WORCESTER — The Worcester Sharks are back.
Well, at least for one night this upcoming hockey season.
On Wednesday, the Worcester Railers announced they will host their first “Worcester Sharks Night” on Jan. 31, 2026, at the DCU Center. They’ll be facing the Wheeling Nailers that night starting at 6:05.
“There has been a growing call from our fanbase to commemorate the Sharks’ time here in Worcester,” said Railers chief operating officer Michael Myers in a press release from the team. “We felt that being 10 years removed from their departure that it’s time to celebrate the impact the Sharks had on hockey in Central Massachusetts and their contributions to Worcester pro hockey. In addition to the team’s local impact, the Sharks developed a number of players in their time here that went on to shape the current professional hockey landscape through scoring goals, setting records and winning championships.
“We look forward to celebrating this chapter of Worcester hockey lineage with our fans this season.”
The Railers, the ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, are heeding Worcester hockey history and by paying homage to the Worcester Sharks, who skated for nine years at the DCU Center. On Jan. 4, the Railers celebrated 30 years of professional hockey in Worcester by hosting IceCats Night, a nod to the city’s first AHL team — the Worcester IceCats — and three decades of hockey in the Heart of the Commonwealth.
“The IceCats laid the foundation that has made Worcester a true hockey town,” Myers told the T&G earlier this year.
The Worcester Sharks resided at the DCU Center and played in the American Hockey League from 2006 to 2015 following the relocation of the San Jose Sharks’ prior affiliate, the Cleveland Barons. The Worcester Sharks relocated to San Jose to become the San Jose Barracuda in 2015.
Through their affiliation with San Jose, the Worcester Sharks hosted a number of players who went on to impactful careers in the NHL, including Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Yanni Gourde, Tomas Hertl, Barclay Goodrow, Thomas Greiss, Alex Stalock, Andrew Desjardins, Matt Irwin, Justin Braun, Dylan DeMelo, Jason Demers, Jonathan Cheechoo and current New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche, among others.
And, in nearly six months, the Railers will honor their roots when they host “Worcester Sharks Night.” Additional details surrounding the night will be revealed closer to the date of the celebration.
—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.