Report: Worcester Sharks moving to San Jose
The Worcester Sharks celebrate a goal at the DCU Center.
The Worcester Sharks will play their last season in Worcester this year, according to multiple reports that the American Hockey League (AHL) team will move from Worcester to San Jose.
The minor league team will reportedly play at San Jose SAP Center in the 2015-2016 season, where its major-league affiliate, the San Jose Sharks, also plays, the San Jose Mercury News reported on Wednesday. The newspaper reported that the story broke on a Southern California hockey blog, Mayors Manor.
The move appears to be part of the AHL’s strategy to form a Pacific division made up of its top development teams, according to the Mercury News.
“There have been talks for a number of years about a Pacific division for the AHL," John Tortora, chief operating officer of the San Jose Sharks, told the newspaper. "The AHL and NHL are working cooperatively to find a solution. But there are still many steps to take and many issues remain unresolved."
The potential move is also part of a push by the AHL to relocate east coast teams closer to their West Coast National Hockey League affiliates.
The Sharks began playing in Worcester in 2006, after the Worcester Ice Cats left the city in 2004. The team won a division title in the 2009-10 season and is currently on an 8-game winning streak.
The move has not been officially confirmed by the league or the team, despite reports and weeks of speculation. A spokesman for the Worcester Sharks could not be reached for comment Thursday morning.
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