Trudel Re-Ups with Rivermen, Signs Two-Year Extension

March 7, 2019 - 03:45 pm

Photo Credit: Dennis Sievers/Peoria Rivermen

Trudel Re-Ups with Rivermen, Signs Two-Year Extension

3-Time SPHL Coach of the Year set to remain in Peoria through 2021-22 season

 

Peoria, IL – The Peoria Rivermen announced today that the team has agreed to terms with Head Coach Jean-Guy Trudel on a two-year contract extension that will keep Trudel in Peoria through the 2020-21 season. Trudel, 43, is in the midst of his sixth year at the Peoria helm, and has earned three SPHL Coach of the Year awards during his time behind the Rivermen bench, becoming the only coach to earn the honor more than once.

 

“Our goal on the ice has always been to win and to develop players for the next level, and we’ve been blessed since Day 1 of our SPHL era to have Jean-Guy in this position,” said Rivermen COO Bart Rogers. “His passion and preparation before each practice and every game are unparalleled, and his dedication to hockey at all levels in the Peoria area has been tremendous, and that’s been reflected by our team’s incredible record and winning percentage every season.”

 

Trudel enters this weekend’s games at Knoxville with 224 career regular and post-season wins, ranked second-most in Peoria’s 37-year franchise history. With ten more victories, Trudel will pass Jason Christie’s total for most wins in franchise history. As of March 7, 2019, Trudel’s 210 regular-season wins are second-most in SPHL history, and his 210-78-38 overall record and .703 regular-season win percentage leads all coaches in the league’s nearly 15-year history.

 

“Coach Trudel has worked tirelessly to build a winning culture from his first day on the job,” said Rogers. “And he wants nothing more than to bring a President’s Cup Championship to Peoria. We’re excited to have him under contract for two more seasons as he continues to pursue that ultimate goal each and every year.”

 

Trudel and the Rivermen return to action this Friday and Saturday in Knoxville, TN with a pair of games against the Ice Bears at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Peoria will play each of their next five games on the road before concluding the regular-season with five straight home games beginning Saturday, March 23. Tickets for all of Peoria’s remaining home games are available by calling the Rivermen office at (309) 676-1040, and information and pricing on playoff tickets is expected to be available early next week.

 

Single-game, group and season tickets for Peoria's 37th season of professional hockey presented by Midwest Orthopaedic Center are on sale at the Toyota Box Office in the Peoria Civic Center, or by phone at the Rivermen office, 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)