Worcester Railers are keeping the fun and games in minor league hockey

WORCESTER — The Worcester Railers hosted Marvel Super Heroes Night on Saturday at the DCU Center.

Really?

Yes, you read that correctly. The Railers wore specialty Thor sweaters, and some fans dressed as their favorite comic book character. The jerseys were auctioned off during the game.

Sound cheesy?

It was an interesting night of minor league hockey.

And it was fun.

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The Railers finished with a 2-1 victory over the Reading Royals in front of 4,822 fans. Worcester goalie Ken Appleby, the game's No. 1 star, had 35 saves, and Brent Beaudoin and Will Cullen had the Railer goals, both in the first period.

It’s tough for the Railers to compete for fans’ attention on a night when the New England Patriots played the Buffalo Bills in the NFL playoffs, and the Boston Bruins earlier in the day finished with an exciting 4-3 overtime win against the Nashville Predators. Still, it was a fun night of hockey at the DCU Center.

During my 20-plus years covering pro and college hockey, this is my first season reporting on the ECHL. I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve covered countless IceCats and Sharks games in Worcester, but this is my first experience with the Railers.

I’m here to tell you this organization is all about providing a winning and entertaining culture in Worcester. It starts with owners Cliff and Susan Rucker, team president Stephanie Ramey and COO Mike Myers, along with the entire staff that is dedicated to creating a legit product on and off the ice.

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Case in point: Saturday was scheduled to be a special night for the Pennucci family at the DCU Center. Local hockey legend Nick Pennucci was supposed to be honored in a pregame ceremony, but unfortunately due to COVID guidelines and protocols the event was postponed for later in the season. There was supposed to be an on-ice check presentation and ceremonial puck drop.

The Railers Foundation, and the team’s booster club, created a $10,000 endowed department fund for the Worcester State men’s hockey team to be used for a variety of resources for the program in Pennucci’s honor. The plan is to have the endowment in perpetuity

Pennucci passed away of a heart attack while watching his beloved Montreal Canadiens during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs in the midst of COVID on Aug. 20. The Railers are dedicated to keeping his hockey spirit alive in Central Mass.

There have been plenty of interesting story lines surrounding the Railers this season.

It started with the team’s home opener on Oct. 23 at DCU Center. Railers fans had been clamoring for hockey after a nearly two-year layoff due to COVID-19, and the hometown team didn’t disappoint in its 4-3 victory over the Maine Mariners in front of 10,508 fans.

Prior to the season, the Railers hired Julia Snow to serve as the team’s trainer. Snow, 25, of Worcester is the first female athletic trainer in the city’s pro hockey history. She grew up in Newton Square and attended Doherty High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Worcester State ,and then a master’s at Boston University. Snow has one of the most important jobs in the organization, and the Railers are thrilled to have her on the team.

On Dec. 13, Laura Schmidlein became the first female ECHL official when she worked the lines as the Railers hosted the Mariners. It was a special night for hockey, the league and the Railers.

On Jan. 2, local hockey standout Bobby Butler helped the Railers to a 5-3 win over the Reading Royals with a goal and two assists. Butler, 34, of Marlborough has 130 games of NHL experience, but hadn’t played in a game since 2019. It was a night made for a Hollywood script.

The Railers have endured an insane number of transactions this season due to COVID. In fact, on Jan. 5 the team already had 52 players through its roster in only 23 games. The lack of consistency with the lineup has made for some interesting lineups for Railers coach David Cunniff.

All of this, and plenty more have already occurred, and the Railers have played only 27 games of a 72-game schedule this season. There’s more to come, including Star Wars Night on Jan. 29. It may seem like typical minor league tactics, but that’s not the case.

The Railers are delivering major league entertainment, and it’s worth every penny to attend a game, even if you desire to dress like Captain America.

—Contact Joe McDonald at JMcDonald2@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeyMacHockey

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Railers are keeping the fun in minor league hockey