Nick Pennucci Jr. carries on his late father's hockey legacy with the Worcester Railers
WORCESTER — Some may call it a hunch.
Others, a pipe dream.
But as a kid, Nick Pennucci Jr. told his late father, Nick Sr., that someday he’d play hockey at the DCU Center. His dad’s response: “If you continue to work hard and really chase your dreams, you can play on that ice one day.”
The Worcester native turned that dream into a reality on Friday when Pennucci stepped foot on the DCU Center ice surface as a member of the Worcester Railers in a 5-4 shootout win over the Trois-Rivières Lions
“It came true,” Pennucci, 24, said. “I just know that would’ve been (my dad’s) Super Bowl.”
An icon for hockey in Worcester
Growing up in Grafton Hill, Pennucci spent most of his childhood at Buffone Arena.
His father, who previously worked at Marlborough’s Navin Arena and New England Sports Center, served as manager of the hockey epicenter on Lake Avenue for 24 years.
“His dad was so important to the fabric of Worcester hockey,” Railers chief operating officer Mike Myers said.
“His father was an icon,” Railers assistant coach Bob Deraney said. “An institution for Worcester hockey.”
On Aug. 17, 2020, while on furlough from his job at Buffone due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nick Sr. suffered a heart attack and died. He was 58 years old.
“He made everyone feel at home wherever they met him,” Meg Pennucci, wife of Nick Sr. and mother of Nick Jr., told the T&G in 2020. “Whether it was in our home, whether it was at the rink, whether it was just someone he happened to bump into. He was a guy who welcomed people and had a big heart.”
“Nick Jr. is his legacy,” Myers said.
Pennucci puts pen to paper
While running a practice with the U-14 Junior Railers Hockey Club last Thursday, Pennucci had an inkling the Railers were interested in signing him.
After all, Pennucci spent training camp with the team, and the Railers needed reinforcements at forward. So the former Worcester State University hockey standout suited up in full gear to join the junior team he coaches in conditioning drills.
“The joke was that ‘practice was for Coach Nick’ that day,” Pennucci said with a laugh.
A day later, Pennucci put pen to paper and signed an ECHL contract with the Railers. Welcome home, kid.
“This is a big deal,” said Deraney, who also coached Pennucci at Worcester State. “To have a local kid (sign with the Railers), he’s earned this, this isn’t a gift. He’s earned this.”
Living out a childhood dream
No stranger to the DCU Center, Pennucci and his family have owned season tickets throughout the years to Worcester IceCats, Sharks and Railers games. Pennucci even played at the rink on Foster Street twice in high school (with St. Peter-Marian) and once in college.
But the experience felt a little different Friday when the 5-foot-10, 190-pound forward — donning a No. 7 Railers jersey — made his professional hockey debut in his hometown.
“When I took my first shift, you could really hear the DCU light up,” Pennucci said.
“The excitement around him playing just shows you how important he and his dad, and his family, have been to Worcester hockey,” Myers said. “So it was just a very special moment for all of us.”
Pennucci and his father’s usual seats in the DCU were left empty, with Worcester jerseys draped over them, while many of Pennucci’s family and friends, and a slew of former teammates and coaches, cheered on as the local 24-year-old helped the Railers beat the Lions.
It was a surreal evening for Pennucci and his family.
“It was very emotional for me because his dad would’ve been over-the-moon proud of him, and I’m that proud of him,” his mother said. “It’s something that we did for so many years, and we thought maybe Nick will play here some day, and for Nick to actually play was just so wonderful for all of us.”
“I’m currently living in my dream of a hockey world,” Pennucci said.
A dream that Pennucci mentioned to his father many years ago. “Everything starts with a little bit of belief,” he said.
Now Pennucci is holding true to his word. His father would be proud.
“This would’ve been his Stanley Cup,” Pennucci said.
—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Nick Pennucci carries on late father's legacy with Worcester Railers
