Rivermen Announce 2017-18 Promo Calendar
September 4, 2017 - 06:15 pm
Photo Credit: Tim Lester/Peoria Rivermen
Rivermen Announce 2017-18 Promo Calendar
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Night, Star Wars & Super Heroes, highlight promotions
Peoria, IL – The Peoria Rivermen have announced their promotional schedule today for the upcoming 2017-18 Southern Professional Hockey League season. Among Peoria’s 28 home games, the SPHL team will host a full promotional schedule including seven specialty jersey nights, 12 giveaway games, and the first Wiener Dog Race night in team history.
Peoria’s home schedule is slated to begin October 27 and 28 when the Rivermen host the expansion Birmingham Bulls at Carver Arena. Both games will be part of Bruce Saurs Hockey Weekend in Peoria, with magnetic Rivermen schedules handed out to the first 1,500 fans at each game courtesy of Envision Insurance Group and Auto Owners Insurance. Additionally, fans will be able to purchase 2 lower bowl tickets for $20 to either Opening Weekend game, and Saturday, October 28 will also be the first of several Chicago Blackhawks Nights of the season in Peoria, with an appearance scheduled by Blackhawks mascot Tommy Hawk.
The Rivermen will host the Pensacola Ice Flyers November 3 and 4 at the Peoria Civic Center, and the team will host Super Hero night, with appearances by Batman and other Heroes TBD. November 4 will also be the season’s first Teacher Appreciation Night sponsored by Farmers Insurance, with all teachers and school staff receiving a free ticket and discounted tickets available for friends and family.
Peoria’s next scheduled promotional night will take place November 11 when the SPHL team hosts the Knoxville Ice Bears for the Rivermen Salute to the Troops night, with special Veteran’s Day jerseys worn by the team and auctioned off after the game. In honor of Veteran’s Day, the Rivermen are also offering a complimentary ticket to their November 11 game to all active and retired military personnel with a Military ID.
The Rivermen will then host another Chicago Blackhawks Night November 25 with the Blackhawks’ Bud Light Ice Girls in attendance. November 25 will also feature a CityLink Stuff-A-Bus T-shirt giveaway to the first 1,000 fans donating a canned food item to CityLink’s yearly food drive.
Peoria’s annual Unity Point Health Peoria Stocking Cap giveaway will take place December 8, with the first 1,000 fans in attendance receiving a Rivermen stocking cap.
The following night the Rivermen will host Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Night, with the Rivermen donning special TMNT-themed uniforms to be auctioned off after the game, which will also include appearances by Michelangelo and Leonardo, and the annual Rivermen Teddy Bear Toss to collect stuffed animals for charity.
Peoria’s promotional schedule will continue with December 23’s contest against the Mississippi RiverKings, featuring a Rivermen flip calendar giveaway to the first 3,000 fans in attendance. The following Friday, December 29, will be Peoria’s New Year Celebration, with postgame indoor fireworks. Additionally, the Rivermen will host the franchise’s first ever Wiener Dog Races at the December 29 game, with the races scheduled during the first intermission.
After the turn of the calendar to 2018, the Rivermen will host the Knoxville Ice Bears and hand out youth replica jerseys to the first 750 kids age 12 & under, courtesy of Pekin Insurance. Peoria will then host its annual Star Wars Night January 12 against Evansville, with specialty jerseys worn by the Rivermen and auctioned off postgame.
Peoria will host Faith and Family Night January 26 when the Rivermen take on the Evansville Thunderbolts at Carver Arena. The game will also be Princess and Pirate night, with a costume contest for those 12 & under.
The following Sunday will be the season’s first PNC Family Fun Sunday, with a postgame skatewith the team on the Carver Arena ice, and $3 tickets for kids 12 & under, $1 hot dogs, and a pregame fun fest in the Peoria Civic Center Great Hall.
The Rivermen will next play at home February 16, when they will give away Unity Point Health Peoria bobblehead dolls of head coach Jean-Guy Trudel to the first 1,000 fans. February 16 will also be the Rivermen’s Paw Patrol night with an appearance by “Marshall” and special jerseys worn by the Rivermen.
The following night, Peoria will give away Farmers Insurance Rivermen T-shirts to the first 1,000 fans, and induct Darren Clark into the Rivermen Hall of Fame. The team will wear special jerseys honoring the 2000 Kelly Cup Champion and auction them off postgame.
After another PNC Family Fun Sunday on February 18, Peoria will again play at Carver Arena the following Friday, and give away Rivermen mini-sticks to the first 1,000 fans 12 & under, courtesy of PNC.
The Rivermen will host 80’s Night on Friday, March 2, with a planned postgame concert by a to-be-announced performer. The following evening will be another Chicago Blackhawks Night with the Rivermen, with appearances by Tommy Hawk and a TBD Blackhawks legend, and specialty Blackhawks-themed Rivermen jerseys. The weekend will be capped off with a March 4 PNC Family Fun Sunday.
The next home weekend for Peoria will feature Peoria Chiefs night on March 23 before the Rivermen host Hockey Fights Cancer night the following evening, with specialty jerseys to be worn by the Rivermen and auctioned off postgame. March 24 will also be Peoria’s Farmers Insurance Healthcare Appreciation Night. The Rivermen will follow with the season’s final PNC Family Fun Sunday.
After a weekend on the road, the Rivermen will wrap up the regular schedule with a pair of games at Carver Arena against the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs April 6 & 7. The former will be Peoria’s JULIE 1-Call 8-1-1 night, with an $8.11 upper bowl ticket special and drawstring backpacks to the first 500 fans. The regular-season finale will be Peoria’s CEFCU Fan Fest, with 3,000 Team Photos given out courtesy of CEFCU, and prizes given away throughout the evening.
Season and group tickets for Peoria’s 2017-18 home games are available now by calling the Rivermen office at (309)-676-1040. The Rivermen open the 2017-18 regular season at Evansville October 21, and commence the home portion of their schedule October 27 & 28 at Carver Arena against the expansion Birmingham Bulls.
Full season tickets for Peoria's 36th season of professional hockey presented by Midwest Orthopaedic Center are on sale at the Rivermen office in the Peoria Civic Center, located at 201 S.W. Jefferson Street, or over the phone at (309) 676-1040. For the latest Rivermen news and notes, follow online at www.rivermen.net or through Facebook (www.facebook.com/PeoriaRivermen) - Twitter(https://twitter.com/Peoria_Rivermen)
