Watch Hockey in Champaign, Bloomington, Springfield and Peoria
With franchises in Chicago and St. Louis, the National Hockey League attracts much of the attention of Central Illinois hockey fans. Both teams have won the Stanley Cup within the past decade — the St. Louis Blues most recently in 2019, and the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015.
Professional sports often means “professional” prices. And those can be cost-prohibitive for a family of four or more.
Families don’t have travel far from Champaign-Urbana to see one of the fastest-paced sports played at a high level. Bloomington, Springfield and Peoria each host a hockey team of juniors, professionals or would-be pros, and the University of Illinois has club teams of men and women.
The Illini hockey club is a local favorite, but has a bit of a … reputation. We went for the first time in winter 2025 and found out why — and it was a blast. Check out our comments below.
University of Illinois Men’s Club Team: It is not a varsity sport at the U of I, but the club team has a successful history and a popular following in Champaign, where the team competes at the UI Ice Arena. The season goes through the end of February.
Crowds can be raucous and rowdy, with college students creating a home-ice advantage envied by rivals. Single-game tickets are $5 for kids, $15 for adults, and $10 for university students. We had a lot of fun going on a double date with friends.
All tickets are sold online. It is not uncommon for games to sell out. Tip: earmuffs for the kids aren’t a bad idea, if that matters to you. But seriously, it’s easy to have fun and not worry about the fans.
While not as well known, the University of Illinois Women’s Club Hockey Team is growing in popularity. It also plays from now through February, and admission to most games is FREE.
Bloomington Bison: It’s the second season for this professional minor league hockey team, which plays its home games at Grossinger Arena in Bloomington. It is a member of the league known as ECHL, which now has 30 teams. It is an affiliate of the New York Rangers, and its season runs from October to April.
Tickets start at $20 per seat. There is a kids club, and promotions every game. Most Sundays and a few other days, kids 12 and under receive a free food coupon and there is an open skate after the game. The organization boasts of being very family friendly.
Springfield Jr. Blues: The Jr. Blues compete in the North American Hockey League, which features amateur players who typically are ages 16-21 and seeking to attract the attention of college coaches and NHL scouts.
The Jr. Blues play at the Franklin P. Nelson Recreation Center is a 2,100-seat multi purpose ice arena and recreational facility located in Springfield. Single-game tickets range from $10 -12 for adults, with kids 12 and under admitted for $6-8. Get a discounted ticket price when you buy them online in advance.
The season goes from September to April.
One important note for parents: Fighting in the NAHL is rare.
Peoria Rivermen: Peoria has a long history with minor league hockey, with a team dubbed the Peoria Rivermen having competed in four different professional leagues. Since 2013, the Rivermen have been a member of the low-level Southern Professional Hockey League, which is based in the southeast and features some cool team nicknames like the Evansville Thunderbolts, the Huntsville Havoc and the Knoxville Ice Bears.
The Rivermen have a business agreement with the Chicago Blackhawks, but it does not include a player affiliation agreement, so you won’t see any future Blackhawks in Peoria. But the Rivermen will have Blackhawks giveaway nights and other promotions featuring the NHL team. The season goes from October to April.
Single-game tickets for the Rivermen, who play at the Peoria Civic Center, range from $17 to $32; buy in advance for the best rate. Sunday Family Day promotions offer $8 for kids.
There is fighting in the Southern Professional Hockey League.
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