Wheeling Nailers | |
---|---|
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 theββOhio Valley |
Head coach | Derek Army |
Media | Wheeling News Register WKWK-FM 97.3 WTRF-TV channel 7 WTOV-TV channel 9 |
Affiliates | Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) |
Website | wheelingnailers |
Franchise history | |
1981β1982 | Winston-Salem Thunderbirds |
1982β1989 | Carolina Thunderbirds |
1989β1992 | Winston-Salem Thunderbirds |
1992β1996 | Wheeling Thunderbirds |
1996βpresent | Wheeling Nailers |
Championships | |
Regular season titles | 2 (1992β93, 1994β95) |
Division titles | 3 (1992β93, 1994β95, 2003β04) |
Conference titles | 2 (1992β93, 2015β16) |
Current season |
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.
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 historyβ»
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. In 1987, the ACHL folded and the team joined the All-American Hockey League for the 1987β88 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 finalββto the Toledo Storm. The team was renamed Winston-Salem Thunderbirds in 1990 and movedββto 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 1996β97 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 2012β13 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.
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 2010β2011 and 2011-2012 seasons. After missing the playoffs for five straight seasons, they had a 106-point season in 2003β04. They were defeated by the Reading Royals in 5 games, 3β2. In season 2005β06 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 2011β12 season. The Chicago Express took the North Division spot vacated by the Nailers. In June 2014 the Nailers returned to the North Division after the ECHL eliminated the Atlantic Division in its realignment for the 2014β15 season.
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, to take effect at the conclusion of the 2011β2012 season.
Season-by-season resultsβ»
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA | Standing | Year | Prelim | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Kelly Cup |
Wheeling Thunderbirds | ||||||||||||||||
1992β93 | 64 | 40 | 16 | β | 8 | β | 88 | 314 | 223 | 1st, East | 1993 | β | BYE | W, 3β1, JHN | W, 4β2, RAL | L, 2β4, TOL |
1993β94 | 68 | 38 | 23 | β | 7 | β | 83 | 327 | 289 | 3rd, North | 1994 | β | W, 2β0, NSH | W, 3β1, HR | L, 0β3, TOL | β |
1994β95 | 68 | 46 | 17 | β | 5 | β | 97 | 313 | 243 | 1st, North | 1995 | β | L, 0β3, BIR | β | β | β |
1995β96 | 70 | 42 | 23 | β | β | 5 | 89 | 289 | 261 | 2nd, North | 1996 | β | W, 3β0, CLB | L, 1β3, TAL | β | β |
Wheeling Nailers | ||||||||||||||||
1996β97 | 70 | 36 | 29 | 5 | β | β | 77 | 298 | 291 | 4th, North | 1997 | β | L, 0β3, PEO | β | β | β |
1997β98 | 70 | 37 | 24 | 9 | β | β | 83 | 255 | 255 | 2nd, North | 1998 | β | W, 3β2, DAY | W, 3β1, TOL | L, 2β4, HR | β |
1998β99 | 70 | 27 | 37 | 6 | β | β | 60 | 206 | 249 | 6th, Northeast | 1999 | Did not qualify | ||||
1999β2000 | 70 | 25 | 40 | 5 | β | β | 55 | 202 | 246 | 5th, Northeast | 2000 | Did not qualify | ||||
2000β01 | 72 | 24 | 40 | 8 | β | β | 56 | 192 | 277 | 5th, Northeast | 2001 | Did not qualify | ||||
2001β02 | 72 | 36 | 32 | 4 | β | β | 76 | 213 | 208 | 5th, Northeast | 2002 | Did not qualify | ||||
2002β03 | 72 | 28 | 41 | 3 | β | β | 59 | 193 | 261 | 6th, Northeast | 2003 | Did not qualify | ||||
2003β04 | 72 | 51 | 17 | 4 | β | β | 106 | 259 | 188 | 1st, North | 2004 | BYE | L, 2β3, REA | β | β | β |
2004β05 | 72 | 38 | 29 | 5 | β | β | 81 | 171 | 173 | 6th, North | 2005 | Did not qualify | ||||
2005β06 | 72 | 45 | 21 | 6 | β | β | 96 | 247 | 186 | 2nd, East | 2006 | BYE | W, 3β1, REA | L, 2β3, TOL | β | β |
2006β07 | 72 | 32 | 34 | β | 2 | 4 | 70 | 215 | 255 | 7th, North | 2007 | Did not qualify | ||||
2007β08 | 72 | 22 | 43 | β | 3 | 4 | 51 | 186 | 284 | 7th, North | 2008 | Did not qualify | ||||
