Worcester IceCats

{{Pro hockey team

| bg_color = background:#003366; border-top:#001479 5px solid; border-bottom:#339999 5px solid;

| text_color = Black

| team = Worcester IceCats

| logo = Worcester-Ice-Cats.png

| logosize = 150px

| city = Worcester, Massachusetts

| league = American Hockey League

| operated = 1994–2005

| arena = Worcester Centrum

| colors = Teal, blue, silver
{{color box|#339999}} {{color box|#001479}} {{color box|silver}}

| owner =

| GM =

| coach =

| captain =

| media =

| affiliates = St. Louis Blues (NHL),
Ottawa Senators (NHL),
New York Islanders (NHL)

| name1 = Quebec Beavers

| dates1 = 1932–1935

| name2 = Springfield Indians

| dates2 = 1935–1951

| name3 = Syracuse Warriors

| dates3 = 1951–1954

| name4 = Springfield Indians

| dates4 = 1954–1967

| name5 = Springfield Kings

| dates5 = 1967–1974

| name6 = Springfield Indians

| dates6 = 1974–1994

| name7 = Worcester IceCats

| dates7 = 1994–2005

| name8 = Peoria Rivermen

| dates8 = 2005–2013

| name9 = Utica Comets

| dates9 = 2013–2021

| name10 = Abbotsford Canucks

| dates10 = 2021–present

| reg_season_titles = 1: (2000–01)

| division_titles = 2: (1996–97, 2000–01)

| conf_titles =

| championships =

| calder_cups =

}}

The Worcester IceCats were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the Worcester Centrum (Renamed to the DCU Center in 2004). In 2005 the team was renamed the Peoria Rivermen and moved to Peoria, Illinois.

History

The IceCats got their start when original New York Islanders owner Roy Boe purchased the Springfield 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 no National Hockey League team affiliation.{{cite news |title=Blues announce affiliation with Worcester |date=1995-05-23 |agency=United Press International |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/05/23/Blues-announce-affiliation-with-Worcester/9760801201600/ |access-date=2024-05-04}} Immediately following the end of the 1994–95 season, Boe and head coach/General Manager Jim Roberts closed an affiliation deal with the St. Louis Blues. From that point on the IceCats would be the Blues' premier minor league team. The Peoria Rivermen of the East 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 the St. Louis Blues. The team celebrated its tenth season in the AHL in fall 2003.

On November 9, 2004, the St. Louis Blues announced the sale of the IceCats to the owners of their ECHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen. The new owners moved the franchise to Peoria, Illinois, for the 2005–06 season.{{Cite web|date=November 9, 2004|title=Blues Agree to Sell Worcester IceCats|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/blues-agree-to-sell-worcester-icecats/n-3099733|access-date=October 19, 2021|website=OurSports Central|language=en}}

:This franchise was previously known as: Springfield Indians (1926–1994)

:The franchise became known as: Peoria Rivermen (2005–2013)

:This franchise was replaced by: Worcester Sharks (2006–2015)

Affiliates:

St. Louis Blues (1995–2005)
New York Islanders (1995–1996)
Ottawa Senators (1996–1998)

Season-by-season results

=Regular season=

Season	Games	Won	Lost	Tied	OTL	SOL	Points	Goals for	Goals against	Standing
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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

=Playoffs=

Season	1st round	2nd round	3rd round	Finals
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
1994–95	colspan="4"\|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	colspan="4"\|Did not qualify

^† Lost in preliminary round.

Team records

=Single season=

Goals: 38 Eric Boguniecki and Justin Papineau (2001–2002)
Assists: 46 Eric Boguniecki (2001–2002)
Points: 84 Eric Boguniecki (2001–2002)
Penalty minutes: 337 Sylvain Blouin (1999–2000)
GAA: 2.13 Curtis Sanford (2003–2004)
SV%: 0.929 Dwayne Roloson (2000–2001)

=Career=

Career goals: 79 Marc Brown
Career assists: 154 Terry Virtue
Career points: 210 Terry Virtue
Career penalty minutes: 1083 Terry Virtue
Career goaltending wins: 65 Curtis Sanford
Career shutouts: 10 Curtis Sanford
Career games: 455 Terry Virtue

=Franchise scoring leaders=

These are the top ten point-scorers in IceCat's franchise history.

''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points;

class="wikitable"
style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold; background:#ddd;"\| \| style="text-align:left;"\| Player	Pos	GP	G	A	Pts
style="text-align:center;" \| style="text-align:left;"\| Terry Virtue	D	455	56	154	210
style="text-align:center; background:#eee;" \| style="text-align:left;"\| Jame Pollock	D	270	63	104	167
style="text-align:center;" \| style="text-align:left;"\| Marc Brown	LW	303	79	81	160
style="text-align:center; background:#eee;" \| style="text-align:left;"\| Eric Boguniecki	C	141	69	86	155
style="text-align:center;" \| style="text-align:left;"\| Jeff Panzer	C	210	62	84	146
style="text-align:center; background:#eee;" \| style="text-align:left;"\| Justin Papineau	C	162	66	77	143
style="text-align:center;" \| style="text-align:left;"\| Stephane Roy	C	208	61	78	139
style="text-align:center; background:#eee;" \| style="text-align:left;"\| Daniel Corso	C	187	54	85	139
style="text-align:center;" \| style="text-align:left;"\| Marty Reasoner	C	122	57	68	125
style="text-align:center; background:#eee;" \| style="text-align:left;"\| Blake Evans	C	253	52	73	125

Team captains

Jim Nesich, 1994–1995
Roy Mitchell, 1995–1996
David Williams, 1996–1997
Terry Virtue, 1997–1998
Ricard Persson, 1997–1998
Geoff Smith, 1998–1999
Jason Widmer, 1998–2000
Bryan Helmer, 1999–2000
Ed Campbell, 2000–2002
Eric Nickulas, 2002–2003
Jeff Panzer, 2003–2004
Mike Mottau, 2004–2005

Notable IceCats

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References

External links

[http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/teamseasons.php?tid=305 The Internet Hockey Database - Worcester IceCats]

Category:1994 establishments in Massachusetts

Category:2005 disestablishments in Massachusetts

Category:Defunct ice hockey teams in Massachusetts

Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1994

Category:Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2005

Category:Ice hockey teams in Worcester, Massachusetts

Category:Ottawa Senators minor league affiliates