PEORIA — Kylar Fenton is coming back to the Peoria Rivermen for the 2026-27 SPHL season, and the team would love a repeat performance from the defenseman who helped them win the regular-season title. Fenton joined the Rivermen out of college for their playoff run in the 2024-25 SPHL playoffs, then spent his first full pro season with Peoria on its 2025-26 team that came within one game of the President's Cup. "Kylar broke out as a high-level defender in his rookie season, and he's a foundational player for our defense," Rivermen head coach Jean-Guy Trudel said. "He fits our culture and he knows about the tradition of winning and the legacy this franchise commands." More: Newest Peoria Rivermen has a legacy. His dad scored one of the franchise's most iconic goals The 26-year-old defenseman is the nephew of NHL referee Wes McCauley, and is well-schooled in Peoria's history and tradition from his father, Eric. He was a winger with the Rivermen in the 1995-96 IHL season. He scored an iconic playoff goal for the Rivermen against Milwaukee in the 1995-96 IHL playoffs, notching the game-winner to clinch the series. It was more than a game-winner, as it extended the Peoria franchise's life in the old IHL for another round. The Rivermen were scheduled to leave the IHL and join the ECHL after that season. "He gave me a few stories, but I've heard quite a bit from his Peoria, Milwaukee days," said Kylar Fenton when he first joined the Peoria team. "I've heard great things about Carver Arena, the fans. He loved his playing time here; it was a really cool experience."
Kylar Fenton created his own memorable moment with the Rivermen last spring when he stood in an empty net and blocked a shot to save a goal in Game 2 of the SPHL President's Cup Finals against Evansville. He blocked another shot in the final two minutes and launched the puck down ice for an empty-net goal to clinch a 2-0 series lead for Peoria. That capped his first full pro season with Peoria in 2025-26 while he emerged as a top blueliner in the league with three goals, 17 assists and a +19 rating in 56 games. He earned SPHL All-Rookie Team honors last spring as well. Fenton grew up in Milwaukee and played junior hockey, among his stops including the Waywayseecapo Wolverines in 2018-19. He went on to play four seasons for Gustavus Adolphus, where he was captain and produced seven goals and 18 assists in 92 career games. Now they are ex-Rivermen ◾Kullen Daikawa finished up his collegiate career at University of Wisconsin-Stout last spring and joined the Rivermen for a playoff run to the President's Cup Finals. He notched a goal and seven assists in a terrific rookie effort in 11 playoff games. He has signed with the Tohoku Free Blades of the Asia League for the 2026-27 season. ◾Griffen Fox, a key part of Peoria's playoff run last spring with six points in 12 games, has signed with Morrums GolS, a team in the HockeyEttan, Sweden's third-tier pro league. ◾Scrappy little center Matt Wiesner, who was on Peoria's checking line in the playoffs last spring, signed as a free agent with Birmingham. Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and 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 deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Second-generation player comes back for another Rivermen run in 2026-27