Wheeling Nailers

The Wheeling Nailers are a professional ECHL ice hockey team based in Wheeling, West Virginia. They are the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.

Wheeling Nailers
CityWheeling, West Virginia
LeagueECHL
ConferenceEastern
Founded1981 (in the ACHL)
Home arenaWesBanco Arena
ColorsBlack, Vegas gold, white
     
Owner(s)Hockey Club of the Ohio Valley
Head coachDerek Army
MediaWheeling News Register
WKWK-FM 97.3
WTRF-TV channel 7
WTOV-TV channel 9
AffiliatesPittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Franchise history
1981–1982Winston-Salem Thunderbirds
1982–1989Carolina Thunderbirds
1989–1992Winston-Salem Thunderbirds
1992–1996Wheeling Thunderbirds
1996–presentWheeling Nailers
Championships
Regular season titles2 (1992–93, 1994–95)
Division titles3 (1992–93, 1994–95, 2003–04)
Conference titles2 (1992–93, 2015–16)
Current season

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 won four consecutive regular season titles and were three-time Bob Payne Trophy winners as league champions.[1] In 1987, the ACHL folded and the team joined the All-American Hockey League for 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. For the 2012–13 season, the Nailers dropped the red-black-gold scheme they had used for nearly two decades in favor of a black-and-gold palette used by the Penguins.[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 Playoffs
SeasonGPWLTOTLSOLPtsGFGAStandingYearPrelim1st round2nd round3rd roundKelly Cup
Wheeling Thunderbirds
1992–93644016—8—883142231st, East1993—BYEW, 3–1, JHNW, 4–2, RALL, 2–4, TOL
1993–94683823—7—833272893rd, North1994—W, 2–0, NSHW, 3–1, HRL, 0–3, TOL—
1994–95684617—5—973132431st, North1995—L, 0–3, BIR———
1995–96704223——5892892612nd, North1996—W, 3–0, CLBL, 1–3, TAL——
Wheeling Nailers
1996–977036295——772982914th, North1997—L, 0–3, PEO———
1997–987037249——832552552nd, North1998—W, 3–2, DAYW, 3–1, TOLL, 2–4, HR—
1998–997027376——602062496th, Northeast1999Did not qualify
1999–20007025405——552022465th, Northeast2000Did not qualify
2000–017224408——561922775th, Northeast2001Did not qualify
2001–027236324——762132085th, Northeast2002Did not qualify
2002–037228413——591932616th, Northeast2003Did not qualify
2003–047251174——1062591881st, North2004BYEL, 2–3, REA———
2004–057238295——811711736th, North2005Did not qualify
2005–067245216——962471862nd, East2006BYEW, 3–1, REAL, 2–3, TOL——
2006–07723234—24702152557th, North2007Did not qualify
2007–08722243—34511862847th, North2008Did not qualify
2008–09723628—26802632604th, North2009—L, 3–4, CIN———
2009–10723332—25732402494th, North2010Did not qualify
2010–11723829—05812302102nd, North2011—W, 3–1, SCW, 4–3, GRNL, 2–4, KAL—
2011–12723726—46832192022nd, Atlantic2012—L, 1–3, KAL———
2012–13723129—39741932253rd, Atlantic2013Did not qualify
2013–14723927—15842161962nd, Atlantic2014—W, 4–0, SCL, 2–4, GRN——
2014–15723733—11762102134th, North2015—L, 3–4, TOL———
2015–16723726—54832142112nd, North2016—W, 4–2, FLAW, 4–3, REAW, 4–3, SCL, 2–4, ALN
2016–17723430—80762442395th, North2017Did not qualify
2017–18723528—81792482455th, North2018Did not qualify
2018–19723131—64722392406th, Central2019Did not qualify
2019–20592430—50531632066th, Central2020Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21682239—61511962417th, Eastern2021Did not qualify
2021–22723731—40782432473rd, Central2022—W, 4–3, FWL, 0–4, TOL——
2022–23722938—50632232445th, Central2023Did not qualify

