Wheeling Nailers

Wheeling Nailers
2014–15 ECHL season
City Wheeling, West Virginia
League ECHL
Conference Eastern
Division North
Founded 1981 (In the ACHL)
Home arena WesBanco Arena
Colors

Black, Vegas gold, white

              
Owner(s) Hockey Club of the Ohio Valley
Head coach Clark Donatelli
Captain Shane Bakker
Media Wheeling News Register
WEGW 107.5 FM
WTRF-TV channel 7
WTOV-TV channel 9
Affiliates Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)
Franchise history
1981–82 Winston-Salem Thunderbirds (ACHL)
1982–87 Carolina Thunderbirds (ACHL)
1987–88 Carolina Thunderbirds (AAHL)
1988–89 Carolina Thunderbirds (ECHL)
1989–92 Winston-Salem Thunderbirds (ECHL)
1992–96 Wheeling Thunderbirds (ECHL)
1996– Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)

The Wheeling Nailers are an ECHL ice hockey team based in Wheeling, West Virginia. They are the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL.

The Nailers are the oldest surviving minor league franchise below the level of the American Hockey League, with unbroken continuity of franchise and never having missed a season of play.

Franchise history

The Nailers began play in 1981 in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League as the Carolina Thunderbirds based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Thunderbirds were hugely successful on the ice, winning four consecutive regular season titles and were three-time Bob Paine Trophy winners as league champions.[1] In 1987, the ACHL folded and the team joined the All-American Hockey League, which lasted just the 1987–88 season. The Thunderbirds, Virginia Lancers, and Johnstown Chiefs then became the basis for the East Coast Hockey League, now known as the ECHL. The Thunderbirds lost the first ECHL playoff championship final to the Toledo Storm. The team was renamed Winston-Salem Thunderbirds in 1990 and moved to Wheeling to become the Wheeling Thunderbirds in 1992 under the leadership of president and co-owner Ed Broyhill.

After a trademark dispute with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League, the team was renamed Nailers for the 1996–97 season when the franchise held a contest open to local fans, which was won by C. J. Wickham of Steubenville, Ohio. The name "Nailers" was chosen for the city's long history of nail manufacturing. After having colors of red, black and gold for the entirety of the team's history, the team colors changed to black and Vegas gold - mirroring their parent NHL Pittsburgh Penguins - since the 2012–13 season.[2]

The team plays at the WesBanco Arena (formerly the Wheeling Civic Center), and used the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, Pennsylvania as an alternative venue during the 2010–2011 and 2011-2012 seasons.[3] 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.

In August 2011, the Nailers moved to the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division as part of the league realignment for the 2011–12 season. The Chicago Express took the North Division spot vacated by the Nailers.[4] In June 2014 the Nailers returned to the North Division after the ECHL eliminated the Atlantic Division in its realignment for the 2014–15 season.[5]

On March 29, 2012, the ECHL announced that ownership of the Nailers would be transferred from the Brooks-owned Nailers Hockey LLC to the Hockey Club of the Ohio Valley, a joint venture of the Ohio Valley Industrial & Business Development Corporation, and the Wheeling Amateur Hockey Association,[6] to take effect at the conclusion of the 2011–2012 season.

Season-by-season results

Regular season

Season Games WonLostTiedOTLSOLPoints Goals
for 		Goals
against 		Standing
1992–93 644016—8—883142231st, East
1993–94 683823—7—833272893rd, North
1994–95 684617—5—973132431st, North
1995–96 704223——5892892612nd, North
1996–97 7036295——772982914th, North
1997–98 7037249——832552552nd, North
1998–99 7027376——602062496th, Northeast
1999–2000 7025405——552022465th, Northeast
2000–01 7224408——561922775th, Northeast
2001–02 7236324——762132085th, Northeast
2002–03 7228413——591932616th, Northeast
2003–04 7251174——1062591881st, North
2004–05 7238295——811711736th, North
2005–06 7245216——962471862nd, East
2006–07 7232346——702152557th, North
2007–08 722243—34511862847th, North
2008–09 723628—26802632604th, North
2009–10 723335—25732402494th, North
2010–11 723829—05812302102nd, North
2011–12 723726—46832192022nd, Atlantic
2012–13 723129—39741932253rd, Atlantic
2013–14 723927—15842161962nd, Atlantic
2014–15 723733—11762102134th, North

