It is time for round three for Worcester hockey. The past two rounds started off well, but both rounds ended with Worcester hockey fans getting knocked down. Each time the team leaves, it stirs images of the fictional Chiefs leaving Charlestown in the movie Slap Shot starring Paul Newman. Teams leaving their loyal fans and breaking the fans heart on their way out.
GoLocalWorcester takes a look at the history of hockey in Worcester. The city is a great sports town and many claim it to be a top hockey town, but a recent ranking of the top hockey cities scores Worcester 63 out of 74 cities ranked.
The WalletHub study ranked Worcester especially poorly for college hockey — among the worst five cities for "least accessible college hockey stadiums” and “least friendly and engaged college hockey fans.”
Two Broken Hearts
From 1994 to 2005, Worcester was home for the IceCats, but after a bad year the St. Louis Blues decided to pack up their pucks and move to Peoria, Illinois. Worcester and the DCU Center put on and were able to land the Sharks, but again a decade later that team left.
A New York Times article about the hockey in Worcester published in April of 2015 after the announcement of the Sharks leaving wrote:
“When they finally announced it, it was almost like a nail in the coffin,” said Chris O’Shea, a Sharks fan. “It’s devastating because this is my life.”
Worcester has experienced loss before. In 1994, the Worcester IceCats were born and played to sellout crowds. But as attendance dwindled, the St. Louis Blues, the IceCats’ parent organization, moved the club to Peoria, Ill., in 2005.
Photo courtesy of Worcestersharks.com
Worcester hockey fans are not the only residents fearing a life without the Sharks. Viva Bene, the restaurant that hosted the pregame party this month, often experienced a bump in business on game days, according to its manager, Keivan Mizrahi.”
Sadly, Viva Bene closed as a result of bankruptcy after 23 years.
Yet Another Team
Now, Worcester is being presented with a new team. Monday, the EHCL announced they were awarding a team to Worcester. The EHCL is a level of hockey significantly lower than the IceCats and Sharks that played in the AHL. The league is double AA hockey and unlike the AHL which shuffles players between their rosters NHL rosters all season, the ECHL is comprised of affiliated teams and independent teams alike.
As Worcester Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tim Murray told GoLocalWorcester last April, "Everyone recognizes the DCU as one of the better facilities in the AHL. Three thousand on average in attendance is respectable. By and large, if you're able to bring in the right type of ownership group, I think there's the right opportunity here in Worcester."
For the DCU Center, hosting a team is critical to the viability and mission of the building. The challenge is that fans in Central Massachusetts are used to the talent and rivalries of the AHL and now will be presenting an expansion team in a lower level of play. The question is will Central Massachusetts lend their heart to another team and a lower level of talent. Time will tell.
Related Slideshow: A History of Hockey in Worcester
Worcester's 1st Pro Hockey Team, Worcester Warriors
The Worcester Warriors played their first season as part of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). The Warriors played their games at Worcester (Webster Square) Arena.
In their first season, under Head Coach John "Hans" Marsden, the Warriors went 3-17 and finished in last place.
Other Teams in the EHL that season included the Washington Lions, Clinton Comets, New Haven Blades and Baltimore Clippers.
The IceCats came to Worcester prior to the 1994-95 season and played their games at the Worcester Centrum.
The IceCats went 24-45-11 in their first season and finished in 6th place in the conference.
However, the IceCats would turn it around and make the playoffs in every season after that, except 2004-2005, but would never advance past the second round.
Notable players from the IceCats include goaltender Dwayne Roloson, enforcer Sylvain Blouin, Steve Staios, Dennis Wideman, Ladislav Nagy and Terry Virtue.
The Cleveland Barons were moved to Worcester and became the Sharks, the AHL Affiliate of the San Jose Sharks.
The Sharks played their first home game on October 14 in front of a sold out DCU Center.
In their first season, Worcester went 41-28-3 (OT Loss)- 8 (shootout Loss) and made the playoffs. The Sharks lost to the Manchester Monarchs in the first round.
Worcester Crusaders Merge With the Worcester Junior Sharks
The two organizations combined bring in more than 550 kids and just over 92 USA Hockey certified coaches.
The Worcester Junior Sharks program is structured to allow each player to develop and test their skills at three distinct levels of competition (House, Travel and AAA Elite)
For more information on the Junior Sharks, click here.
The American Hockey League announced that at seasons end, the Worcester Sharks would be packing up and going across country to become the San Jose Barracuda.
The move was made so that the San Jose Sharks would be able to call up and send down players easier.
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It