Eric Levine

Eric grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, IL where he began his hockey journey. Playing throughout all the different levels of junior hockey from ages 16-20, he finished his junior career with the Pembroke Lumberkings where he went on to win back to back CJHL championships under current New Jersey Devils Head Coach, Sheldon Keefe. 

Levy went on to play 4 years of Division 1 hockey at Robert Morris University. His breakout year came his senior where he played every minute, led the program to a 20 win season, and finished in the NCAA top 20 all time career Save Percentage. Upon the conclusion of college hockey, Eric joined the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL as their Black Ace goalie. The team ended up making a run to the Calder Cup Finals. He attended training camp the following spring with the Nashville Predators before finally getting his first taste of pro hockey action with the Peoria Rivermen of the SPHL in 2013.

For the next 10 years, Eric spent time in the ECHL, CHL, and SPHL playing for a whopping 12 different teams, enjoying a complete taste of what minor league hockey was like as an undrafted goalie. All said and done, Levy played over 70 games in the ECHL and 140 in the SPHL. Most of his games played came with the Peoria Rivermen over 5 different seasons, the final 3 seasons of his career he was the team’s number 1 goalie. Winning SPHL goalie of the year in 2020 and being part of the Rivermen’s first SPHL championship run in 2022 where he led the league in GP, SV%, and shutouts. 

Following retirement from professional hockey in 2023, Eric made the transition to coaching where he became an Assistant Coach/GM with the Rivermen going on year three now. In his first year of coaching, The Rivermen were fortunate enough to again capture a SPHL title, becoming the first player to win the President’s Cup as both a player and a coach. 

Throughout the entirety of his playing career, Eric also ran Midwest Goalie Academy, a goalie coaching company in the Chicagoland area. Taking ownership of the brand in 2012, Eric has spent every summer back home training goalies of all ages and skill levels, something he has and still is extremely passionate and proud of. “Working with and developing goalies is a skill that I developed early in my career, and something I have continuously grown a deeper appreciation for in the art of connecting with another goalie to get the most out of their game. Running high level drills and working on the very specific details of movement and save technique is something I pride myself on as a coach.”

Eric’s other deep rooted passion in life is Yoga. He earned his 200 hour Yoga certification through the amazing studio, Grounded Wellness Center, in Hoffman Estates during the covid canceled season of 2021. Eric loves the offering that yoga gives in a practical way of centering the mind and body through breathing, awareness, and intentional asana. “Yoga to me has always resonated with sports, especially the position of goaltending, because it is so much about finding peace in stressful situations and relying on your instincts and zen-like power rather than overthinking with a cluttered mind. There is so much power in staying grounded and being aware of your breath while on the mat and in the crease.”