Photo | Courtesy of Ben Schenck
Kelly Pup, a four-year-old Aussiedoodle, has taken to the ice at the DCU Center in stride.
Updated: 5 hours ago
The Dog Edition
Most valuable puppy: Hockey executive’s dog a star on the ice
Photo | Courtesy of Rich Leblanc
Kelly Pup, the dog of Worcester Railers Chief Operations Officer Michael Myers
Photo | Courtesy of Rich Leblanc
Kelly roams the DCU Center.
Photo | Courtesy of Rich Leblanc
While the Railers already have Trax, a mascot who is a dog, Kelly serves as an unofficial ambassador for the club.
Photo | Courtesy of Rich Leblanc
Thanks to growing up at a home with a backyard rink, Kelly is a pro on the ice.
When Worcester Railers Chief Operating Officer Michael Myers isn’t chasing the Kelly Cup, the championship trophy for winning the ECHL playoffs, he’s likely to be chasing after Kelly Pup, his four-year-old mini Aussiedoodle – the unofficial mascot for the hockey club.
Myers, who originally joined the Railers in 2016 as team president, got Kelly in 2021 after searching for a hypoallergenic dog he could potentially bring into work. Her name is not a coincidence and has helped bring her more attention in the world of minor league hockey.
“Our goal is to win the Kelly Cup, but now we have the Kelly Pup in the meantime,” Myers said. “We just had some league consultants in to do some training of staff. For one of them, it was their first time meeting Kelly, and they were like ‘Hey, I’ve heard about her!’”
Myers was already projecting a high ceiling for Kelly’s career from day one, as she was displaying all the tools of a highly sought-after prospect.
“She started exhibiting early on that she had the ability to be an office dog,” Myers said. “She was very appropriate. She would bark at home, but wouldn't bark in the office, and she was very trainable. Fun loving, smart, allergenic, she sort of checked off all these boxes.”
Kelly’s office is a bit more exciting than just a bunch of cubicles. With Myers leading all aspects of the club’s hockey operations, she gets to spend some time traveling with the team and venturing onto the ice. Adopted into a family featuring three hockey-loving boys, Kelly was already a pro at navigating the playing surface by the time she arrived at the DCU Center, Myers said.
Photo | Courtesy of Ben Schenck
Kelly gets to travel the country with her owner, Railers executive Michael Myers.
“We have a backyard rink, so we’ve always had her on the ice,” he said. “The first time she saw ice, she got on there and never looked back. We have pucks for her that are already chewed a little bit, so that she can chase those and doesn't ruin our game or practice pucks.”
Kelly seems to know when people are feeling down and could use a dog to pet, and she always makes sure to do the morning rounds at the office, Myers said.
“During our staff meetings, she goes from leg-to-leg while they’re sitting, visiting each person,” he said. “It’s just a nice thing. It’s therapeutic.”
Kelly has assembled a whole wardrobe of promotional jerseys in her time with the Railers.
“They’re actually made from the same stuff the guys are wearing,” Myers said.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
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