New Season Excitement

It won't hit until about September but fans and media members alike will miss the excitement and anticipation of a new hockey season getting underway. 

Who's starting the year in Worcester? What will the incoming draft class look like? Which players will step up this year? 

All those fun questions that are talked about at the beginning of the year will be missed. 

Sharks in the Community

Whether its volunteering at the Worcester Nativity School or participating in  "Reading is Cool" events at local elementary schools, the Worcester Sharks have done alot for the community 

The Worcester Sharks, and their mascot Finz, will be missed in the community. 

For a schedule of the Sharks upcoming community outings, click here. 

Photo Courtesy of worcestersharks.com

Special Promotions

Bobblehead nights, $2 Friday's, the Red Sox World Series trophy are just a few of the many special promotion nights the the Worcester Sharks have held. 

Nothing puts a smile on adults and kids faces then going to a game and leaving with a new collectible bobblehead, cool picture or a new team poster. 

To see all of the Worcester Sharks promotions, click here. 

DCU Will Miss Home Games

While the DCU Center has plenty of events coming up like WWE and Marvel Universe, they will miss the consistency of the Sharks home games every weekend or at worst every other weekend from October to April or May. 

Also, the Sharks leaving means that third phase of the renovations will likely not happen anytime soon.

The third part of the renovations will included  new seating in the arena, a new concourse, bathrooms and elevators, as well as a sky bridge that connected the DCU Center to the adjacent Hilton Garden Inn hotel.

To read more on the DCU Center, click here. 

For a full list of DCU Center Events click here

Affordable Family Fun

While going to Boston, or any other NHL city, to see a game is a lot of fun, it's also very expensive for an entire family to go to on a consistant basis. $50 + a ticket for reasonable seats, plus parking plus food and drinks adds up. 

Meanwhile, families can go see the Worcester Sharks play for as low as $17 a ticket and see great hockey and have just as much fun. 

Sharks games make for a great family night out and now with the Sharks leaving, families will have to find new activities. 

Celebrity Appearances

From TD Garden legend Rene Rancourt singing the national anthem to New England sports celebrity's like the Bruin's Daniel Paille to Patriots players Jonas Grey and Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler, the Worcester Sharks have brought in many guests, not only this year but throughout their history. 

The guests have signed autographs and taken pictures with fans. 

The celebrity appearences have been a huge draw for the Sharks and that will be missed.

Seeing Future NHL Stars

The Sharks have been the development team of the San Jose Sharks since 2006 and during this period, there have been some great NHL players to come though Worcester. 

Maybe the biggest name being Joe Pavelski who played for Worcester in 2006-07 and is still in the system, playing for San Jose. Pavelski was on the U.S. Olympic hockey team that competed in Sochi. 

Other big names include Sandis Ozolinsh who played for Worcester in 2007-08 and won the Stanley Cup in 1996 and being a Norris Trophy Finalist in 1997. 

Jonathan Cheechoo and Logan Couture are among several other NHL players that have come through Worcester. 

Seeing future stars is a big thrill for fans and that will certianly be missed. 

Photo courtesy of Niknackphotographs/flickr

Local Businesses

Local business in the area will miss the Sharks because the Sharks bring them business. 

Family's coming in for dinner before or after a game, fans going out for drinks before or after the game will all be missed. 

Also, the local businesses will miss the promotions the Sharks ran that involved them and helped them get business. 

Last Professional Team

The Worcester Sharks are the last professional team in the city and with them leaving, the city of Worcester will be left without a professional sports team. 

While there has been talk of getting another team here, it seems like it could be awhile. 

"I can say they are all extremely committed in getting another team in here as soon as possible. Right now I believe there is a bit of a lull, because NHL and AHL teams are either preparing for playoffs, or shutting down their teams and players, and doing exit interviews at this time," Sharks booster club president Rich Lundin told GoLocal. 

Pro Hockey

The last time Worcester did not have a professional hockey team was 1993. That was the year before the Worcester IceCats arrived (1994) and ended a long stretch of time in which no professional hockey was played in Worcester as the Worcester Warriors left in 1956. 

The IceCats left for Illinois in 2005 but Worcester did not miss a hockey season as the Sharks started in 2006. 

Now the Sharks are leaving and Worcester will be left without a hockey team. 

While Boston is not far away, nor is Providence, there is nothing like having a pro hockey team in your own town. 

In their stay, the Sharks have made it to the playoffs four times and finished first in thier division once (2009-10).