An inside look at the Peoria Rivermen specialty jerseys, promotions, giveaways and their plans for the fans in 2025-26.
PEORIA — The Peoria Rivermen set a franchise single-season record last season with 61 players on their roster.
They'll have a massive roster again in the 2025-26 season, but this time it's a cast of characters and themes that will headline their annual marketing and promotions plan.
Snoopy and the Peanuts characters will be there. Batman, Superman, Marvel Comics characters, too. Scooby-Doo has signed on. So has Mickey Mouse and the U.S. military and Star Wars and even a Zamboni and the largest Rivermen logo in the history of the team.
All on the Rivermen jerseys.
The SPHL powerhouse has thrived on pioneering specialty jerseys under the guidance of longtime team president and co-owner Bart Rogers. This season, his team has designed jerseys for 21 special game nights, including an annual re-brand event that won't be revealed until later. The game-worn jerseys will be auctioned live to the fans after each contest.
"They remain incredibly popular with our fans, and that's what our goal is, to entertain the people who support our team, build that relationship," Rogers said. "We want to give them great value, a fun time and everything from these special jerseys to giveaways and themed nights and whatever we can do to put together a package that supports the great teams we put on the ice."
2025-26 Rivermen schedule: Special jersey nights
- Oct. 25: Halloween theme.
- Nov. 7: Veterans Camo/Air Force theme.
- Nov. 21: Hockey Fights Cancer.
- Nov. 28 and 29: Peanuts characters.
- Dec. 13: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation jersey.
- Dec. 27: Zamboni tribute jersey. Literally, a Zamboni depicted on the front.
- Jan. 2: "Rivermen" Winter Classic jersey.
- Jan. 3: Star Wars jersey.
- Jan. 16: Looney Tunes characters jersey.
- Jan. 17: Disney characters. The team will wear Lilo & Stitch in one period, Toy Story in another and Mickey Mouse in the third.
- Jan. 18: Mighty Rivermen (a Mighty Ducks theme).
- Feb. 20: USA Stars and Stripes jersey.
- Feb. 27: Grateful Dead jersey.
- Feb. 28: DC Comics Night. Players will wear Batman jerseys in one period, change to Superman in the next period and then a Superheroes collective in the final period.
- March 6: Chicago Blackhawks theme jerseys.
- March 7: Rivermen re-brand night. Team name and jersey to be revealed later.
- March 8: St. Patrick's Day green jerseys.
- March 28: White Out Jerseys.
- April 3: Scooby Doo jerseys.
- April 4: Super large Rivermen logo jerseys.
Peoria area business sponsors have partnered with the Rivermen team to make these special jerseys possible, and they include CEFCU, Sun Collectors, Gift of Hope, Roto Rooter, WingStop, Branded Country Wear, Trapp Electric, Wilson Services, Koch Konstruction, Perfect Choice Exteriors, Ogborn Plumbing, CityLink and CSL Plasma.
Rivermen schedule: Giveaways
The Rivermen will give away magnetic schedules, team keychains, coffee blends and that's just the first three nights of the season.
There is a Rivermen cap night on Nov. 21, Bam Bam hockey sticks on Dec. 12, Rivermen face masks on Dec. 13, a team calendar on Jan. 2 and a Rivermen stocking cap night on Jan. 16.
A puck bottle-opener giveaway follows on Feb. 27, a trading card set giveaway on March 6, Rivermen youth jersey giveaway on March 7, key chains on March 28 and jersey bottle koozies and team photos at the April 4 regular-season finale.
Check throughout the season on the Rivermen team site online for information on how many of these items will be distributed and whether age restrictions apply.
Rivermen schedule: Tickets specials and theme nights
• Sunday games are Texas Roadhouse Sunday Family Fun Days. Those games fall on Dec. 28, Jan. 4, 18, 25, and March 8, 29. Those 3:15 p.m. games in Carver Arena feature $8 upper bowl tickets for kids 12-under, and $3 hot dogs courtesy Raber. They include a pre-game festival for kids, with face-painting and balloon art and inflatables to play on. And after the game, fans are invited to skate free with the players on the ice, or come to the dasher boards for pictures and photos.
• The annual Teddy Bear Toss for charity is the Dec. 13 game against Knoxville.
• The annual Education Day Game is at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 18, and tickets for area schools are $6 per student.
• There is a (packaged) underwear and sock toss for charity on Jan. 16.
• On March 28, the Rivermen will attempt to challenge their all-time franchise record single-game attendance, with all upper bowl tickets and some lower bowl seats $6. They are calling it the White Out Game. The Rivermen packed 9,509 into Carver Arena on March 29 last season, the largest crowd in SPHL history, largest in the Rivermen SPHL era and third-largest in Peoria's 44-year franchise history. Peoria's record is 10,129 set in the AHL in 2010.
• There are other theme nights throughout the season that include special discount ticket prices for the upper bowl, from $12 in one game, $9 in another and $8.11 in a third. Check the team's promotion schedule for details during the season, and for updates on the Rivermen team page at pjstar.com.
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 [email protected]. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria Rivermen talk special jerseys, giveaway plan for 2025-26
Category: Hockey
