Rivermen wrapup

PEORIA, Ill – “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
 
So begins “A Tale of Two Cities,” so also should begin what could easily be known as “A Tale of Two Seasons” for fans of the Peoria Rivermen.The season was neatly divided in half by a coaching change that happened on January 2, 2010.
 
Part One started as most do, in a training camp full of propects and role players, veterans and rookies, expectations and hope. 
 
Davis Payne was starting his second season at the helm of the AHL franchise. He had worked his way through the minors, finding success at ECHL Alaska which, in turn, earned him an Assistant Coach position with Peoria for a couple of years before assuming the Head Coaching position. Payne had already earned a solid reputation for his work with the younger players and fit in well with the St.Louis Blues “youth movement.”
 
Off the ice, Josh Morin had an experienced business operations crew. Plans were in place for a few really big promotions. Negotiations were underway for a new lease for the team. In the front office, prospects and hopes were high for a succssful season at the box office, as well.
 
The team perfromed well on the ice. While they did seem to give away too many points late in the games, the Rivermen looked to be a solid team.
 
In the front office though, things weren’t working out as well as planned. Negotiations for the new lease bogged down and one of their big promotions, a movie star signing autographs, was a no show. While the team had a signed contract with the movie star, he first rescheduled and was then cancelled after tripling his appreance fee.
 
All told, the first half of the season was a resounding success and on New Years Day, the team found itself in second place in the division.
 
Things were not as rosy for the parent club in St.Louis. The losses mounted, especially at home. A team the had squeaked into the playoffs the previous season was not contending. There seemed to be a disconnect between some players, especially the younger ones, and the head coach. On January 2, the Blues decided to make a change.
 
Davis Payne filled the head coaching job in St.Louis, becoming one of the youngest head coaches in the NHL. Many saw this as part of a continuing shift in the NHL to younger coaches with no NHL coaching experience. Teams are not just developing players in the minor leagues, they are developing coaches, as well.
 
To fill the now vacant position in Peoria, the Blues promoted Rick Wamsley. Virtually unknown in Peoria, Wamsley was the goaltending coach for the parent team before being tapped as the Rivermen skipper. Thus ended Part One and began Part Two.
 
The transition in St. Louis was easier in St. Louis than it was in Peoria. The Blues seemed to make very small but steady improvement, eventually raising themselves to contect for a final playoff spot. The change for the Rivermen seemed to magnify previous inconsistencies. Within a few weeks, the second place Rivermen had fallen into last place.
 
As unkind as January and February on the ice, it was also tough in the front office. One veteran executive was fired and another was recruited away. Complaints of poor customer service began appearing on internet message boards, as well.
 
March arrived and the fortunes of the team began to rise. The team was making a charge for fourth place and the final playoff spot. The orgnization made some trades about this time, as well. While some worked out well, others puzzled.
 
Things were peaking at the box office, as well. On March 6, Peoria saw its’ largest crowd ever for a hockey game when over 10,000 turned out. A few weeks later, another 8000 tickets were sold for a Thursday night game and two night later, the Rivermen had 6500 for the final home game.
 
But, alas, the Rivermen fell short of the playoffs. While the Blues were an improved club and Davis Payne was given  a two-year contact as head coach of the NHL team, Rick Wamsley was not so fortunate and, with a record of 17-20-6, was not asked back. In the front office, while the uptick in attendance was impressive, the organization did not feel it had perfromed well enough, and Josh Morin, the Chief Operating Officer, was let go, effectively purging the top management tier of of the AHL team.
 
Expectations for both the NHL and AHL teams will rise for next season. The Blues have a young coach and a ‘youth movement’ as far as players go. They are expecting several players who played in the AHL to step up to the big league team next year. That means a youth movement in Peoria, as well, as draftees and free agents fill the gaps left by those going up to the NHL, moving on to Europe or onto other leagues . There will be a rebuilding effort in the front office, as younger members of the current staff step into new roles.
 
In the end, both the NHL and AHL clubs just barely missed playoff berths in 2010. One would suspect that the maturing youth movement and a consistent hand behind the bench could certainly tip the balance toward the playoffs for both teams in 2011. Both the Blues and Rivermen could be poised to kick-off a very good hockey season in the fall.
 
Contact the author: shaun.bill@prohockeynews.com