A Glance at the 2021-22 Season…

Last season:

• Record: 32-32-5-2 (.500), 71 pts
• Team Finish: Fifth place in North Division
• Playoffs: Did not make playoffs
• Record vs Division: 25-27-3-2 (.482)
• Record vs Conference: 26-29-3-2 (.475)
• Goals For Per Game: 3.20, 16^th in ECHL
• Goals Against Per Game: 3.45, 21^st in ECHL
• Power Play: 45 goals in 241 opportunities (18.7%), 15th in the ECHL
• Penalty Kill: 182 penalties killed out of 234 times shorthanded (77.8%), 24th in the ECHL

Scoring Leaders:

1. Jordan Smotherman (30-22-52)
2. Anthony Repaci (23-28-51)
3. Jacob Hayhurst (15-33-48)
4. Brent Beaudoin (14-26-40)
5. Nolan Vesey (12-28-40)

2022-23 Season Preview

The Worcester Railers went through a number of personnel changes during the offseason. The most notable bringing in former Captain Jordan Smotherman as head coach of the hockey club. After coming up short last season with just three points shy of securing a playoff spot, the Railers are once again in a position to compete for a spot in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Smotherman makes the career change from player to coach after leading the team in points with 52 points last season. A number of the team’s other scoring leaders Anthony Repaci, Jacob Hayhurst, Brent Beaudoin, and Nolan Vesey will be returning. The team acquired defensemen Philip Beaulieu and Jared Brandt as notable additions to the blue line. Amherst College’s Conor Breen and Shrewsbury’s Jack Quinlivan have made the team’s roster after successful training camps earlier this October. Ken Appleby and Henrik Tikkanen will be the goaltender tandem to begin the season, being assigned to Worcester from the New York and Bridgeport Islanders, respectively.

Local product Bobby Butler has also been re-signed after returning to playing hockey after a few seasons away and returning to play last season. Butler scored 16 points in 20 games as a late addition to the Railers during the 2021-22 campaign. He was officially named team captain on October 19, during one of the team’s member events. Butler is the only veteran player on the Railers’ opening-night roster, giving the team plenty of room to add a few later in the season.

For Worcester, a key for securing a strong playoff run will be strong division play with 61 of 76 games being played against North Division teams. Worcester will see the Adirondack Thunder the most at 17 times this season, Newfoundland Growlers 12 times, and Maine 11 times, but the teams to look out for will be Reading and Newfoundland who have been tough teams against Worcester. Worcester has a 6-18-1-1 record against Newfoundland and a 11-17-1-1 all-time record against Reading. The Norfolk Admirals join the North Division for the 2022-23 season, the two teams have met just once – a 6-1 victory for Worcester back on March 9, 2019.

Worcester will have a five-game homestand during December, hosting three games against the Idaho Steelheads, and have a season-long five game road-trip with stops in Norfolk, South Carolina, and wrapping things up with single games against Jacksonville and ECHL’s latest franchise – the Savannah Ghost Pirates to wrap up the month of February.

Notable Additions and Subtractions:

• + Phillip Beaulieu: Phillip Beaulieu is expected to have a big impact in on the blue line for Worcester, being acquired last season as a part of a future considerations trade which sent Nick Albano to the Allen Americans. He led all defensemen for Allen in his two seasons with the team, recording 61 points (13-48-61), in 102 games.
• +/- Jordan Smotherman: Making the most of his opportunity with Worcester, Smotherman opted to retire and take the head coach role with the organization, replacing David Cuniff. The former Railers Captain led the team with 52 points last season, so his leadership capabilities will transition for the team behind the bench.
• – Cole Coskey: Cole Coskey was assigned by the Bridgeport Islanders halfway through the 2021-22 season. Making a notable impact with the Railers’ offense through the second half of last season with 33 points (10-23-33) in 35 games. Coskey signed with the Kansas City Mavericks this off-season as a free agent.

Changes for the ECHL in 2022-23:

• Two-Referee Pilot: The Board of Governors approved utilizing a two-referee system for 25 percent of all League regular-season games during the 2022-23 Season. Each team will play nine home games where the two-referee system is used.
• ECHL teams can now dress an additional skater in their game lineups, bringing the total to 17 skaters and 2 goaltenders.
• Rule Change: Rule 76.4 (Face-offs) – At the eight face-off spots (excluding center ice), the rule has changed from the defending player to the attacking player shall choose whose stick goes down first in the designated white area.
• New Rule: Rule 23.9: Other Infractions That Could Result in a Game Misconduct – (iii) Uses language, taunts or gestures that are deemed discriminatory or derogatory in nature including race, gender, religion and sexual orientation.
• Mandatory meetings will now occur between coaches and officials one hour before every game. (Source: Jeff Marek, HNiC)

2022-23 Roster

ECHL teams can carry a maximum of 20 Players on the active roster, no more than 18 of whom may be skaters, at any one time. For the first 30 days of the regular season, teams can carry a maximum of 21 Players on the active roster, no more than 19 of whom may be skaters, at any one time.

