Stephanie Ramey and Railers Plans

SPORTS & SPORTS & FITNESS FITNESS

‘I HAVE TO TAKE A CHANCE’ STEPHANIE RAMEY JOINS THE RAILERS

JASON SAVIO

The Worcester Railers were getting their game on track just as COVID-19 hit and derailed them. But with a new team president on board, the future is looking bright for the WooTown skaters.

“The season was cut short, and it was unexpected,” said Railers Team President Stephanie Ramey. “What’s really tough for this team is that, especially in terms of the fanbase, they were building a lot of momentum. Some of their best-attended games had been later in the season, so I think they were expecting to really grow and develop that fan base.”

The Railers’ season and momentum were put to a halt on March 14 when the Easter Conference Hockey League’s Board of Governors decided to cancel the rest of the regular season and playoffs due to coronavirus concerns, leaving 11 matchups on the Railers’ schedule unplayed. Seven of those games were on the team’s home ice at the DCU Center.

Good news came for the team soon after, however, when Ramey was named the team’s new president in April, taking over for former President Michael Myers. A Worcester native, Ramey was born and raised, “for the most part,” in the city and is a graduate of Worcester State University.

“Worcester is near and dear to my heart,” she said. “Through my childhood, I’ve watched this city develop, and I’ve been very proud to see how far it has come in more recent years.”

Prior to her position with the Railers, Ramey was the executive director of local tourism bureau Discover Central Massachusetts. Because of her past experience working in tourism, Ramey said, she is familiar with the Worcester market and is in sync with the visitor experience. “Being able to connect with visitors on a more intimate basis was a very attractive idea,” she said of deciding to take the job with the Railers. “Sometimes an opportunity comes your way that is so unique and once in a lifetime that you think to yourself ‘I have to take a chance and do this’ and really try something new. That’s what this was.”

Bringing Ramey into the fold also allowed Michael Myers to move into a chief operating officer position. Ramey admits that the team has been struggling performance-wise for the past couple of years (they finished last in their division this past season), but the transition between her and Myers gives Myers the opportunity to “better engage with the coaching staff and be more involved in the actual game-side of things.”

She refers to the dynamic between the two of them as a “collaborative partnership.”

“Mike is really going to help set the tone for the team in terms of performance to bring us to the point where we can go for that Kelly Cup,” Ramey said. “And I’m here to really focus on the visitor experience, the marketing and relationship developments. I think, between the two of us, that partnership is a winning combination and will help this business in all facets.”

Starting her career as team president during a pandemic hasn’t been ideal for Ramey, but she and the team are making the most of an unexpected situation.

The Railers have stayed involved in the community through the Food for Frontliners program, purchasing more $16,000 of food and delivering it to organizations in Central Massachusetts, according to Ramey. The team also purchased $1,000 worth of gift certificates that were given to 41 local small businesses as part of the Worcester Railers Small Business Power Play initiative. In June, the Railers received the 2019-2020 ECHL Community Service Award for the second year in a row, thanks, in part, to Food for Frontliners and Small Business Power Play and other programs, like the Skate to Success program, which introduces fourth-grade students at Worcester Public Schools to ice-skating.

As the community still deals with COVID-19, Ramey said it’s hard to say what the Skate to Success program will look like this year or what the upcoming hockey season will entail for the Railers.

Opening Day is still scheduled for Dec. 4, for a full 72- game schedule, and Ramey said that they are still waiting for direction from Governor Charlie Baker’s office on when they can go ahead and open the doors of the DCU Center again.

One promising detail that Ramey makes note of is that the audience set-up for a hockey game at the DCU Center accommodates more than 12,000 people. The average number of people who attend a Railers game is “floating around the 4,500 mark,” providing enough space for social distancing should there be a need.

“We’re ready and willing to take whatever protocols are necessary to ensure that our players are safe, our staff is safe, and our attendees are safe,” she said. “We’re excited to welcome everybody back, and we’re ready for a season. Our staff has been on board and working tirelessly to ensure this season far exceeds any of their expectations.”

For more, visit railershc.com.