From sticks to tattoos, Peoria Rivermen defenseman is a man of messages

PEORIA — Zach Wilkie is proud of where he stands, and that goes beyond the blueline for the Peoria Rivermen.

The budding defenseman is comfortable in his skin, which includes $10,000 worth of tattoos that tell the story of who he is, where he's been, and what drives him through hockey and beyond.

Even his sticks tell a story. On the knob of his stick is a cross. On one side of the handle is written "Family." On the other side, "3/15/07 DCJ." And at the bottom of the handle a message "Live 4 Now."

After the Rivermen put on a thrilling finish Friday with a 3-2 win over rival Quad City on Francesco Corona's sudden-death overtime goal before 2,888 at Carver Arena, Wilkie sat down and talked about the ink on the stick, and on his body.

The sticks carry a message

Each marking on his stick has a special meaning for Wilkie.

"On the front I write 'Family,' because I'm very close to my mom, my brother and my teammates, all of whom are brothers to me," Wilkie said. "I write 'Live 4 Now' on the stick because I know, we all know, that every game we step on the ice could be our last one, I could end up working in a real job instead of playing this game I love. It could all end at any day.

"The cross on the stick is for God, because my faith is important to me."

And the date on the stick, March 15, 2007? That is the day Wilkie's grandfather, Donald Jeschke, died.

"He was such a big influence on me as a kid," Wilkie said. "We'd go golfing and bowling together. It was special, that time. He wanted me to play pro hockey — so did my grandmother — and their memory motivates me."

VIDEO: Rivermen coffee club 'The Grinders'

BOX SCORE: Rivermen 3, Quad City 2 (OT) | STANDINGS: SPHL

Concealed carry, the Liberty Bell, and The Joker

Wilkie has ink everywhere on his body, telling the story of who he is.

Across his chest is emblazoned "Don't Tread On Me," a nod to an historic Revolutionary War flag professing American patriotism.

There's a lot of that on Wilkie's 6-foot-1, 204-pound frame.

"We The People" is on his right bicep, sweeping up to a depiction of Lady Liberty.

"I've got the Washington Monument here, and this is a tribute to the Second Amendment and this one is George Washington and there's one about the constitution," Wilkie said, pointing out ink on his arms, legs, shoulder and one of a rifle over his rib cage. "I have some guns and a concealed carry permit, took the classes and the training. I'd like to learn to hunt. I haven't done that yet."

On his back shoulder blade are the initials "KR," a tribute to Kelly Ryan, the son of a youth hockey coach, Phil Ryan, who Wilkie knew when he was 14.

Kelly Ryan was 12 years old when he was riding his bicycle and was killed by a man in a pickup truck on April 18, 2010 in Oak Lawn. Police cited the man for negligent driving.

"Kelly had big dreams to play," Wilkie said of a kid who was a goaltender. "So I represent his dream, make him part of my journey."

On his left arm is a large picture of Batman villain The Joker, with a Chicago skyline below it.

"It's Chicago turning into Gotham City," Wilkie explained. "I love Batman, it's been my favorite thing since I was a kid."

'The hardest hit I have seen'

Wilkie grew up in Villa Park, a southwest suburb of Chicago.

He started skating at age 3. By age 15 he was a highly touted junior hockey prospect, and he left home to play in Canada.

The Ontario Hockey League, one of Canada's three major junior hockey circuits that serves as an NHL pipeline, was on him.

The new year: Dressed in tuxedo jerseys, Peoria Rivermen list their New Year's resolutions

OHL Niagara IceDogs director of scouting John Neville wrote in an Oct. 23, 2012, scouting report that Wilkie "Threw the hardest hit I have seen in years – clean and knocked the kid out cold — plays with speed and force and can really shoot ..."

Wilkie was drafted in the top 30 players by Niagara and spent three seasons there before he was traded to Sudbury. In four years in the OHL, he played 195 games with nine goals and 30 assists.

He went on to play in Canada's college system, for Laurentian University in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons while majoring in sports psychology.

The pandemic hit and the 2020-21 season was cancelled. Then last summer, the university disbanded its college hockey program, stranding Wilkie and his teammates for the 2021-22 season.

"The kid showed up here with his mom in the summer," Rivermen coach Jean-Guy Trudel said of his efforts to recruit him. "It was impressive. They wanted to see everything."

The Wilkies toured Carver Arena. Looked around the city. Had lunch with Trudel. And he signed.

"He has the skill to play in the ECHL, and right away he got called-up and started the season there," Trudel said. "He got released and picked up by another team. Then he said, 'I just want to come to Peoria and play and learn the game.'

"He needs to develop, and he will get that here."

'Just amazing': Peoria native scores first pro goal with hometown Rivermen

During the COVID stoppage in 2020-21, Wilkie bought a German Shepherd puppy and tried to get on the ice and keep training and skating hard.

His grandmother, Dolores, died on June 21. It brought his dream back into focus as he remembered how much she wanted him to reach pro hockey.

Now he's in it.

"It was Guy who did it, his passion about his players and the team was so contagious it made me want to be part of it," Wilkie said. "I started researching the team's history. The names of the guys that have come through here, worn this uniform, it's amazing. I sit in the locker room and I wonder which guys from the past had my locker, sat in my place."

How the Rivermen beat Quad City

The Rivermen won for the sixth time in seven games Friday, and their fifth in a row at Carver Arena.

Defenseman Dale Deon sniped a shot from the high slot off the crossbar at 8:13 of the first period to pull the Rivermen into a 1-1 tie.

The Rivermen took a 2-1 lead at 6:43 of the second period when Paul-Antoine Deslauriers trailed down the slot and buried a rebound into an open left side of the net.

The Rivermen threatened to blow out Quad City. From late in the second period, the Rivermen had a span of about 8 minutes where they hit a crossbar, had four doorstep chances, a 4-on-3 power play, a shorthanded breakaway and a 3-on-none breakaway and didn't score.

40 years: Remembering Peoria Rivermen of the past as they celebrate 40th season

With the game tied at 2-2, Peoria had to fend off a 41-second five-on-three power play in the final 1:51 of regulation — during which the team had only three defensemen, one of which, Deon, blocked two shots and cleared the zone while never leaving the ice.

That heroic effort set up the Corona's game-winner at 2:02 of sudden-death.

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. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria Rivermen player Zach Wilkie is a man of many messages