Warm welcome: Railers supporters come out strong in DCU Center opener
Worcester ECHL franchise aims to build community brand and winning hockey, and appears to be accomplishing both
Joe McDonald
WORCESTER — When the hometown coach wears a scally cap on the bench during Opening Night, the message is clear: The Worcester Railers mean business.
Railers fans have been clamoring for hockey after a nearly two-year layoff due to COVID-19, so David Cunniff’s choice in headwear seemed appropriate for the Heart of the Commonwealth.
“It says he better win,” Railers owner Cliff Rucker said with a smile.
The Railers responded with a 4-3 victory over the Maine Mariners (Boston Bruins' ECHL affiliate) in front of 10,508 in attendance Saturday night at DCU Center.
The Railers’ theme during the league shutdown, and especially now that the game is back, focuses on community. The team found creative ways to stay engaged and actually built its brand. The organization’s dedication was evident with the turnout for Opening Night.
“It means a lot to the community. People want to have some sense of normalcy and the ability to get together in a safe way is a wonderful thing for a lot of people, the team, the community, the staff, the players — everybody,” Rucker said.
Plenty of atmosphere before game
The celebration begin two hours before puck drop outside the DCU Center with music blaring and fans excited for the start of a new season. Fans enjoyed a block party and then an entertaining hockey game.
“It’s great to have hockey back,” Railers chief operating officer Mike Myers said. “It’s validation that after that long layoff you’re able to keep pace and keep relevant and keep in the public eye with different community initiatives. We really beefed the team up during the offseason to be able to fill the building again. It shows this is a hockey town.
"This fan base wants to see hockey back, and it’s nice in this crazy time of COVID and everything around us that schools, businesses and families still want to come out and still want to participate in activities like sporting events.”
The community presence was strong Saturday night, including many youth hockey teams and other local organizations in attendance.
In fact, there were 4,500 group tickets sold for Opening Night, along with another 1,500 season ticket-holders in the building. There also was a surge in full-season flex packs and sponsors leading up to the season. It was all on display Saturday night.
“You want to keep pace, and our goal is always to knock it out of the park on Opening Night and then run downhill from there,” Myers said. “Everybody in this building, if they have a great time tonight, they’re going to want to come back for another game, and that’s our goal from Day 1 to game No. 36. We want to provide a nice, family-friendly and affordable night out in the middle of winter.”
Sure, the pomp and circumstance is important, and fans enjoy the family atmosphere, but the product on the ice needs to be relevant. This level of hockey tends to be about the entertainment, but the Railers said they want to also focus on winning.
Pursuing a winner, a championship
“We have an owner who has made it very clear that winning is something we need to do, and it’s something that has alluded us the past three years,” Myers said. “In (2017-18) we had a good run and reached the playoffs, but we want to bring a championship to Worcester.”
That’s the No.1 goal.
It’s still too early in the season to know the exact identity of the Railers, but the owner’s message is also clear that he wants a solid product on and off the ice.
“First and foremost, we are part of the community, so I want them to represent the team to the community in an appropriate way, in an appropriate fashion to give back,” Rucker said. “And, I want to win. We have two principles: We want to make a big impact in the community, and we want to win the Kelly Cup. What do I want my team to do? I want them to win.”
After an impressive pregame ceremony that focused on the Railers community accomplishments during the pandemic, it was time for hockey after a 595-day hiatus. The DCU Center was packed. It was full of energy, and fans were thrilled to participate.
“We’re proud of that,” Rucker said. “We’d like to continue to do our part.”
After the final buzzer sounded and the Railers had their first victory of the 2021-22 season, a fan walked by Myers and said, “What a great night. Thank you.”
Hockey is back. Maybe the team’s next giveaway should be scally caps.
Contact Joe McDonald at JMcDonald2@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeyMacHockey
