WORCESTER, Mass. - As the new calendar year starts, the Worcester Railers said they're excited to turn their clocks back to the 1990s for a weekend honoring the Worcester IceCats and the start of 30 years of professional hockey in the city of Worcester.

“It's an exciting time for our fans to get nostalgia and bring back some cool jerseys," Mike Myers said. "From the 01-02 season.”

The Railers are ready for a throwback IceCats weekend; from the sweaters, to the familiar faces.

“I was on the initial team in 1994-95. Wow, 30 years ago. Pretty exciting," Shawn Heaphy said. "I was coming from Vegas. I'd never heard of Worcester. But we had a lot of fun.”

Shawn Heaphy’s single season with the IceCats was the team’s inaugural year. Originally from Canada and meeting his now wife in Worcester, he said he’s proud to be a part of the history of hockey in the city.

“There was a lot of excitement in the town," Heaphy said. "You know, we had games where there were 12,000 fans in the arena. It was a really great experience. And real interesting, you know, being the foundation of hockey in Worcester for the next 30 years.”

“It's amazing," Myers said. "It's been 30 years.”

Railers Chief Operating Officer Mike Myers remembers attending the Ice Cats opening night in 1994, and he’s been a part of growing the game in the area for decades.

“To see the evolution and be part of it, I did a lot of work with the IceCats through their time here, and obviously worked with the Sharks, and it's just fun to look back on the evolution," Myers said. "I think fun for everybody. It's fun for our staff, fun for our fan base and, and certainly fun for the players to be a part of.”

Heaphy said the growth of youth hockey in the area and players like the Railers current Captain Anthony Repaci, who reminds him of his teammate Terry Virtue who played six seasons in Worcester and held the nickname “Mr. Ice Cat", are vital to having a hockey culture in town.

“I think Anthony's kind of taking the torch from Terry Virtue in that, in that manner where he's involved in the community, he's a recognizable figure," Heaphy said. "And I think that's healthy for the fan base and really important for minor league hockey organizations.”

And as the Railers prepare to honor the team who started it all 30 years ago, Myers said it’s always been about community.

“Worcester hockey is community first," Myers said. "And I think that goes from the guys playing for the fans in the stands, but also getting out there, and being a part of our community, living in our community and really giving back, everything that we can from the front office to the hockey staff, everybody, gets involved and, we're really proud of that.”

The Railers’ IceCats games will be this Friday and Saturday, and they said they're looking forward to a weekend packed of nostalgia and hosting multiple generations of Worcester hockey fans.