2008β09 | 72 | 36 | 28 | β | 2 | 6 | 80 | 263 | 260 | 4th, North | 2009 | β | L, 3β4, CIN | β | β | β |
2009β10 | 72 | 33 | 32 | β | 2 | 5 | 73 | 240 | 249 | 4th, North | 2010 | Did not qualify | ||||
2010β11 | 72 | 38 | 29 | β | 0 | 5 | 81 | 230 | 210 | 2nd, North | 2011 | β | W, 3β1, SC | W, 4β3, GRN | L, 2β4, KAL | β |
2011β12 | 72 | 37 | 26 | β | 4 | 6 | 83 | 219 | 202 | 2nd, Atlantic | 2012 | β | L, 1β3, KAL | β | β | β |
2012β13 | 72 | 31 | 29 | β | 3 | 9 | 74 | 193 | 225 | 3rd, Atlantic | 2013 | Did not qualify | ||||
2013β14 | 72 | 39 | 27 | β | 1 | 5 | 84 | 216 | 196 | 2nd, Atlantic | 2014 | β | W, 4β0, SC | L, 2β4, GRN | β | β |
2014β15 | 72 | 37 | 33 | β | 1 | 1 | 76 | 210 | 213 | 4th, North | 2015 | β | L, 3β4, TOL | β | β | β |
2015β16 | 72 | 37 | 26 | β | 5 | 4 | 83 | 214 | 211 | 2nd, North | 2016 | β | W, 4β2, FLA | W, 4β3, REA | W, 4β3, SC | L, 2β4, ALN |
2016β17 | 72 | 34 | 30 | β | 8 | 0 | 76 | 244 | 239 | 5th, North | 2017 | Did not qualify | ||||
2017β18 | 72 | 35 | 28 | β | 8 | 1 | 79 | 248 | 245 | 5th, North | 2018 | Did not qualify | ||||
2018β19 | 72 | 31 | 31 | β | 6 | 4 | 72 | 239 | 240 | 6th, Central | 2019 | Did not qualify | ||||
2019β20 | 59 | 24 | 30 | β | 5 | 0 | 53 | 163 | 206 | 6th, Central | 2020 | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
2020β21 | 68 | 22 | 39 | β | 6 | 1 | 51 | 196 | 241 | 7th, Eastern | 2021 | Did not qualify | ||||
2021β22 | 72 | 37 | 31 | β | 4 | 0 | 78 | 243 | 247 | 3rd, Central | 2022 | β | W, 4β3, FW | L, 0β4, TOL | β | β |
2022β23 | 72 | 29 | 38 | β | 5 | 0 | 63 | 223 | 244 | 5th, Central | 2023 | Did not qualify | ||||
2023β24 | 71 | 38 | 28 | β | 4 | 1 | 81 | 232 | 204 | 3rd, Central | 2024 | β | W, 4β1, IND | L, 0β4, TOL | β | β |
Players and personnelβ»
Current rosterβ»
Head coachesβ»
- Doug Sauter 1992β95
- Larry Kish 1995β96
- Tom McVie 1996β97
- Peter Laviolette 1997β98
- Chris Jensen 1998β99
- Murray Eaves 1999β2000
- Alain Lemieux 2000β01
- Joe Harney (interim) 2001
- John Brophy 2001β03
- Pat Bingham 2003β05
- Glenn Patrick 2005β08
- Greg Puhalski 2008β10
- Stan Drulia 2010β11
- Clark Donatelli 2011β15
- David Gove 2015β16
- Jeff Christian 2016β18
- Mike Bavis 2018β2020
- Mark French 2020β2021
- Derek Army 2021βpresent
Notable NHL alumniβ»
List of Wheeling Nailers/Thunderbirds alumni who played more than 25 games in Wheeling and 25. Or more games in the National Hockey League.
Notesβ»
- 1.^ The ECHL's Utah Grizzlies franchise also dates from 1981. But was dormant from 2003-2005.
Referencesβ»
- ^ "A to Z Encyclopaedia of Ice Hockey". Retrieved February 22, 2010.
- ^ "Wheeling Nailers". Chris Creamer's Sports Logos.net. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ Mastovich, Mike (April 2, 2010). "Arena confirms: Wheeling Nailers to play some games in Johnstown next year". The Tribune-Democrat.
- ^ Press Release (August 1, 2011). "Annual ECHL Board of Governors meeting concludes". ECHL. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
- ^ Press Release (June 24, 2014). "Annual ECHL Board of Governors Meeting concludes". ECHL. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Press Release. "Ownership Transfer Approved By ECHL". Retrieved April 2, 2012.
- ^ "Wheeling Nailers playing roster". Wheeling Nailers. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ "Wheeling Nailers Elite Prospects". EliteProspects.com. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Triveri, Frankie and David. "FRANCHISE HISTORY". Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2009.
- ^ "Nailers Part With Coach". The Intelligencer and Wheeling News Register. April 11, 2018.
- ^ "Nailers Name Mike Bavis as Head Coach". Nailers. August 7, 2018.
- ^ "Nailers Begin Search for Next Head Coach". OurSports Central. March 30, 2020.
- ^ "Nailers hire Mark French as coach". TribLive. June 8, 2020.
- ^ "Mark French Resigns as Nailers Head Coach". OurSports Central. April 21, 2021.
- ^ "Nailers Name Derek Army Head Coach, Remove Interim Tag". OurSports Central. June 4, 2021.