2025-26 SEASON
Sunday, April 12th
Nailers Win North Division with Incredible Comeback Victory
READING, PA- The Wheeling Nailers are the 2025-26 North Division Champions! Wheeling secured its first division title since 2004 in the most dramatic of fashions on Sunday afternoon against the Reading Royals at Santander Arena. The Nailers trailed 1-0 for most of the day. With just under one minute remaining, Ryan McAllister clinched the division title with the tying goal. Then, with 56.7 seconds left in overtime, Blake Bennett delivered the ultimate heroics with the winning goal in a 2-1 triumph. Gabriel D'Aigle earned his first pro victory with a remarkable 38-save performance.
The Nailers received a great opportunity to open the scoring, when Reading's Austin Saint was assessed a double-minor for high sticking. Unfortunately, Wheeling didn't convert on the long power play, and to make matters worse, the Royals scored 25 seconds after the penalty expired. Saint was the one who did the damage, as he took a pass from Liam Devlin, skated to the right circle, and whipped a shot into the left side of the cage.
Wheeling nearly got an equalizer in wild fashion during the middle frame. A neutral ice dump-in hit off of one of the linesmen, took a turn and went into the goal. Because the puck hit the official, it was not allowed to be a good goal.
Reading continued to lead 1-0 all the way until the final minute of regulation. With just over 59 seconds to go, the Nailers tied the score. Ryan McAllister let a shot go from the middle of the blueline, which found its way in through traffic. The remainder of the third period ticked away without a goal, which secured the division title for Wheeling.
The Nailers weren't satisfied with just one point, and with 56.7 seconds left in overtime, they put an exclamation point on their North Division Championship with a win. McAllister and Blake Bennett entered the offensive zone on a two-on-one break. McAllister dished a pass over to Bennett, who wired in a one-timer from the left side. Wheeling was victorious, 2-1.
Gabriel D'Aigle was sensational in his second professional game, as he rejected 38 of the 39 shots he faced to earn his first career win. Yaniv Perets made 34 saves on 36 shots in the overtime loss for the Royals.
The Nailers have one more road game on the regular season docket, as they will visit the Toledo Walleye on Friday at 7:15 p.m. Wheeling's final regular season home game will take place on Saturday, April 18th against the Indy Fuel at 7:10 p.m. That game will be 80's Night, which will feature a pregame tailgate and a postgame concert by Tongue 'n Cheek. The Nailers have clinched home ice advantage for the opening round of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The first two home games will be played on Friday, April 24th and Saturday, April 25th. The opponent has yet to be determined. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now for both the regular season finale and the playoffs by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
READING, PA- The Wheeling Nailers took care of business in a big way on Saturday night, as they rebounded from a tough loss on Friday to clobber the Reading Royals, 6-2 at Santander Arena. Wheeling took control of the game from the start with three goals in the opening five minutes of action. There was plenty of animosity in the 14th head-to-head meeting between the Nailers and Royals, as four fights occurred as well. Ryan McAllister led the offensive attack with two goals, while Tiernan Shoudy tallied the first two points of his professional career, including his first goal. Wheeling's magic number to win the North Division is now one.
The game got off to an explosive start, as the opening eight minutes of play saw four goals and a fight. Wheeling scored the first three goals, all before the contest was five minutes old. Matty De St. Phalle netted the first marker of the night at the 1:01 mark, as he stole the puck at his own blueline, broke away in the opposite direction, and snapped a shot into the top-right corner of the net. 1:15 later, the gloves hit the ice, as Connor Lockhart duked it out with Ben Meehan. 13 seconds after that, the Nailers scored again. Ryan McAllister gobbled up a loose puck on the left side of the slot, and immediately whizzed a shot into the left side of the cage. 2:19 more was all that was needed for the third puck to cross the line. Mike Posma centered a pass to Alexander Kuqali, who shuffled in his first goal in a Wheeling uniform from just above the crease. Reading got on the scoreboard at the 7:10 mark, when Owen McLaughlin scooped in a shot from the left circle.
The excitement didn't slow down in the middle frame. At the 3:02 mark, gloves flew for a second time in the tilt, as Mike Posma challenged Artem Kulakov, after Kulakov threw a hit on Craig Armstrong. 57 seconds after the fight, the Nailers turned on the red light again. Connor Lockhart drove toward the left post, and although he wasn't able to jam his attempt through Keith Petruzzelli, McAllister followed up to pot the rebound for his second of the evening. 16 seconds later, Wheeling chased Petruzzelli, as Brent Johnson sniped a shot from the slot up and into the top-right corner of the twine. With 6:26 to go, Matthew Quercia rearranged Austin Saint with a huge hit, then proceeded to chuck the knuckles with Jacob Frasca for the third fight of the match. The Royals got their second strike with 5:58 remaining, when Kyle Haskins deposited a cross-crease pass from Connor McMenamin.