Playoffs

SeasonPreliminary1st round2nd round3rd roundKelly Cup finals
1992–93 —ByeW, 3–1, Johnstown W, 4–2, Raleigh L, 2–4, Toledo
1993–94 —W, 2–0, Nashville W, 3–1, Hampton L, 0–3, Toledo —
1994–95 —L, 0–3, Birgmingham ———
1995–96 —W, 3–0, Columbus L, 1–3, Tallahassee ——
1996–97 —L, 0–3, Peoria ———
1997–98 —W, 3–2, Dayton W, 3–1, Toledo L, 2–4, Hampton—
1998–99 Out of playoffs
1999–2000 Out of playoffs
2000–01 Out of playoffs
2001–02 Out of playoffs
2002–03 Out of playoffs
2003–04 —L, 2–3, Reading ———
2004–05 Out of playoffs
2005–06 —W, 3–1, Reading L, 2–3, Toledo ——
2006–07 Out of playoffs
2007–08 Out of playoffs
2008–09 —L, 3–4, Cincinnati ———
2009–10 Out of playoffs
2010–11 —W, 3–1, South Carolina W, 4–3, Greenville L, 2–4, Kalamazoo—
2011–12 —L, 1–3, Kalamazoo———
2012–13 Out of playoffs
2013–14 —W, 4–0, South Carolina L, 2–4, Greenville ——
2014–15 —L, 3–4, Toledo ———

Current roster

Updated October 26, 2014.[7]
# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Contract
16 United States Army, DerekDerek Army C R 24 2014 North Kingstown, Rhode Island Nailers
19 Canada Bakker, ShaneShane Bakker (C) C L 27 2013 Ottawa, Ontario Nailers
27 Canada Barss, TroyTroy Barss C L 25 2014 Barrie, Ontario Nailers
24 United States Blood, BenBen Blood D L 26 2014 Plymouth, Minnesota Nailers
23 Canada Brace, RileyRiley Brace LW L 23 2014 Woodlawn, Ontario Nailers
20 Canada Burton, JarrettJarrett Burton F L 24 2014 Echo Bay, Ontario Nailers
4 Canada Cianfrini, PaulPaul Cianfrini D L 26 2013 Dundas, Ontario Nailers
10 United States Fernandez, TylerTyler Fernandez F L 26 2013 Bloomfield, Connecticut Nailers
12 Canada Gilbert, DavidDavid Gilbert F L 24 2014 Chateauguay, Quebec Nailers
21 Canada Gill, SahirSahir Gill C L 23 2013 Terrace, British Columbia Nailers
98 Canada Johnson, ChazChaz Johnson (A) RW R 31 2013 Montreal, Quebec Nailers
7 United States MacKay, MaxMax MacKay RW R 24 2013 Salt Lake City, Utah Nailers
9 United States Makowski, DavidDavid Makowski D R 25 2014 Wildwood, Missouri Bulldogs
13 United States McGrath, PatrickPatrick McGrath RW R 22 2013 Shavertown, Pennsylvania Nailers
11 United States Murovich, TylerTyler Murovich C L 25 2014 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania W-B/Scranton
29 Canada Palazzese, FrankyFranky Palazzese G L 21 2014 Mississauga, Ontario Bulldogs
2 United States Ratchuk, MikeMike Ratchuk  D L 27 2013 South Buffalo, New York Nailers
17 Canada Rowney, CarterCarter Rowney F R 25 2013 Grande Prairie, Alberta W-B/Scranton
5 Canada Ruopp, HarrisonHarrison Ruopp D R 22 2013 Zehner, Saskatchewan Pittsburgh
3 Canada Sefton, JustinJustin Sefton D R 22 2014 Thunder Bay, Ontario Nailers
22 Canada Seymour, ClarkClark Seymour D R 21 2014 Brockville, Ontario W-B/Scranton
32 Canada Shutron, BenBen Shutron D R 26 2014 Orleans, Ontario Nailers
1 United States Wyer, JeffJeff Wyer G L 23 2014 Winchester, Massachusetts Nailers
8 Canada Yuen, ZachZach Yuen D L 22 2014 Vancouver, British Columbia Nailers

Nailers alumni

Head coaches

References

  1. ↑ "A to Z Encyclopaedia of Ice Hockey". Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  2. ↑ http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/list_by_team/1918/Wheeling_Nailers/
  3. ↑ http://tribune-democrat.com/sports/x993486041/Arena-confirms-Wheeling-Nailers-to-play-some-games-in-Johnstown-next-year
  4. ↑ Press release (August 1, 2011). "Annual ECHL Board of Governors meeting concludes". ECHL. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Annual ECHL Board of Governors Meeting concludes", ECHL, June 24, 2014. (accessed 24 June 2014)
  6. ↑ Press Release. "Ownership Transfer Approved By ECHL". Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Nailers Hockey - The Official Website". Wheeling Nailers. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  8. ↑ wheelingnailers.com. "NHL Alumni". Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  9. ↑ Triveri, Frankie and David. "FRANCHISE HISTORY". Retrieved July 13, 2009.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wheeling Nailers.