It's official: Sharks leaving Worcester
FILE PHOTO/The Worcester Sharks celebrate a goal at the DCU Center.
The American Hockey League made official Thursday what fans had been hearing for about a week: The Worcester Sharks are relocating to San Jose, Calif.
The Sharks, an affiliate of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, are leaving to become part of a new Pacific division, along with four other AHL franchises. Also moving to California for the 2015-16 season are teams in Manchester, N.H., Norfolk, Va., Glens Falls, N.Y., and Oklahoma City.
“The decision to move the Worcester franchise was extremely difficult,” Jon Gustafson, vice president of Sharks Minor Holdings LLC said in a Jan. 29 letter addressed to Sharks fans and partners.
“Similar to the relationship enjoyed by Providence and the Boston Bruins (along with dozens of other NHL teams), having our development team in the same time zone will offer a number of benefits to the team and its players,” he wrote.
He continued, “Let us be crystal clear that this decision should not be viewed as a negative reflection on the city of Worcester, the DCU Center or the passionate hockey fans of Worcester,” who he said have all be excellent partners and supporters. The distance between Worcester and San Jose “dramatically impacts our ability to play an active-hands-on role in our players’ development.”
The Sharks began playing in Worcester in 2006, after the Worcester Ice Cats left the city in 2004. The team won a division title in the 2009-10.
“We strongly believe Worcester is a solid professional hockey market,” Gustafson said in his letter.
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