SR0965 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0965 LRB103 40495 MST 72951 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to congratulate the Peoria Rivermen hockey team on winning the 2023 - 2024 SPHL championship; and

WHEREAS, The SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league based in Huntersville, North Carolina, with teams located primarily in the southeastern United States as well as in Illinois and Indiana; and

WHEREAS, The Peoria Rivermen's championship win in 2024 marks its first championship win on home ice in 25 years; and

WHEREAS, The Peoria Rivermen beat the Huntsville Havoc 5 to 1 before a crowd of 5,902 at Carver Arena who witnessed a once-in-a-generation moment unfold on the ice as Peoria won the SPHL title for the second time in three years; and

WHEREAS, The 42-year old Peoria Rivermen franchise won the title at Carver Arena on the 25th anniversary of the team's ECHL Kelly Cup championship that marked its last cup win secured on home ice; and

WHEREAS, The Peoria Rivermen became the first team in SPHL history to lose Game 1 of a best-of-three championship series and come back to win the title; and

WHEREAS, The Peoria Rivermen are also believed to be the first team in pro hockey history to win a championship on home ice at all three levels of the minors, having won once at Carver Arena in the old International Hockey League (class AAA), once in the ECHL (class AA), and now once in the SPHL (class A+); and

WHEREAS, The Peoria Rivermen last won the SPHL championship title in 2022; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Peoria Rivermen hockey team on winning the 2023 - 2024 SPHL championship, marking its second championship win in the SPHL; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Peoria Rivermen as a symbol of our respect and esteem.