Only one goal was scored in the third period, but it was a special one. Johnson set up Tiernan Shoudy, who flipped in his first professional goal from the left side of the crease. Shoudy received the secondary assist on Kuqali's goal in the first period, giving him his first career goal and assist in the same night. The game didn't finish quietly, as Craig Armstrong dropped the gloves with Jake Willets during the final minute of Wheeling's 6-2 triumph.
Taylor Gauthier snagged his 21st win of the year for the Nailers, as he made 16 saves on 18 shots. Keith Petruzzelli was lit up for five goals on 16 shots in the loss for Reading, before Ian Shane stopped 23 of 24 in relief.
The Nailers and Royals will wrap up their three-game weekend series in Reading on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Wheeling's final regular season home game will take place on Saturday, April 18th against the Indy Fuel at 7:10 p.m. That game will be 80's Night, which will feature a pregame tailgate and a postgame concert by Tongue 'n Cheek. The Nailers have clinched home ice advantage for the opening round of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The first two home games will be played on Friday, April 24th and Saturday, April 25th. The opponent has yet to be determined. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now for both the regular season finale and the playoffs by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, April 11th
Nailers Rock Royals, 6-2
Royals Edge Nailers, 3-2 in Weekend Opener
Friday, April 10th
READING, PA- The season series between the Wheeling Nailers and Reading Royals has been extremely close, frequently coming down to one goal and one bounce. On Friday night, one goal was the difference once again, as the Royals escaped with a 3-2 win on their home ice at Santander Arena. Connor McMenamin scored what turned out to be the deciding marker with 10:20 left in the third period, and Yaniv Perets made the score stand up with 36 saves.
Both teams found the back of the net once in the first period, while Wheeling held a 14-10 advantage in shots. Reading collected the first goal of the contest at the 11:34 mark. Owen McLaughlin chipped the puck ahead to Jacob Frasca for a breakaway. As he approached the net, Frasca stickhandled a few times, then thrusted a shot through Taylor Gauthier's legs. The Nailers bounced back with the equalizer with 3:12 remaining. Brent Johnson's right point slap shot was stopped, as was Brayden Edwards' first whack at the rebound. However, Matty De St. Phalle got the last laugh on the play, as he shoveled a loose puck out of the left side of the crease and into the cage.
The two sides combined to pour 31 shots on goal during the middle frame, but only one of those turned on the red light. That marker went to the Royals at the 1:37 mark. It was a bit of a chaotic play around the net, as Hunter Johannes' shot landed underneath Taylor Gauthier's arm. However, the play wasn't blown down, which allowed Jake Willets to come in and stab the loose puck in over the goal line.
Reading extended its lead with a key goal at the 9:40 mark of the third period. Kyle Haskins chased down a loose puck in the left corner, then helped Jeremy Michel set up Connor McMenamin for a wide-open one-timer from the bottom of the right circle. That turned out to be the game winning strike, as Matthew Quercia got a goal back for Wheeling by batting a puck out of the air with 1:37 to go for a 3-2 score.
Yaniv Perets earned the victory for the Royals, as he denied 36 of the 38 shots he faced. Taylor Gauthier had another strong game for the Nailers with 30 saves on 33 shots in the defeat.
The Nailers and the Royals will continue their three-game weekend series in Reading on Saturday at 7:00 p.m., then wrap up the set on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Wheeling's final regular season home game will take place on Saturday, April 18th against the Indy Fuel at 7:10 p.m. That game will be 80's Night, which will feature a pregame tailgate and a postgame concert by Tongue 'n Cheek. The Nailers have clinched home ice advantage for the opening round of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The first two home games will be played on Friday, April 24th and Saturday, April 25th. The opponent has yet to be determined. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now for both the regular season finale and the playoffs by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Cyclones End Wheeling's Win Streak at Ten
Tuesday, April 7th
WHEELING, WV- All good things must come to an end, and on Tuesday night at WesBanco Arena, the Wheeling Nailers saw their ten-game winning streak come to a conclusion. Ryan Kirwan snapped a 2-2 tie during the third period for the Cincinnati Cyclones, who got a 38-save effort from Ken Appleby in a 4-2 road victory. Wheeling's magic number to win the North Division remains at five points.
The Nailers controlled the majority of the play in the first period with a 12-5 shots advantage, but found themselves behind 1-0 on the scoreboard. Cincinnati got its goal with seven minutes remaining. Gunnarwolfe Fontaine sifted the puck into the slot, where Gabriel Bernier reached out and guided a tip along the ice and into the right side of the cage.
The Cyclones temporarily extended their lead shortly before the midway mark of period two. Bernier bounced a pass to the left side of the crease, where the puck was tucked into the goal by Marko Sikic. Wheeling began to turn the momentum into its favor by breaking through with a goal at the 14:57 mark. Max Graham crashed the net from the left side, and ultimately forced a backhander to dribble in over the right side of the goal line. 2:10 later, the Nailers evened the score. The play came on a transition rush, as the puck went from right to left across the offensive zone. Nolan Renwick made the first pass from along the wall to Connor Lockhart, who proceeded to lead Emil Pieniniemi in for a snipe from the left circle.
Cincinnati regained the lead at the 6:51 mark of the final frame. John Jaworski made a play off of the end boards to Ryan Kirwan, who stuffed in a shot from just outside of the crease. Wheeling applied plenty of pressure with 13 shots in the third period and 40 in the contest, but a tying marker wasn't in the cards. Nick Rhéaume tacked on an empty netter to solidify the 4-2 win for the Cyclones.
Ken Appleby earned the win with a stellar performance for Cincinnati, as he stopped 38 of the 40 shots he faced. Gabriel D'Aigle made 16 saves on 19 shots in his professional debut for the Nailers. At 19 years and 137 days old, he is the second youngest player in team history.
The Nailers will play their next four games on the road, starting with three in Reading this weekend on Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon. Wheeling's final regular season home game will take place on Saturday, April 18th against the Indy Fuel at 7:10 p.m. That game will be 80's Night, which will feature a pregame tailgate and a postgame concert by Tongue 'n Cheek. The Nailers have clinched home ice advantage for the opening round of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The first two home games will be played on Friday, April 24th and Saturday, April 25th. The opponent has yet to be determined. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now for both the regular season finale and the playoffs by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Tackle Toledo for Tenth Win in a Row
Saturday, April 4th
TOLEDO, OH- The Wheeling Nailers are rolling. On Saturday night, the Nailers earned their tenth consecutive win and tied a team record with their eighth straight road victory, as they defeated the Toledo Walleye, 4-2 in front of 8,111 fans at Huntington Center. Ryan McAllister led Wheeling's offensive attack with two goals, while Taylor Gauthier took care of business on the other end with 26 saves. The Nailers now have a magic number of seven to clinch their first division title in 22 years.
The Nailers had the exact start they were looking for, as they lit the lamp twice during the first period. The first goal came at the 8:53 mark, 17 seconds after matching penalties to Mike Posma and Tanner Kelly had expired. Posma got the last laugh, as Armstrong sent him on a breakaway, and Posma roofed a shot into the top-left corner of the cage. Wheeling expanded its lead with 2:39 remaining. Blake Bennett helped Matthew Quercia win a face-off in the left circle of the offensive zone. Nailers players filled up the slot with traffic, which allowed Emil Pieniniemi to lift a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the twine from the left point.
The two sides exchanged tallies during the opening six minutes of the middle frame. Toledo got on the board at the 36-second mark with a power play strike. Brandon Hawkins gathered in the puck at the top of the right circle, where he proceeded to zip a wrist shot into the left side of the goal. Wheeling regained its two-goal advantage 5:08 later. Connor Lockhart eliminated a defender from the play, which allowed Brayden Edwards to skate onto the puck in the right circle. Edwards slid a pass to the left side of the slot, where Ryan McAllister ripped a shot into the left side of the net.
Less than six minutes into the third period, McAllister's second of the contest gave the Nailers insurance. He took a cross-ice pass from Alexander Kuqali and roofed a shot under the crossbar from the left circle. Cam Hausinger scored for the Walleye in the final minute, but all that did was slightly adjust the final score to 4-2 in Wheeling's favor.
Taylor Gauthier earned his eighth straight win for the Nailers, as he thwarted 26 of the 28 shots he faced. Carter Gylander took the loss for Toledo, as he allowed four goals on 22 shots.
The Nailers will return home on Tuesday to face the Cincinnati Cyclones at 7:10 p.m. This is the rescheduled game that was originally slated to be played on Sunday, December 28th. Wheeling's final regular season home game will be 80's Night on Saturday, April 18th at 7:10 p.m. against the Indy Fuel. The night will begin with a pre game tailgate and end with a post game concert by Tongue 'N Cheek. The Nailers have also clinched home ice advantage for the opening round of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now for both the regular season and the playoffs by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Wheeling Wins Ninth Straight in 8-5 Slugfest
Wednesday, April 1st
FORT WAYNE, IN- Goals were flying in all over the place on Wednesday night at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, as the Wheeling Nailers wrapped up their season series against the Fort Wayne Komets. Wheeling led by as many as four goals at one point, but the Komets trimmed that lead down to one in the third period. Ultimately, the Nailers came out on top in the highest scoring game of their season, 8-5. Connor Lockhart and Ryan McAllister led the way offensively with four points each. Wheeling has won nine straight games, 12 of its last 13, and thanks to Maine's regulation loss, the lead atop the North Division is now eight points.
The Nailers got off to a fast start, as they scored twice within the first ten minutes of play. The first goal came off of an offensive zone face-off at the 1:53 mark. Brayden Edwards won the draw back to Brent Johnson, who took his time before delivering a wrist shot from the center point. Edwards got a piece of the shot to give him goals in back-to-back games. Wheeling's second marker also came moments after a face-off, except this one came in neutral ice. Ryan McAllister ended up poking the puck into the slot, where Logan Pietila zipped a wrist shot into the left side of the cage. Fort Wayne got on the scoreboard with 5:40 remaining, when Matt Brown capitalized on a turnover by converting on a backhander from the slot.
The second period was an even bigger one for the Nailers, who put four biscuits into the basket. The first of those was a power play strike at the 2:36 mark. Matty De St. Phalle delivered a pass to Matthew Quercia along the right side of the goal line. Quercia turned and banked his shot in off of goaltender Samuel Jonsson's right leg pad. 2:07 later, Ryan McAllister upped Wheeling's lead to three, as he took advantage of a steal by Connor Lockhart, then whipped in a wrist shot from beneath the left circle. That chased Jonsson from the Fort Wayne crease, but the Komets didn't exactly help Nathaniel Day, who was greeted by a goal off of a turnover. Edwards cashed in for his second of the contest by lifting a backhander up and into the top shelf. Austin Magera's power play marker gave Fort Wayne something to cheer about for a moment, but the Nailers went back up by four, when Blake Bennett clobbered home a one-timer on the power play from the right face-off dot.
Fans may have thought a four-goal lead was safe, but the Komets made things extremely interesting by scoring three straight goals to start the third period. Matt Copponi picked up a 4-on-4 goal at the one-minute mark, Brady Stonehouse wired in a shorthanded goal 1:29 later, and Thomas Sinclair's first pro goal, which was also scored shorthanded turned a 6-2 Wheeling lead into a 6-5 advantage for the Nailers. However, the biggest goal of the night came 16 seconds after Sinclair's, as Tanner Andrew batted a Craig Armstrong pass out of the air and in to make the score 7-5 in favor of Wheeling. Things calmed down a bit from there, and Lockhart applied the finishing touches to the 8-5 triumph with an empty netter.
Taylor Gauthier collected his seventh straight win in goal for the Nailers, as he made 28 saves on 33 shots. Samuel Jonsson received a no-decision for Fort Wayne, after allowing four goals on 12 shots. Nathaniel day took the loss, as he gave up three goals on 16 shots.
Next up, the Nailers will visit the Toledo Walleye on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. Wheeling has two home games remaining in the regular season. The Nailers will host the Cincinnati Cyclones on Tuesday, April 7th at 7:10 p.m., which is the make-up game from December 28th. Then, on Saturday, April 18th, it will be 80's Night with a post game concert by Tongue 'N Cheek and a pregame tailgate, as Wheeling faces the Indy Fuel at 7:10 p.m.. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now for both the regular season and the playoffs by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Sweep Railers for Eighth Straight Win
Sunday, March 29th
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers might be disappointed to see the calendar turn to April, as they dominated the month of March. Wheeling closed out an 11-1-1 month with its fourth series sweep of March and ninth sweep of the season. This weekend's victims were the Worcester Railers, who saw Matthew Quercia score twice in a 4-1 win for the Nailers. Maxim Pavlenko was the winning goaltender, but Taylor Gauthier was forced into action for the final two periods, and he shined once again.
The Nailers had the exact start to the game they were looking for, as they turned on the red light twice during the first period. The first marker came at the 6:47 mark. Tristan Thompson led Matthew Quercia ahead for a rush into the offensive zone. Quercia plowed his way down the middle, and proceeded to squeeze a shot under Thomas Gale's right arm. Wheeling's second goal came with 1:22 remaining. Matty De St. Phalle forced a steal just inside of the blueline, then proceeded to send Brayden Edwards in toward the goal. Edwards patiently dragged the puck to the right and swung his shot around the outstretched Gale.
For the second day in a row, tempers began to boil over in the middle frame, and two fights took place during the same sequence. Brent Johnson and Cole Donhauser were the first to shed the mitts, then Ryan Mahshie and Adam Samuelsson joined them. The Nailers added to their lead with 2:38 to go. Blake Bennett poked the puck to the right hash mark, where Quercia launched a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the twine.
Worcester spoiled the shutout bid with 8:17 remaining, when Michael Suda tossed in a wrist shot from the middle of the blueline. Wheeling iced its 4-1 victory with Brent Johnson's backhander into an empty net from all the way down in his own corner of the ice.
Maxim Pavlenko left due to injury after the first period for the Nailers, but he received the win with five saves on five shots. Taylor Gauthier took over in relief and stopped 32 of 33 shots over the final two periods. Gauthier ended the weekend with 115 saves on 117 shots in eight periods of action. Thomas Gale surrendered three goals on 21 shots in the defeat for the Railers.
The Nailers will play of pair of road games in the week ahead, as they will visit the Fort Wayne Komets on Wednesday night at 7:35, then challenge the Toledo Walleye on Saturday night at 7:15. Wheeling has two home games remaining in the regular season. The Nailers will host the Cincinnati Cyclones on Tuesday, April 7th at 7:10, which is the make-up game from December 28th. Then, on Saturday, April 18th, it will be 80's Night with a post game concert by Tongue 'N Cheek and a pregame tailgate, as Wheeling faces the Indy Fuel at 7:10. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now for both the regular season and the playoffs by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, March 28th
Nailers Clinch Playoffs with 2-1 Win
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers are heading back to the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the third year in a row. On Saturday night, the Nailers rode the incredible goaltending of Taylor Gauthier to the clinch, as the winningest netminder in team history stopped 49 of the 50 shots he faced. Connor Lockhart and Matty De St. Phalle scored Wheeling's two goals during the final three minutes of the first period. The Nailers defeated the Worcester Railers, 2-1, in front of 3,588 fans on Fan Appreciation Night. The next item on Wheeling's checklist is home ice advantage in round one, and the magic number for that is eight.
The momentum pendulum was swinging drastically in the first period. Wheeling came out with nine of the game's first ten shots, but it was the Railers who picked up the opening goal. The puck took an awkward bounce off of a skate and landed on Anthony Repaci's tape. Repaci let a wrist shot go from the slot and found the twine for Worcester's first strike of the weekend. That gave the Railers an edge, but with under three minutes remaining, the Nailers turned things around. With 2:23 to go, Connor Lockhart made a tremendous rush up the left side of the ice, which resulted in him lifting a shot up and into the top-left corner of the cage. Then, with under one minute left, Wheeling took the lead. Brent Johnson let a shot go from the top of the right circle and got a tip-in from Matty De St. Phalle.
Neither team lit the lamp in the middle frame, but there was still plenty of action to keep everyone entertained. The two sides combined for 30 shots on goal, and there were two fights. Matthew Quercia dropped the gloves with Max Dorrington, then Max Graham and Riley Piercey went at it.
Wheeling spent the majority of the third period in its defensive zone, as the Railers held a 17-3 shots advantage and had three power plays. But the Nailers refused to break, and they held on for the 2-1 triumph.
Taylor Gauthier continues to do remarkable things between the pipes for the Nailers, as he rejected 49 of 50 shots. Parker Gahagen made 25 saves on 27 shots in the loss for Worcester.
The Nailers and Railers will wrap up their weekend series in Wheeling on Sunday afternoon at 4:10. Following the game, fans will be able to skate with the entire team. The Nailers have another exciting home game coming up on Saturday, April 18th against the Indy Fuel at 7:10. That is the rescheduled game from December 27th, and that will be 80's Night, featuring a post game concert by Tongue 'N Cheek. There will also be a pre game tailgate. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, March 27th
Gauthier Makes More History in 4-0 Shutout Win
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers are one point away from clinching their spot in the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. On Friday night, goaltender Taylor Gauthier added another chapter to his historic season, as he denied all 34 shots taken by the Worcester Railers. It was Gauthier's tenth shutout in a Wheeling uniform, giving him the most career shutouts in team history. Connor Lockhart also had a fabulous night for the Nailers, as he racked up a goal and three assists, helping Wheeling rock the Railers, 4-0 at WesBanco Arena.
The Nailers netted the lone goal in a tight first period during some four-on-four action with 2:03 left on the clock. Tristan Thompson skated around his defender into the low slot, giving his teammates a prime passing target. Connor Lockhart put the puck right on Thompson's tape, and Thompson promptly twisted a backhander into the left side of the cage.
