The team’s head coach is Roy Sommer, who has been the coach since 2006 and has the longest tenure of any coach currently in the AHL. Under his guidance, the team has won a division title, and has made it to the playoffs three times in eight seasons.
History:
The main AHL franchise in Worcester prior to the Sharks was the Worcester IceCats, who remained in the city from 1994-2005. But in November 2009, it was announced by the team’s NHL affiliates, the St. Louis Blues, that they were selling the team to the Peoria Rivermen, their ECHL affiliates. As a result the team moved to Peoria, and Worcester was without an ice hockey team for the first time since 1994.
The people of Worcester rallied and lobbied to get another franchise in the city after the IceCats’ departure. After negotiating with a number of NHL teams, it was finally decided in 2006 that the San Jose Sharks would move their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Barons to Worcester and the new franchise would be named the Worcester Sharks.
AHL Journey:
The team had a relatively successful first season in the AHL and made it all the way to the playoffs, where they were knocked out in the first round by the Manchester Monarchs, after an intense six games series. The team posted a .581 winning percentage and immediately established themselves as top team in the league.
However, things did not work out so well for the team in their second season, as they slumped to sixth in their division and missed out on the playoffs. With a .469 percentage; this has been their worst season to date.
The team returned to winning ways in the 2008-2009 season and posted a .544 regular season percentage to proceed to the playoffs. They beat the Hartford Wolf Pack 4-2 in the first round before losing to the Providence Bruins in the second round.
However the seeds had been sown for a strong assault on the title and at the start of the next season, the Sharks came out swinging. The team dominated their division and posted their first hundred point plus (104) season in the league. With a highly impressive .650 winning percentage, they won their first division championship as well. However, the team’s hopes of progressing to the Calder Cup finals were shattered by the Manchester Monarchs, who beat them in a keenly contested 4-2 series.
Following that season, the team has seen a dip in form and over the last three seasons has been unable to qualify for the post-season. However, every new season is a new story, and perhaps this season the team will once again return to winning ways.