One day after the end of their 2025-26 season, the Worcester Railers Hockey Club named a new team president.David Aitken, vice president of ticket sales and corporate partnerships, is now leading the ECHL franchise based at Worcester’s DCU Center, the team announced Monday. Prior to joining the Railers in July 2023, Aitken formerly served as the director of ticket sales for the Rochester Americans, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres, while also serving as director of ticket sales for the Rochester Knighthawks, a professional box lacrosse team playing in the National Lacrosse League, according to his LinkedIn profile. Aitken spent seven years with the Cleveland Monsters, an AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He graduated from State University of New York Cortland with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. Aitken replaces Kim Golinski in the role. Golinski took over as team president in August 2024, leading the franchise through the past two seasons. Golinski said she didn’t have any announcements on her next career move.Kim Golinski“I appreciated my time at the Railers and look forward to my next adventure,” Golinski said.After a steady year-over-year attendance decline following their inaugural 2017-18 season, when the team averaged 4,393 fans, the Railers saw growth over the past two seasons under Golinski.Average attendance increased from a low of 3,666 during the 2023-24 season to 4,000 in the 2024-25 season and 4,034 in 2025-26, with this year’s attendance putting the Railers 22nd of the 30 ECHL teams. The Railers’ season concluded Sunday with a 4-3 overtime win at DCU Center against the Adirondack Thunder of Glen Falls, New York. The makeup game, originally canceled by the short-lived ECHL players’ strike in December, drew 6,121 fans. The Railers missed the ECHL playoffs this season, with their last playoff appearance coming in their inaugural 2017-18 season. The Railers are owned by Cliff and Susan Rucker, the respective founder and co-founder of Beverly-based Rucker Investments. Rucker Investments owns the Worcester Palladium, among other real estate assets, and launched the Auxilium Worcester innovation studio and accelerator in Downtown Worcester in 2025.Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the real estate and banking & finance industries.