Wheeling upped its lead to two just 27 seconds into the middle frame. Matthew Quercia applied pressure on a Worcester defenseman, which led directly to a turnover. Lockhart stole the puck, cruised into the right circle, and launched a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the goal. That was the only goal of the period, as the Nailers carried a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
Fans barely had time to settle back into their seats for the third period before Wheeling tallied its third goal of the night. Lockhart sent the puck to the top-right edge of the crease, where Quercia flicked a redirection into the top-right corner of the net. The goal came just nine seconds into the stanza, tying the fourth fastest goal to start a period in team history. Ryan McAllister applied the finishing touches on the 4-0 triumph with an empty netter.
Taylor Gauthier earned his third shutout of the season and fifth consecutive victory, as he was perfect on 34 shots for the Nailers. Parker Gahagen made 20 saves on 23 shots in the loss for the Railers.
The Nailers and Railers will continue their weekend series in Wheeling on Saturday night at 7:10. The promotion is the annual Fan Appreciation Night, which will feature hundreds of prizes given out throughout the game. The first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive a free cowbell. The grand prize is a trip for two to Daytona Beach, Florida. Fans can also use the HandBid app to bid on their favorite player's jersey, which will be hand delivered by the player directly off of their back following the game. The two clubs will also clash on Sunday at 4:10. Following that contest, fans will be able to skate with the entire team. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Sweep Lions for Second Time This Season
Sunday, March 22nd
TROIS-RIVIÈRES, QC- The Wheeling Nailers are finding their groove once again, and this weekend, they earned their eighth series sweep of the season. Wheeling won all three of its games on the road against the Trois-Rivières Lions at Colisée Videotron, and has now won six straight road contests. Tanner Andrew, Raivis Ansons, and Logan Pietila scored for the Nailers on Sunday afternoon, and Maxim Pavlenko's 26 saves got the 3-1 score to the finish line. The Nailers are 8-1-0 in their last nine games, and could clinch their spot in the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs as early as Friday night at WesBanco Arena, as their magic number is three.
For the second day in a row, the two sides played to a scoreless draw in the first period. The Nailers finally opened the scoring at the 2:40 mark of the middle frame. Connor Lockhart sent Matthew Quercia on a breakaway, and Quercia attempted a deke to the backhand. He was denied, but the rebound sat in the blue paint, where Tanner Andrew pounced on the loose change to score the goal. Quercia's assist was his 100th professional point. Wheeling added to its lead less than three minutes later. Raivis Ansons started the play by making a pass off the rush to his left for Tristan Thompson. Two passes later, the puck found its way back to Ansons, courtesy of Ryan McAllister, and by that point, Ansons had a wide-open right side of the goal to slam home the marker.
Trois-Rivières broke up Maxim Pavlenko's shutout bid with a power play tally at the 7:16 mark of the third period. Jacob Dion set up Mathias Laferrière, who wired smashed in a one-timer from the top of the left circle. The Nailers made sure the Lions didn't get any closer, and Logan Pietila iced his team's 3-1 victory with an empty netter in the closing minutes.
Maxim Pavlenko earned the win for Wheeling, as he turned aside 26 of the 27 shots he faced. Hunter Jones made 27 saves on 29 shots in the defeat for Trois-Rivières.
The Nailers will return home next weekend for a three-game series against the Worcester Railers on March 27th, 28th, and 29th. The highlight game of that weekend is Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday the 28th. There will be all sorts of prizes given out throughout the game, including the grand prize, which is a trip to Daytona Beach, Florida. Friday the 27th is a Frosty Friday, and the game on Sunday the 29th will be followed by a full team post game skate. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, March 21st
Johnson's Overtime Goal Lifts Nailers Over Lions
TROIS-RIVIÈRES, QC- Although no fighting majors were assessed, there was plenty of dislike between the Wheeling Nailers and Trois-Rivières Lions on Saturday afternoon at Colisée Vidéotron. The two North Division clubs combined for 152 penalty minutes, which included 13 misconducts. As for the game itself, the Nailers took care of business for the second day in a row. Brayden Edwards scored twice in regulation, then Brent Johnson netted the winning goal at the 1:49 mark of overtime to give Wheeling a 3-2 victory - its fifth straight road win. The Nailers have dropped their magic number to clinch a playoff spot down to seven points.