Teams are permitted to carry up to two (2) Players at a time on the Reserve List, while an unlimited number of players can be placed on the 14-day Injured Reserve.

Forwards (13)

• Collin Adams [NYI]
• Brent Beaudoin
• Zack Bross [R]
• Bobby Butler [V]
• Blake Christensen
• Liam Coughlin
• Billy Jerry
• Jimmy Lambert [R] [BRI]
• Reece Newkirk
• Jack Quinlivan [R]
• Anthony Repaci [SPR]
• Quinn Ryan
• Nolan Vesey

Defensemen (7)

• Phil Beaulieu
• Jared Brandt
• Noah Delmas
• Christian Evers
• Connor McCarthy [BRI]
• Myles McGurty
• Jeff Solow

Goalies (2)

• Ken Appleby [NYI]
• Henrik Tikkanen [BRI] [R]

Recalled to AHL (6)

• Trevor Cosgrove [BRI] [R] – Recalled on 11/9/2022
• Steve Jandric [SPR – PTO]- Recalled on 11/17/2022
• Jacob Hayhurst [SPR] – Recalled on 11/14/2022
• Ryan MacKinnon [BRI] – Recalled on 11/8/2022
• Austin Osmanski – Recalled on 12/13/2022
• Blade Jenkins [R] [NYI] – recalled on 12/21/2022

No Longer on Active Roster (5)

• Conor Breen [R] – Released from SPC on 11/21/2022
• Joe Spagnoli – Released as EBUG on 11/10/2022
• Doug Pippy – Released as EBUG on 12/6/2022
• Joel Eisenhower – Released as EBUG on 12/7/2022
• Derek Osik [R] – Released on 12/16/2022

R = Rookie, less than 25 regular season games of professional hockey
V = Veteran, 260+ regular season games of professional hockey
NYI = New York Islanders contract
BRI = Bridgeport Islanders contract
SPR = Springfield Thunderbirds contract
IR = 14-day Injured Reserve
Res = Reserve

ECHL 2022-23 Critical Dates

 October 2022

6      Players may report to Training Camp for team meetings, registration, physicals, etc.

7      Training Camp opens, Members may begin on-ice sessions

19      Season-Opening Rosters due to League Office (3 p.m. ET)

21       ECHL regular season begins

November 2022

20        Active Rosters cut down from 21 to 20 (by 3 p.m. ET)

** We are currently at this point in the season **

December 2022

23        Christmas Waiver/Trade Freeze begins (5 p.m. ET)

24-26  Christmas Break (no games)

27         Christmas Waiver/Trade Freeze ends (12 p.m. ET)

January 2023

16    2022 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic (Norfolk, Virginia)

17-19  All-Star Break

20    Jersey Reversal Date

February 2023

15       Overseas Deadline (3 p.m. ET) & IIHF Transfer Deadline (6 p.m. ET)

March 2023

15    Recall/Assignment Deadline (11:59 p.m. ET)

16    ECHL Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)

April 2023

14        Last day to place Player on Waivers (5 p.m. ET)

16        Last day of 2022-23 ECHL regular season

17        Submission of Playoff Rosters due (3 p.m. ET)

19        2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs begin

June 2023

8        Protected Lists due (3 p.m. ET)

20        Future Considerations Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)

22         Season-Ending Rosters due (3 p.m. ET)

23         First day to sign contracts for 2023-24 Season

July 2023

7        Qualifying Offers due to Players (11:59 p.m. ET)

22       Qualifying Offer Acceptance Period ends (11:59 p.m. ET)

August 2023

8      Restricted Free Agency ends

2022-23 Schedule

A full breakdown of opponents this season:

17X – Adirondack Thunder (7 home, 7 away)
12X – Newfoundland Growlers (6 home, 6 away)
11X – Maine Mariners (5 home, 6 away)
8X – Norfolk Admirals (3 home, 5 away)
8X – Reading Royals (5 home, 3 away)
5X – Trois-Rivières Lions (2 home, 3 away)
4X – South Carolina Stingrays (3 home, 1 away)
3X – Idaho Steelheads (3 home)
2X – Greenville Swamp Rabbits (2 home)
1X – Jacksonville Icemen (1 away)
1X – Savannah Ghost Pirates (1 away)

A full promotional schedule can be found on the Railers website.

Affiliations

Note: Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets (and their AHL teams) have not declared official affiliations with ECHL teams.