From Division III to the DCU, Worcester’s own Nick Pennucci ’23 continues to impress

By the time Nick Pennucci was five years old, he was already skating and learning to play ice hockey, an activity that would quickly grow into a lifelong passion.

His late father, Nick Pennucci Sr., was a legendary figure in the city’s bustling hockey community. He managed the Buffone Skating Arena ice rink on Lake Avenue for more than two decades and was the driving force behind the start of his son’s playing career. “It’s almost like I didn’t have an option,” said Pennucci. “I was always gonna be a rink rat.”

Now, the Worcester State alum is making his own mark on the local hockey scene. Pennucci made headlines in January for his appearance in two games with the Worcester Railers, the city’s ECHL hockey club. The experience was a dream come true for him, and the result of a lifetime of hard work and dedication.

Pennucci learned how to skate on the same rink that his father managed, and he hasn’t given up the sport for a moment since. “From that point on, I just fell in love with it.” Growing up, Pennucci was constantly involved in youth hockey in and around Worcester. He played high school hockey at Saint Peter-Marian and played for a number of travel teams in his adolescence, including the NorthStars and South Shore Kings AAA youth hockey clubs.

After graduating high school in 2017, Pennucci stayed local for college and joined the Worcester State University men’s hockey team. He looks back on his time with his fellow Lancers as some of his most enjoyable moments playing the sport. “College hockey was the best playing experience of my life,” said Pennucci. “My closest friend group is from my college hockey team.” Pennucci graduated in 2023 with a degree in communication.

Pennucci had a productive and successful playing career at Worcester State. As a forward for the Lancers, he finished with 20 goals and 25 assists across four seasons and appeared in the MASCAC Championship in the 2022-2023 season. When he graduated, he was not yet ready to hang up his skates. “I loved the group of guys I played with, but I knew I wanted to keep going.”

After a summer of training, Pennucci participated in the Worcester Railers training camp in October, 2023. His hometown team was the only one that he tried out for. The experience put him on the team’s radar, but it would be several months before he got the chance to suit up.

Pennucci’s opportunity came on January 5, 2024, when he was offered a contract to play for the Worcester Railers. The team needed a forward with strong physicality and a sound knowledge of the game, which is exactly what he brought to the table. “He’s a very determined hockey player,” said Railers Assistant Coach Bob Deraney. “He’ll do whatever it takes to get to the puck.”

A major selling point for the Railers was Pennucci’s knowledge of the team’s system. Deraney, a longtime coach of collegiate hockey, was the head coach of men’s hockey at Worcester State from 2021 to 2023 and knew that Pennucci was familiar with the style of play that the Railers were looking to execute. “The system that we played at Worcester State was the type of play that Coach Smotherman wanted to play,” said Deraney. “It was a seamless transition for him to go from Worcester State to the Railers.”

Pennucci has played in two games for the Railers, including a 5-4 victory against the Trois-Rivières Lions at Worcester’s DCU Center, an exhilarating back-and-forth contest that ended with the Railers claiming victory in a shootout. The arena, which Pennucci has spent countless hours in as a fan, was packed with familiar faces who were there to see him play. “I looked up into the stands and saw a lot of friends and family in the seats,” said Pennucci. “The nerves kind of dissolved.”

Pennucci is currently an alternate with the team, meaning he does not yet have a permanent roster spot. If he keeps working hard and maintains his determination, Deraney says that a return to the team is always a possibility. “He just has to continue to grow his game, and if he continues to do that, you can see him being back with us,” said Deraney.

In addition to pursuing his own athletic career, Pennucci works to inspire the next generation of hockey players and give something back to the sport he loves. He coaches at the Worcester Ice Center, the local epicenter of hockey for athletes of all ages, where he is the head coach of the Worcester Junior Railers U14 Select Team. “Hockey was my first real passion. I like helping young kids that I see in my situation,” he said. Pennucci spends around 20 hours every week coaching youth hockey.

According to Deraney, the same traits that allow Pennucci to excel as a hockey player make him an effective mentor and leader. “The one thing he’ll do is give those young people entrusted to his care everything he has, every day,” said Deraney. “I think he understands that he’s using the game of hockey to teach life lessons and help these young people grow, not only as hockey players, but as people as well.”

As a Worcester State alumnus, Pennucci remains an active supporter of Lancer men’s ice hockey. He is a frequent guest at team fundraising events, and his contribution of charitable gifts has helped to raise hundreds of dollars for the men’s ice hockey fund. “There is a momentum around fundraising for men’s ice hockey,” said Louise Taylor, director of Gift Planning and Scholarships for University Advancement, “and part of that is because of Nick.”

Pennucci’s recent games with the Railers are only the beginning for him. Whether as a player, coach, or combination of both, he simply cannot foresee a future without hockey in it. “There’s no getting away from it for me,” said Pennucci with a chuckle. “It’s in my blood.”

Photos by Matt Wright ’10