Wheeling Nailers
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| Wheeling Nailers | |
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| Founded | 1988 |
| Home ice | WesBanco Arena |
| Based in | Wheeling, West Virginia |
| Colors | Black, Red, Vegas Gold |
| League | ECHL |
| Head coach | Glenn Patrick |
| General manager | Jim and Rob Brooks |
The Wheeling Nailers are an ECHL ice hockey team based in Wheeling, West Virginia.
One of the oldest low-minor league hockey teams surviving, the franchise began play as the Carolina Thunderbirds in 1988, as an original ECHL franchise based in Winston-Salem. They won the first ECHL playoff championship, then known as the Jack Riley Cup, defeating the Johnstown Chiefs, 4-3. They became the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds in 1990 and moved to Wheeling in 1992. After a trademark dispute with the junior league Seattle Thunderbirds, the club became the Nailers for the 1996-97 season in a fan vote. The team colors are black, red, and Vegas gold.
While they were still the Wheeling Thunderbirds, members of the team in 1994-95 also participated in the filming of the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie "Sudden Death". Because of the NHL lockout, the scene where Van Damme's character attempts to stop a bomber from bombing Mellon Arena during Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals was filmed with players from the Chiefs and Thunderbirds.
The team plays at the WesBanco Arena (formerly the Wheeling Civic Center). After missing the playoffs for five straight seasons, they had a 106-point season in 2003-04. They were defeated by the Reading Royals in 5 games, 3-2. In season 2005-06 they had a great season making it to the second round of the playoffs losing to Toledo in the final second of the final game.
The Wheeling Nailers are the ECHL Affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL and Richmond Renegades of the SPHL [1]
[edit] Main Rival
The Nailers main rival inside the ECHL is the Johnstown Chiefs.
Miscellaneous:
The Wheeling Nailers played Toledo in the final round of the North Division Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Toledo Storm beat the Nailers in the series (4-3) with a heartbreaking win in the last seconds of the final game.
[edit] Current Roster
As of December 31, 2006. Numbers taken from ECHL website. [1]
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Catches | Date of birth | Place of birth | |
| 1 |  |
Kevin Schieve | L | March 28, 1980 | Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada |
| 29 |  |
Andy Franck | L | July 4, 1981 | Lakewood, Ohio, USA |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Shoots | Date of birth | Place of birth | |
| 2 | |
Mark Malone | R | September 1, 1982 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
| 4 | |
Bernie Chmiel | L | February 12, 1982 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
| 5 | |
Grant McNeill | L | June 8, 1983 | Vermillion, Alberta, Canada |
| 6 | |
Cody Blanshan | L | February 14, 1984 | Eagan, Minnesota, USA |
| 10 | |
Curtiss Patrick | L | December 8, 1979 | Hampton, Virginia, USA |
| 16 | |
Chris Brooks | R | June 2, 1982 | New York, New York, USA |
| 22 | |
Ryan Moren | R | January 8, 1980 | Lakeville, Minnesota, USA |
| 28 | |
Paul Bissonnette | L | March 11, 1985 | Welland, Ontario, Canada |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Position | Shoots | Date of birth | Place of birth | |
| 8 | |
Ned Havern | F | R | October 1, 1982 | Arlington, Massachusetts, USA |
| 11 | |
Richard Colwill | RW | R | January 26, 1982 | Fergus, Ontario, Canada |
| 13 | |
Joe Guenther | F | L | May 4, 1981 | Buffalo, New York, USA |
| 14 |  |
Bo Cheesman | F | R | June 1, 1981 | Guilford, England, United Kingdom |
| 15 | |
Jon Foster | F | R | March 3, 1982 | Suffern, New York, USA |
| 19 | |
Jordan Cameron | F | L | March 25, 1982 | Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada |
| 20 | |
Eric Sonnenberg | F | L | April 16, 1982 | Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada |
| 21 | |
Vin Hellemeyer | LW | L | February 26, 1982 | Franklin Square, New York, USA |
| 24 | |
David Mitchell | F | December 15, 1984 | Miramichi, MB | |
| 26 | |
Jon Smyth | F | L | January 20, 1982 | Markham, Ontario, Canada |
| 27 | |
Justin Depretis | F | R | July 25, 1982 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Staff Member | |||||
| Head Coach | Glenn Patrick | |||||
| Assistant Coach | Ryan Patrick | |||||
| Trainer | Jerry Duncan | |||||
| Equipment Manager | Billy Higgins | |||||
| ECHL | |
| 2006-07 teams: Alaska Aces | Augusta Lynx | Bakersfield Condors | Charlotte Checkers | Cincinnati Cyclones | Columbia Inferno | Dayton Bombers | Florida Everblades | Fresno Falcons | Gwinnett Gladiators | Idaho Steelheads | Johnstown Chiefs | Las Vegas Wranglers | Long Beach Ice Dogs | Pensacola Ice Pilots | Phoenix RoadRunners | Reading Royals | South Carolina Stingrays | Stockton Thunder | Texas Wildcatters | Toledo Storm | Trenton Titans | Utah Grizzlies | Victoria Salmon Kings | Wheeling Nailers | |
| Planned 2007-08 teams: Mississippi Sea Wolves | |
| Trophies and Awards: Patrick J. Kelly Cup | |
| Related Articles: NHL | AHL | CHL | SPHL | UHL | World Cup | |
