WORCESTER RAILERS HC ANNOUNCE CHRIS RUMBLE AS ASSISTANT COACH FOR 2025-26 SEASON

WORCESTER RAILERS HC ANNOUNCE CHRIS RUMBLE AS ASSISTANT COACH FOR 2025-26 SEASON

Rumble spent the past three seasons as a professional on-ice official.

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Worcester Railers Hockey Club (@RailersHC), proud ECHL (@ECHL) affiliate of the New York Islanders (@NYIslanders), and Head Coach & General Manager Nick Tuzzolino, announced today that the club has hired Chris Rumble as the team's assistant coach for the 2025-26 season.

Rumble, 35, comes to Worcester for his first stint as a professional hockey coach. Rumble spent the previous three seasons as an on-ice official in the American Hockey League, ECHL, Professional Women's Hockey League, and United States Hockey League. This followed a seven-year pro-career spanning the ECHL, AHL, DEL, Norway, and Austria as a defenseman.

"We’re very excited to have Chris aboard," Tuzzolino said. "Our relationship goes back many years to when we were playing together in Binghamton. He comes from a long family history of coaching and hockey knowledge, and we are super grateful to now have that wealth of knowledge and experience at our disposal.

"His unique path going from playing to refereeing to coaching offers a unique outlook on the game and a different perspective on how to handle certain situations. We are thrilled to have Chris' growing family be a part of the culture that we've built in Worcester."

Rumble played in 75 games in the ECHL, amassing 44 points (13G, 31A) from the blue line over three seasons between 2015-2017 with the Evansville Icemen and Wichita Thunder. He also scored 27 points (6G, 21A) in 56 games played for the Binghamton Senators before going overseas to play in Europe for the next five seasons. Rumble was an Atlantic Hockey America tournament champion with Canisius College during the 2012-13 season, helping to capture the program's first ever conference championship.

In addition to his playing and officiating career, Rumble has developed his coaching capabilities through summer clinics which he has run in the Buffalo area over the past 15 years.

"I'm eager to come to Worcester and continue the growth of the team that was initiated by Nick last season," Rumble said. "He's someone that I've done work with in the past and someone that I know has the same hockey mind as myself. His style of leadership is the new era of coaching, and he's someone I'm excited to learn from."

Rumble is the son of former Worcester IceCat Darren Rumble, who played in the city from 1999 to 2002 while recording 79 points (9G, 70A) in 152 games. Rumble played in 945 professional hockey games between the National Hockey League, American Hockey League, and International Hockey League.

"We're excited to have a legacy from Worcester Pro Hockey join our organization," Railers Chief Operating Officer Michael G. Myers said. "Chris has gone through a lot in his life and has a wide breadth of experience along with a unique path to getting behind the bench at the ECHL level. We look forward to seeing that experience carry us into the future."

"I'm really excited for the opportunity to come back to a city I've lived in before for three years," Chris Rumble said. "While three is short to some, it was the longest I had ever stayed in one place growing up. I enjoyed it here so much, that I have complete confidence bringing my family here. I know they'll enjoy it the same way I did."

Worcester Regional Airport is the official airport of the Worcester Railers HC and presenting partner of all Railers transactions.

The Worcester Railers HC 2025-26 Opening Weekend at the DCU Center is Sat., Oct. 18th and Sun. Oct. 19th vs. the Maine Mariners and Adirondack Thunder. The 508 Club is now on sale for the 2025-26 season! Get access to games this season, exclusive events and additional benefits by calling the Railers front office at 508-365-1750 or by visiting RailersHC.com.

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