{
  "id": 4821811,
  "title": "How the Peoria Rivermen landed an elite goalscorer for the 2026-27 SPHL season",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/how-the-peoria-rivermen-landed-an-elite-goalscorer-for-the-2026-27",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-01T08:31:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/peoria-rivermen-landed-elite-goalscorer-083106609.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Peoria Rivermen have secured a key addition to their roster ahead of the 2026-27 SPHL season, by signing veteran right wing Mike McChesney. The NHL playoff veteran, hailed from Dickinson, North Dakota, will return to his third season with Peoria.\n\nStanding at 5-foot-11 and weighing 185 pounds, McChesney is one of the most lethal scorers in the league. During the 2025-26 campaign, the former Macon Rivermen standout netted 33 goals, contributed 12 assists, and earned a +14 rating in 54 regular-season games. In his debut with Peoria in 2024-25, he scored 20 goals and added 21 assists, boasting a +19 rating.\n\nMcChesney's journey to professional hockey began with a stint at Macon Rivermen, followed by a stellar four-year collegiate career at NCAA Division-III St. Norbert College, where he tallied 31 goals and 39 assists in 79 games. He was even honored to represent Team USA in the 2022-23 World University Games, hosted in Lake Placid, New York, the birthplace of the 1980 \"Miracle on Ice\" and the legendary Herb Brooks speech.\n\nBeyond his scoring prowess, McChesney is a crucial asset on special teams. He has netted 14 power play goals, scored five shorthanded goals, and contributed 17 game-winning goals for the Rivermen. His 10 power play goals last season were second-most in the league. Head coach Jean-Guy Trudel lauded McChesney as a \"major threat in our attack, and on our power play and penalty-kill units,\" emphasizing that he makes \"big plays at big moments,\" and that he is a \"must-have veteran presence\" for the team, positioning them as contenders.",
  "summary": "Mike McChesney notched a league-high 33 goals last year, and now he's back with the Peoria Rivermen for the 2026-27 SPHL season.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}