Bruce Saurs

Bruce Edward Saurs was a businessman from Peoria, Illinois. He acquired the Peoria Rivermen in 1989. Hoping to cut costs, he acquired an ECHL expansion franchise together Anne Griffith and his son Tim Saurs in 1996 and moved the Rivermen from the IHL to the ECHL in 1996. He relocated the IHL franchise to San Antonio, Texas, together with Don Levin, after selling him half of the franchise. He subsequently sold his half in the franchise to Horn Chen.

Sauers moved the Rivermen to from the ECHL to the AHL in 2005, after acquiring the Worcester IceCats from Bill Laurie and Nancy Laurie on November 9, 2004. He sold the AHL franchise to a group led by Dave Checketts on July 3, 2008.

He was also part of the ownership group that was awarded an SPHL expansion franchise in Peoria, Illinoius, that started playing as the Rivermen in 2013. He died on July 10, 2014.

Family relations
Sons: Mike Saurs and Tim Saurs