Worcester Railers

History

On January 26, 2015, reports indicated the Worcester Sharks would move to San Jose and share SAP Center at San Jose with their parent club, the San Jose Sharks; these reports were confirmed on January 29. Unlike other markets that received ECHL teams after AHL relocations in 2015, Worcester did not initially get a replacement. On February 8, 2016, the ECHL announced an expansion team for Worcester, set to begin play in the 2017–18 season. The team is owned by Cliff Rucker, with Toby O'Brien initially serving as president and general manager, though O'Brien left in May 2016 for an NHL job and was replaced as president by former Worcester Sharks executive Mike Myers. The team became the ECHL's first franchise in Massachusetts and second in New England after the Manchester Monarchs. Early reports indicated the ownership group considered Whitehawks, Railers, and Blast as names; the name and logo were unveiled on April 3. On September 12, 2016, Jamie Russell was announced as the team's first head coach and general manager, having previously served as head coach of the Elmira Jackals from 2014 to 2016. At the end of the 2016–17 season, the team announced its first affiliation with the New York Islanders (NHL) and Bridgeport Islanders (AHL). The Railers played their first game on October 14, 2017, defeating the Monarchs 4–3 at the DCU Center before a crowd of 12,135; forward Wade Murphy scored the first goal in franchise history. The Railers qualified for the playoffs in their first season, losing to the Adirondack Thunder in the first round. They finished last in the North Division in the 2018–19 season. The 2019–20 season began with four wins in the first 15 games, leading to the firing of head coach Jamie Russell, who was replaced by David Cunniff, previously an assistant with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Railers voluntarily suspended operations for the 2020–21 ECHL season. On June 18, 2024, assistant coach Bob Deraney was promoted to head coach for the 2024–25 season, while Savannah Ghost Pirates assistant coach and director of player development Nick Tuzzolino was hired as associate head coach and the organization's first-ever general manager. On December 14, 2024, Deraney resigned as head coach to assume duties as head of scouting, and Tuzzolino was named the new head coach.