Players and personnel

Current roster
Updated June 24, 2023.[7][8]
Team roster
No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Contract
32 United States Brad Barone G L 32 2023 Medfield, Massachusetts Nailers
– United States Philip Beaulieu D R 28 2023 Duluth, Minnesota Nailers
7 United States Davis Bunz D R 25 2022 Middleton, Wisconsin Nailers
21 Canada Cedric Desruisseaux C L 23 2022 Warwick, Quebec Nailers
38 Canada Wyllum Deveaux F L 23 2023 Sackville, Nova Scotia Nailers
6 Canada Sebastian Dirven D L 25 2023 Bainsville, Ontario Nailers
5 United States David Drake D L 28 2021 Naperville, Illinois Nailers
41 United States Tyler Drevitch C L 28 2020 Middleboro, Massachusetts Nailers
44 United States Brandon Fehd D L 32 2023 Gilbert, Arizona Nailers
– Canada Andrew Fyten C R 25 2023 Sundre, Alberta Nailers
15 United States Bobby Hampton C R 25 2021 Middletown, New Jersey Nailers
16 United States Cam Hausinger (A) RW R 24 2021 Anchorage, Alaska Nailers
14 Canada David Jankowski C R 26 2023 Dundas, Ontario Nailers
23 Canada Keltie Jeri-Leon RW R 23 2023 Kelowna, British Columbia Nailers
36 United States Matt Koopman C L 25 2023 Marblehead, Massachusetts Nailers
13 Canada Tanner Laderoute F R 26 2023 Three Hills, Alberta Nailers
11 United States Peter Laviolette F L 25 2022 Wheeling, West Virginia Nailers
12 United States Jarrett Lee F L 24 2023 Hibbing, Minnesota Nailers
– Canada Chris McKay D R 27 2023 Edmonton, Alberta Nailers
19 Canada Felix Pare RW R 23 2021 Levis, Quebec Nailers
13 United States Matthew Quercia F L 24 2022 Andover, Massachusetts Nailers
28 United States Louie Roehl D R 25 2022 Edina, Minnesota Nailers
3 United States Jordan Wishman D L 24 2023 Des Moines, Iowa Nailers

Head coaches

Notable NHL alumni

List of Wheeling Nailers/Thunderbirds alumni who played more than 25 games in Wheeling and 25 or more games in the National Hockey League.

Notes
1.^ The ECHL's Utah Grizzlies franchise also dates from 1981, but was dormant from 2003-2005.

References
  1. "A to Z Encyclopaedia of Ice Hockey". Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  2. "Wheeling Nailers". Chris Creamer's Sports Logos.net. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  3. Mastovich, Mike (April 2, 2010). "Arena confirms: Wheeling Nailers to play some games in Johnstown next year". The Tribune-Democrat.
  4. Press Release (August 1, 2011). "Annual ECHL Board of Governors meeting concludes". ECHL. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  5. Press Release (June 24, 2014). "Annual ECHL Board of Governors Meeting concludes". ECHL. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  6. Press Release. "Ownership Transfer Approved By ECHL". Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  7. "Wheeling Nailers playing roster". Wheeling Nailers. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  8. "Wheeling Nailers Elite Prospects". EliteProspects.com. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  9. Triveri, Frankie and David. "FRANCHISE HISTORY". Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2009.
  10. "Nailers Part With Coach". The Intelligencer and Wheeling News Register. April 11, 2018.
  11. "Nailers Name Mike Bavis as Head Coach". Nailers. August 7, 2018.
  12. "Nailers Begin Search for Next Head Coach". OurSports Central. March 30, 2020.
  13. "Nailers hire Mark French as coach". TribLive. June 8, 2020.
  14. "Mark French Resigns as Nailers Head Coach". OurSports Central. April 21, 2021.
  15. "Nailers Name Derek Army Head Coach, Remove Interim Tag". OurSports Central. June 4, 2021.
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