The two teams played to a scoreless first period, which saw Wheeling outshoot the Lions, 11-4. A large scrum at the buzzer resulted in the Nailers starting the middle frame on the power play, and they needed just 25 seconds to cash in. Taylor Gauthier left the puck off in his trapezoid for Brent Johnson, who proceeded to rush all the way down the length of the ice. When he arrived at the right circle, Johnson dropped a pass to Brayden Edwards, who wired a one-timer up and under the right side of the crossbar. Edwards struck again on the power play at the 12:10 mark of the period, when he tipped Blake Bennett's initial shot off of the left post and in. Trois-Rivières trimmed the gap down to one with 1:54 remaining, when Isaac Dufort sent Anthony Beauregard in alone, and Beauregard converted with a snap shot from the slot.
For the second straight day, former Nailer Cédric Desruisseaux forced overtime with a tying goal in the third period for the Lions. This marker came from the left side of the crease, where he tapped in a pass by Anthony Poulin at the 8:26 mark of the stanza.
The extra session was a quick one, as Wheeling skated away victorious after 1:49 of action. Ryan McAllister won a puck battle along the right wing wall, then skated toward the net in an odd-man situation. McAllister touched a pass through the slot to Brent Johnson, who wired home a one-timer from the left side for his second overtime goal of the year and a 3-2 Nailers triumph.
Taylor Gauthier backstopped the win for Wheeling, as he stopped 22 of the 24 shots he faced. Francesco Lapenna received the overtime loss in his professional debut for Trois-Rivières, as he made 29 saves on 32 shots.
The Nailers and Lions will wrap up their weekend series in Trois-Rivières on Sunday afternoon at 3:00. Wheeling will then return home for three games next weekend, and all three will be played against the Worcester Railers on March 27th, 28th, and 29th. The highlight game of that weekend is Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday the 28th. There will be all sorts of prizes given out throughout the game, including the grand prize, which is a trip to Daytona Beach, Florida. Friday the 27th is a Frosty Friday, and the game on Sunday the 29th will be followed by a full team post game skate. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Win Memorable Debut for Bennett
Friday, March 20th
TROIS-RIVIÈRES, QC- Wheeling Nailers fans quickly learned a few things about newcomer Blake Bennett on Friday night, as the team opened their three-game road series against the Trois-Rivières Lions at Colisée Vidéotron. Bennett became the first Wheeling player to score a hat trick this season, and he did so while leading all players with ten shots on goal. The Nailers needed extra time to earn a second point in the game, but they got it, thanks to Logan Pietila's goal in the fifth round of the shootout. Taylor Gauthier was phenomenal in goal for Wheeling, as he made 38 saves during the game, then went five-for-five in the shootout.
Both teams got on the scoreboard once in a fast-paced first period. Wheeling opened the scoring on the man advantage, as Blake Bennett needed just 3:45 to make an impact on his new squad. Ryan McAllister took the initial shot from the middle of the blueline, which led to a battle in the slot. Brayden Edwards and Max Graham were both involved for the Nailers, before the puck finally squirted into the right circle, where Bennett promptly shoveled a wrist shot up and into the top-right corner of the cage. The Lions tallied the equalizer with 5:39 remaining. Anthony Poulin slipped a pass through the slot for Nicholas Girouard, who hammered home a one-timer from the right circle.
The middle frame followed a similar script, as the Nailers took the lead for the second time, before Trois-Rivières battled back with a tying tally. Wheeling's goal came at the 1:31 mark, and started from the right side of the ice, where Edwards teamed with Brent Johnson to slide a shot on goal. Hunter Jones made the save, but the rebound kicked just out of the crease, where Bennett was ready to bang in his second goal of the contest. The equalizer for the Lions came with 6:51 left. Anthony Beauregard dragged the puck deep on the right side of the offensive zone, before finally centering a pass to Isaac Dufort, who lifted in a shot from the left side of the slot.
The Bennett Show continued in the third period, as Wheeling's newest forward completed his hat trick on a power play at the 4:34 mark. McAllister delivered a pass into the right circle, and Bennett drove a one-timer through Jones' legs. However, Trois-Rivières came back once more to force overtime, as former Nailer Cédric Desruisseaux converted a breakaway with a shot into the right side of the net with 3:36 to go.
The two teams had plenty of chances to end the tilt during the seven-minute period, but Gauthier and Jones stood tall to send the game into a shootout. Neither side was able to score during the first four rounds. In round five, Gauthier made a sensational stop on Joe Dunlap's backhander, which set the stage for Logan Pietila's heroics. Pietila collected his second shootout winner of the campaign, as he buried a shot into the right side of the twine for the 4-3 Nailers triumph.
Taylor Gauthier turned in another outstanding performance to earn the win in goal for Wheeling, as he denied 38 of the 41 shots he faced during the game, before shutting the door on all five shootout attempts. Hunter Jones made 37 saves on 40 shots during the game for the Lions, then went four-of-five in the shootout.
