By The Bemidji Pioneer
Published 10:22 p.m. on Sept. 12, 2024
Steve Peters has looked his father in the eyes in many different ways.
He looked in his eyes in person, photos, videos – you name it. But when Steve was shown the bust of legendary Bemidji State men’s hockey coach R.H. “Bob” Peters, it was the first time he looked at his father’s eyes in bronze.
Bemidji State unveiled the bronze sculpture of Peters near the entrance of the main lobby in the Sanford Center on Thursday night. When fans look into the eyes of the bust, they’ll get a look back.
“It’s a look that tells you to be the best you can be,” Steve said in his speech. “It wasn’t a look for him, it’s for yourself.”
The bust captures Peters’ essence – a coach who found a way to get the best out of people with a look. The sculpture showcases the 702-win BSU coach with a finger on his chin and his glasses tilted downward on the tip of his nose.
It’s a look that not only Steve has seen, but also hundreds of former players.
“The artist did an unbelievable job,” Steve said after his speech. “He captured him. It’s an outstanding job. It gives you a look that says you better do your job. He’s going to look at people coming into the building, and that’s an image I’m going to carry with me. He’s watching, so I’m going to do my best.”
Steve’s speech capped off a celebratory night in the home of Beaver hockey. Brian Schultz, the voice of BSU from the Beaver Radio Network, kicked off the ceremony with opening remarks before introducing current head coach Tom Serratore to the stage.
Serratore played under Peters, then served as his assistant coach before taking the helm.
“It’s a testament to what Coach did,” Serratore said of the ceremony. “He loved this university, this community and this hockey program. At the end of the day, he’s our John Wooden, our Dean Smith, our Nick Saban, our Bear Bryant, our Vince Lombardi. What he accomplished on the ice was unbelievable, but he accomplished more off the ice.”
Serratore set the table for Steve, who evoked a tear-jerking monologue in front of several hundred people in attendance including many former players who were coached by Peters.
“You just never know what it’s going to be like,” Steve said. “You wonder if it's going to be five people here or 500. What struck me the most was not just the alumni, but the hockey people in this town coming together today because of what my dad did here at Bemidji State. I saw faces I hadn’t seen in 40 years. They came here to be a part of this. It was really hard to get through the speech.”
Steve concluded his remarks by sharing an addition to the bust sculpted by Nick Legeros, who was also in attendance. The figure was filled with several items personal to Peters before it was placed near the entrance of the building.
It was an idea Steve couldn’t take credit for.
“One thing you’ll learn is everything is my mom’s idea,” Steve quipped. “Coach Peters ran the show here, but she ran the show at home.”
Inside the bust are a handful of pucks, including the one from the final game at the John S. Glas Fieldhouse and the first game ever played at the Sanford Center.
Enclosed in the bust is also one of Peters’ whistles and a list of every one of his former players and coaches.
But the most important artifact inside the bust is a photo of the Peters family.
“It was important to have that kind of history inside him,” Steve said. “He lived a dual life. So much of his life was about hockey. It was eat, sleep, breath hockey. But his family was incredible to him, a part of him. It was very important that we married those two things together inside his bust.”
“To me, everything that was put in the bust was for the Peters family,” Serratore said. “It’s important to Lou, important to Steve and important to Barbara. It would’ve meant a lot to Coach.”
Following the unveiling, Steve mingled with the crowd of people who came to see his father memorialized. For Steve, a man who’s spent the entirety of his life in hockey, he was reminded of what makes his hometown special.
“I’ve worked for different teams, played for different teams,” Steve said. “There’s something special about Bemidji State. When you talk about Beaver pride, it’s real. It’s something I haven’t seen from any other team in any other league except here in Bemidji. You see it in the alumni. They all have that same pride and connection to the university. I’m proud that I’m connected to it through my dad.”
Written by Jared Rubado
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