Inside this Peoria native's medal-winning adventure with Team USA junior hockey

PEORIA — Kevin Ricks received an offer he couldn't refuse.

And it paid off in bronze.

The Peoria native served as a certified athletic trainer for Team USA in the International Ice Hockey Federation's 2023 World Junior Championship from Dec. 19-Jan. 5.

The U.S. National Team beat Sweden in a chaotic medal-round game, 8-7 in overtime, to win the bronze and take home the 14th medal in USA Hockey's tournament history.

"I was lucky to be asked to serve on the team staff," Ricks said. "I don't think you can say no to that offer when USA hockey asks you."

Ricks, 45, grew up in Peoria and went to Peoria High School, where he played soccer for the high school team and for Peoria Soccer Club. His father, Dan Ricks, has been part of Bradley University men's basketball's communications and hosting crew at games in Carver Arena for 40 years.

Ricks grew up in a great era of Peoria Rivermen hockey, and around Bradley men's basketball, serving as a ball boy, and later as part of the statistics/communications crew for the Braves.

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He earned a bachelor's degree in athletic training at Western Illinois University and a master's in exercise science and biomechanics from University of Mississippi.

"My first job out of grad school was at University of Notre Dame," Hicks said. "I had a paid internship, and during that year I was offered a full-time job and I've been there 22 years now."

Ricks works now for the Irish as an associate athletic trainer on the men's hockey, men's tennis and football teams. He has also served at Notre Dame as trainer for men's and women's fencing and track and field teams, as well as the women's swimming and diving, soccer and rowing teams.

"I've worked hockey at Notre Dame for 20 of the last 22 years," Ricks said. "The hockey community is a very tight group, a small circle. The USA under-18 national team played exhibitions against us (Notre Dame). And some of my old players Notre Dame players have played with this junior team.

"The World Juniors team is mostly college kids, and it made sense for them to seek out a college trainer and that turned out to be me."

Monday Night Football

The sports world watched the traumatic collapse and cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

Ricks watched it through different eyes as he saw athletic trainers save the player's life on the field and help medical personnel with CPR and defibrillation treatment to get the player to a hospital in critical condition.

Hamlin is still recovering, but was able to discharge from a Cincinnati hospital and return to Buffalo this week.

Ricks is no stranger to football. His path has included two years with the University of Mississippi football and track and field teams, an internship with Chicago's Athletico Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy Clinic, and an intern trainer with the then-St. Louis Rams in preseason and training camp.

"When people are talking about us, it's generally not a good thing," Ricks said. "But in this case, it's a great portrayal of our profession. It put a very positive light on what we do.

"And I hope it will shine a light on the lower levels of the game, like high school. What you saw on Monday Night Football was the profession at its finest, well-equipped and ready. But bluntly, if that had happened on a high school sideline, that person would probably have died.

"Schools should think about that when considering whether to have trained, experienced athletic staff and life-saving equipment around them."

The Team USA experience

Ricks left behind Notre Dame, and his wife, Cheryl and sons Hunter, 15, and Levi, 12, for a month while he joined USA Hockey's run for a medal at the World Junior Championships in Canada.

The tournament was Dec. 26 through Jan. 5, with training camp and exhibitions in the walk-up before that.

The Team USA roster included 19 NHL Draft selections, including the St. Louis Blues No. 1 pick from 2022, defenseman Jimmy Snuggerud.

The United States, Finland, Switzerland, Slovakia and Latvia formed Group B and played preliminary round games at the Avenir Centre in Moncton (New Brunswick).

Canada, Sweden, Czechia, Germany and Austria competed in Group A, with preliminary-round games taking place at the 11,000-seat Scotiabank Centre in Halifax (Novia Scotia), home to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Halifax Mooseheads.

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"It was in the Maritimes area and we bounced around up there, did an exhibition game, played our group games," Ricks said. "When we advanced to the semifinals we moved to Halifax."

They faced Team Canada on its home turf in the semifinals in Halifax.

"To play Canada — in Canada — what a sea of red, a hostile environment," Ricks said. "We lost, 6-2. We had two goals reviewed and disallowed. Then an empty-netter at the end."

On they went to the bronze medal game against Sweden, where the teams combined for nine goals in the second period and USA saw a 7-6 lead slip away with 21 seconds left in regulation.

The Americans came back to win it, 8-7 in overtime, and send Ricks home with metal — and precious medal — around his neck.

"Best way to describe the experience: Wild," Ricks said. "The talent level was incredible, so many of those players are going to be in the NHL.

"It was a super-focused adventure."

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 deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria native wins World Junior hockey bronze medal with Team USA