By Bill Ballou

WORCESTER – A season ago, the Railers played their best hockey in the third period and overtime and their fans’ motto was, “Don’t leave early.”

This season’s advice might be, “Don’t arrive late.”

With Matt DeMelis setting a city pro hockey record by scoring 15 seconds after the opening faceoff, Worcester went on to beat the Maine Mariners, 4-2, in the first game of its ninth ECHL season.

DeMelis skated down the middle of the ice after getting control of the puck in the neutral zone and found some space. He beat Maine goalie Luke Cavallin with a short backhander.

Newcomer Sam Stange, Jordan Kaplan and Declan McDonnell had the other Railers goals as Parker Gahagen was once again a stalwart in net. He made 26 saves as the Mariners outshot the home team.

The triumph was the 1,000th in the city’s professional hockey history.

DeMelis’ goal was stunning in how fast it happened. It meant that the Railers led for a span of 59:45, a record. It also meant they had scored on two consecutive shots on goal going back to last season.

Worcester ended 2025-26 on an sudden death overtime goal by Gleb Veremyev.

“We had been talking about it as a team,” DeMelis said, “how we wanted to get off to better starts this season.”

The goal was the earliest to begin a season in Worcester pro history. I

Mike Maneluk scored for the IceCats 21 seconds into the first period on Jan. 19, 1997 vs. Albany— believe it or not, that made the score 1-1.

Mike Iggulden holds the Sharks record scoring 35 seconds into the game on March 31, 2007.

Worcester’s goals were not down-and-dirty. DeMelis converted a short breakaway. Kaplan and McDonnell had longer ones. Stange beat Cavallin from between the circles.

Kaplan’s breakaway also started in the neutral zone. He scored with a nice move and a shot under the crossbar. Kaplan had some time to plan.

“It depends on what side of the ice I’m on,” he said of the breakaway. “I try to have a few things I go to.” Defenseman Michael Suda set up the goal with a quick pass to send in his teammate.

Jack Bar and Owen Gallatin had the Maine goals. Bar finished a 2 on 1 at 7:54 of the third period. McDonnell, coming out of the penalty box, made it 4-1 less than a minute later.

Gallatin’s goal came on a power play at 16:11.

There were a lot of minor penalties called. The teams combined for 12 power plays and the Railers killed six of seven.

“Chris (Rumble) did a great job with that group on the penalty kill,” coach Nick Tuzzolino said. “They were lights out. They were gonna press in the third and we knew that. Yes, we were in our own zone a lot in the period but other than the penalty kill (Maine) didn’t have many Grade A chances.”

The victory snapped the Railers’ two-game Opening Night losing streak. They are 6-3-0 in openers all-time, 5-2-0 at the DCU Center.

MAKING TRACKS – The Railers play Trois-Rivieres at 3:05 Sunday afternoon. It will be Worcester’s last home game of the month. … This was the first of 14 meetings between the Railers and Mariners during the regular season. … Among the weekend roster moves was the release of defenseman Will van der Veen. … Anthony Repaci, who played every game last season, missed this one. He was behind the Railers bench in jacket-and-tie, though, along with Tuzzolino and Rumble. … The Railers had more goals, four, than assists, three. … Stange joined a long list of players scoring in their first game for Worcester. … DeMelis is the ninth different player in nine seasons to score the team’s first goal of the year. … Connor Doherty is back from Florida, returning to the Mariners. He wore his traditional Number 28. … Attendance was 5,879. … Maine had a goal disallowed late in the second period. It was ruled to have been directed in by a skate.

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