2008 Woodie Awards
Good-bye Ice Cats, Hello DCU
James Fuccione
Issue date: 12/4/04 Section: Sports
The Worcester Centrum will never be the same, literally. The Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) purchased the naming rights from the city of Worcester for $5.2 million, which will last over a ten-year term. The Centrum will receive a minor facelift included in the deal that will consist of five new exterior signs and a DCU outlet with ATM machines and customer service inside the entrance area.
But that's only half the story.
Once the Worcester Ice Cats finish their current season, the only professional hockey team left in the state for certain will be the Springfield Falcons. Worcester's beloved American League Hockey club will move back to Peoria, Illinois and have their name changed to the Rivermen. The team was initially in Peoria prior to 1994 when they moved to Worcester.
"I'm optimistic that we can find another team, perhaps as early as 2005," said Sandy L. Dunn who is the general manager of the DCU Center. "We have proven ourselves as a viable market."
So what would those other potential teams be? Well, there is already AA hockey in Peoria (the Ice Cats are AAA) called-you guessed it-the Rivermen. It is unclear what will happen to them since the team plays in the same arena as the Ice Cats would. It is possible that this team or another team in the AHL or ECHL (East Coast Hockey League) could make their home in Worcester. DCU is also talking with other minor leagues, namely professional lacrosse and arena football. Believe it or not, the year the Ice Cats moved to Worcester was the same year that the Massachusetts Marauders played. Don't remember the Marauders? That's because they only existed for that one season in 1994 in the Arena Football League, but their home was the Centrum. The Marauders' record was 8-4 and they made it to the second round of the playoffs before losing to Orlando 58 to 51.
The Ice Cats are drawing an average of 5,000 fans per game, but the new owners, Anne Griffith and Bruce Sauer, believe that the team will do better in Peoria. They will be closer to their NHL affiliate, the St. Louis Blues. The Ice Cats have also been below the league average for ticket sales, according to Sauer, but that will assumedly change once they are closer to the parent club.