HR0761LRB103 40588 MST 73189 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the Peoria Rivermen
4hockey team on winning the 2023 - 2024 SPHL championship; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League) is
6a professional ice hockey independent minor league based in
7Huntersville, North Carolina, with teams located primarily in
8the southeastern United States as well as in Illinois and
9Indiana; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The Peoria Rivermen's championship win in 2024
11marks its first championship win on home ice in 25 years; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Peoria Rivermen beat the Huntsville Havoc 5
13to 1 before a crowd of 5,902 at Carver Arena who witnessed a
14once-in-a-generation moment unfold on the ice as Peoria won
15the SPHL title for the second time in three years; and
 
16    WHEREAS, The 42-year old Peoria Rivermen franchise won the
17title at Carver Arena on the 25th anniversary of the team's
18ECHL Kelly Cup championship that marked its last cup win
19secured on home ice; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The Peoria Rivermen became the first team in SPHL

 

 

HR0761- 2 -LRB103 40588 MST 73189 r

1history to lose Game 1 of a best-of-three championship series
2and come back to win the title; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The Peoria Rivermen are also believed to be the
4first team in pro hockey history to win a championship on home
5ice at all three levels of the minors, having won once at
6Carver Arena in the old International Hockey League (class
7AAA), once in the ECHL (class AA), and now once in the SPHL
8(class A+); and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Peoria Rivermen last won the SPHL
10championship title in 2022; therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
12HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
13we congratulate the Peoria Rivermen hockey team on winning the
142023 - 2024 SPHL championship, marking its second championship
15win in the SPHL; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17presented to the Peoria Rivermen as a symbol of our respect and
18esteem.