| Worcester IceCats | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Worcester, Massachusetts |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Operated | 1994–2005 |
| Home arena | Worcester Centrum |
| Colors | Teal, blue, silver |
| Affiliates | St. Louis Blues (NHL), Ottawa Senators (NHL), New York Islanders (NHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1932–1935 | Quebec Beavers |
| 1935–1951 | Springfield Indians |
| 1951–1954 | Syracuse Warriors |
| 1954–1967 | Springfield Indians |
| 1967–1974 | Springfield Kings |
| 1974–1994 | Springfield Indians |
| 1994–2005 | Worcester IceCats |
| 2005–2013 | Peoria Rivermen |
| 2013–2021 | Utica Comets |
| 2021–present | Abbotsford Canucks |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1: (2000–01) |
| Division titles | 2: (1996–97,2000–01) |
TheWorcester IceCats were a professionalice hockey team in theAmerican Hockey League. They played inWorcester, Massachusetts, at theWorcester Centrum (Renamed to theDCU Center in 2004). In 2005 the team was renamed thePeoria Rivermen and moved toPeoria, Illinois.
The IceCats got their start when originalNew York Islanders ownerRoy Boe purchased theSpringfield Indians AHL franchise and moved it to Worcester in the summer of 1994. The team began play in the Fall of 1994 with a collection of free-agent players but as yet with noNational Hockey League team affiliation.[1] Immediately following the end of the 1994–95 season, Boe and head coach/General ManagerJim Roberts closed an affiliation deal with theSt. Louis Blues.[1] From that point on the IceCats would be the Blues' premier minor league team. ThePeoria Rivermen of theEast Coast Hockey League, in turn, became the IceCats' minor league affiliate in 1998, having been with St. Louis before the 1994 Worcester deal. During the 2000–01 season, Boe sold the IceCats to theSt. Louis Blues. The team celebrated its tenth season in the AHL in fall 2003.
On November 9, 2004, theSt. Louis Blues announced the sale of the IceCats to the owners of their ECHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen. The new owners moved the franchise toPeoria, Illinois, for the 2005–06 season.[2]
Affiliates:
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | SOL | Points | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | 80 | 24 | 45 | 11 | 0 | — | 59 | 234 | 300 | 6th, North |
| 1995–96 | 80 | 36 | 28 | 12 | 4 | — | 88 | 242 | 244 | 2nd, North |
| 1996–97 | 80 | 43 | 23 | 9 | 5 | — | 100 | 256 | 234 | 1st, New England |
| 1997–98 | 80 | 34 | 31 | 9 | 6 | — | 83 | 267 | 268 | 4th, New England |
| 1998–99 | 80 | 34 | 36 | 8 | 2 | — | 78 | 237 | 260 | 4th, New England |
| 1999–00 | 80 | 34 | 31 | 11 | 4 | — | 83 | 249 | 250 | 3rd, New England |
| 2000–01 | 80 | 48 | 20 | 9 | 3 | — | 108 | 264 | 205 | 1st, New England |
| 2001–02 | 80 | 39 | 33 | 7 | 1 | — | 86 | 245 | 218 | 3rd, North |
| 2002–03 | 80 | 35 | 27 | 15 | 3 | — | 88 | 235 | 220 | 3rd, North |
| 2003–04 | 80 | 37 | 27 | 13 | 3 | — | 90 | 207 | 186 | 3rd, Atlantic |
| 2004–05 | 80 | 39 | 34 | 3 | 4 | — | 85 | 212 | 223 | 5th, Atlantic |
| Season | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | Did not qualify | |||
| 1995–96 | L, 1–3,Portland | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | L, 2–3,Providence | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | W, 3–1,Springfield | L, 3–4,Hartford | — | — |
| 1998–99 | L, 1–3,Providence | — | — | — |
| 1999–00 | W, 3–1,Portland | L, 1–4,Hartford | — | — |
| 2000–01 | W, 3–1,Lowell | L, 3–4,Providence | — | — |
| 2001–02† | L, 1–2,Manitoba† | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | L, 0–3,Binghamton | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | W, 4–2,Manchester | L, 0–4,Hartford | — | — |
| 2004–05 | Did not qualify | |||
† Lost in preliminary round.
These are the top ten point-scorers in IceCat's franchise history.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points;
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts |
| Terry Virtue | D | 455 | 56 | 154 | 210 |
| Jame Pollock | D | 270 | 63 | 104 | 167 |
| Marc Brown | LW | 303 | 79 | 81 | 160 |
| Eric Boguniecki | C | 141 | 69 | 86 | 155 |
| Jeff Panzer | C | 210 | 62 | 84 | 146 |
| Justin Papineau | C | 162 | 66 | 77 | 143 |
| Stephane Roy | C | 208 | 61 | 78 | 139 |
| Daniel Corso | C | 187 | 54 | 85 | 139 |
| Marty Reasoner | C | 122 | 57 | 68 | 125 |
| Blake Evans | C | 253 | 52 | 73 | 125 |
Nickname(s):The City of the Seven Hills,The Heart of the Commonwealth,Wormtown,Woo-town,The Woo | ||
| Topics |  | |
| Education | ||
| Government | ||
| History | ||
| Museums | ||
| Sports teams | ||
