Former teammates with the Pekin Stars, Pete BardezBanian and Mark Olson formed the Blades in 1971 as an independent outfit at an outdoor rink.
While still playing for the club, BardezBanian became the team's president while Olson worked as the head coach and general manager.
[2] Olson's three sons Joe, Mike and Ric, all played for the Blades and they quickly turned the team into a league powerhouse.
As a nod to the team that had made it all possible, Ric Olson was a member of the Peoria Prancers for its inaugural season and played in four games.
For their efforts with the team, both Mark Olson and Pete BardezBanian were later inducted into the Peoria Sports Hall of Fame.