A year after the Worcester Sharks moved away and left the city without an ice hockey team, Rucker announced he was making it his mission to keep hockey culture alive and well in Central Massachusetts.
Rucker, whose wife turned him into a Boston Bruins fan more than 30 years ago, spent years looking into team ownership and saw an opportunity in New England’s second largest city, with its new developments, including hotels and apartments.
Rucker – who made his millions founding an IT services company and heads a Beverly equipment leasing company – is part of a development team building a new two-rink hockey facility in the Canal District. The rink will be a practice site for the Railers and home ice for local schools and recreational hockey organizations.
Q&A
What will push the Central Massachusetts community forward?
We must maintain a continued focus on the revitalization of downtown Worcester.
How do professional sports impact Worcester’s image?
The Railers will provide a sense of identity and civic pride by offering affordable family fun while giving back to the community.
Gathered below are the other Central Massachusetts’ 2016 Power Players:
Standard Bearers:Â Long-time forces in the business community
- Timothy P. Murray, President & CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Mike Angelini, Chairman of Bowditch & Dewey
- The Crowleys, Owners & Shareholders of Polar Beverages & Wachusett Mountain Ski Area
- Sandy L. Dunn, General manager at the SMG/DCU Center
- Don Irving, President of Black Point Realty & Nichols Square LLC
Trail Blazers:Â Pioneers setting the latest economic trends
- Karim El-Gamal, Co-owner of the Rail Trail Flatbread Co./New City Microcreamery/
- Ed Moore, President & CEO of Harrington HealthCare System
- Girish Navani, CEO of eClinicalWorks
- Kevin O’Sullivan, President & CEO of Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, Worcester
- Alec Lopez & Sherri Sadowski, Owners of Armsby Abbey/Crust Bakeshop/The Dive Bar
Behind the Scenes:Â People in the background who keep the wheels turning
- Cheryl Lapriore, Chief of staff & chief marketing officer at UMass Memorial Health Care
- Gordon Lankton, Retired president of Nypro Inc.
- Ann T. Lisi, President & CEO of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation
- Kate McEvoy-Zdonczyk, Vice president of business development at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- Jim McGovern & Karyn E. Polito, U.S. Congressman & Lieutenant Governor
Next Wave:Â Forward thinkers ushering in the new economy
- Travis McCready, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
- Che Anderson, Project manager at the Office of the Worcester City Manager
- Jeannie Hebert, President & CEO of the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Dean Rohan, Co-founder & owner, Tree House Brewing Co.
- Christine Thomas, Development partner at XSS Hotels and Colwen Management
Gear Shifters:Â Up-and-comers breathing new life into old ideas
