing. "Right now I don't care about the record. I'm fortunate to have had a lot of great players here over the years that made it easier for us to win hockey games. ...

"Well every single year we find the right people to bring to Peoria, and the wins will keep building on. I got praised as a player, had my fun. For me, it's all about our players now. We'll celebrate things as a team and not just as individuals."

River Readings

Rivermen center Joe Drapluk is on IR and not yet signed. He's recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. The team expects him to be ready in early December. … Braydon Barker shifted from defense to forward late last season and was terrific. It appears the Rivermen plan to keep him up front this season. … The Rivermen can afford to wait on players coming down from the ECHL. They play their season opener on the road at Quad City on Oct. 19, then their home opener on Oct. 25. So they have just one game in 15 days between Tuesday and that home opener. … Way too early line combos: Alec Baer centering Jordan Ernst , and maybe Tyler Kobryn if he comes down. Cayden Cahill with Mike Gelatt (if he comes down from ECHL) and Carlos Fornaris . ... The Rivermen are offering a special package deal for their Oct. 25 Opening Night game at Carver Arena. It includes two lower bowl tickets and two Rivermen SPHL championship T-shirts or ballcaps (buyer's choice). The package with the T-shirt option is $69; the ballcap option is $75. The deal is limited to 50 packages, and can be purchased through the team store online .

(This story was updated to add new information.)

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: Why the Peoria Rivermen were scattered all over multiple cities to start hockey training camp