The Nailers and Lions will play two more games in Trois-Rivières on Saturday and Sunday, with both matches starting at 3:00. Wheeling will return home for three games next weekend, and all three will be played against the Worcester Railers on March 27th, 28th, and 29th. The highlight game of that weekend is Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday the 28th. There will be all sorts of prizes given out throughout the game, including the grand prize, which is a trip to Daytona Beach, Florida. Friday the 27th is a Frosty Friday, and the game on Sunday the 29th will be followed by a full team post game skate. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Third Period in Paradise for Nailers
Saturday, March 14th
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers took care of business in a big way at WesBanco Arena this weekend, as they swept a two-game series against the Adirondack Thunder. On Saturday night, the Nailers erased a 2-1 deficit with three goals in the third period to take down the Thunder, 4-2. Jack Works tied the tilt, Matty De St. Phalle scored the game winner, and Raivis Ansons added shorthanded insurance. Wheeling continues to lead the Maine Mariners by five points for first place in the North Division, while the lead over Adirondack expands to eight points. The Nailers' magic number to clinch a spot in the Kelly Cup Playoffs is 15.
The two clubs played to a scoreless tie in the first period, and Adirondack led the shots on goal, 12-7. The Nailers finally opened the scoring at the 6:07 mark of the middle frame with a successful power play. Matthew Quercia received a pass from Matty De St. Phalle along the left side of the goal line. The Wheeling forward quickly turned to his forehand and jammed a shot into the left side of the net. 4:37 later, the Thunder pulled even. Brian Carrabes led the way on a 2-on-1 break, as he flew down the right side of the ice. Carrabes ultimately slid a pass over to Patrick Grasso, who clobbered in a one-timer from the left side of the slot. Grasso struck again with 2:43 to go, as Adirondack converted on a power play to take the lead. The forward cruised around the offensive zone to the right circle, then utilized a screen by Justin Taylor to whip a shot into the right side of the cage.
The Nailers drastically turned things around in the third period, starting with the tying tally at the 3:21 mark. David Breazeale's shot from the left circle tipped off of a defender, so Henry Welsch's save produced a rebound, which was lofted into the goal by Jack Works. Wheeling regained the lead 1:59 later. Craig Armstrong took a shot that bounced off of Daniel Laatsch and landed in the slot. Matty De St. Phalle scooped up the loose puck, and proceeded to wire a wrist shot into the left side of the twine. With 7:42 remaining, the Nailers were whistled for a penalty, but they immediately turned the tables on the Thunder with a shorthanded goal just ten seconds into the penalty kill. Logan Pietila led the charge on a 2-on-1 rush by pounding a shot on goal from the right side. Welsch made the save, but the rebound kicked directly out to Raivis Ansons, who buried the insurance marker. Wheeling's penalty kill was tested even more with a two-man disadvantage, but the home team passed the test and closed out the 4-2 victory.
Taylor Gauthier earned another win in goal for the Nailers, as he blocked away 31 of the 33 shots he faced. Henry Welsch made 23 saves on 27 shots in his season debut for Adirondack.
The Nailers will spend next weekend in Canada, as they will visit the Trois-Rivières Lions on Friday at 7:00, Saturday at 7:00, and Sunday at 3:00. Wheeling will be back home the following weekend for three games against the Worcester Railers on March 27th, 28th, and 29th. The highlight game of that weekend is Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday the 28th. There will be all sorts of prizes given out throughout the game, including the grand prize, which is a trip to Daytona Beach. Friday the 27th is a Frosty Friday, and the game on Sunday the 29th will be followed by a full team post game skate. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, March 13th
Gauthier Ties Shutout Record in 4-0 Blanking of Thunder
WHEELING, WV- Taylor Gauthier has edited the record book for the Wheeling Nailers once again. On Friday night at WesBanco Arena, the club's all-time record holder in career wins tied the record for most career shutouts. Gauthier denied all 29 shots by the Adirondack Thunder to earn his ninth shutout in a Wheeling uniform. He is currently tied at the top with Peter Delmas. Taylor's teammates gave him plenty of offensive support with four goals, as Max Graham and Raivis Ansons both recorded two-point nights. The Nailers' 4-0 victory gives them a five-point lead over the Maine Mariners and a six-point lead over Adirondack for first place in the North Division with 15 games left in the regular season. Wheeling's magic number to clinch a spot in the Kelly Cup Playoffs is now 17.
The first period was played very tightly, but the Nailers capitalized on a good bounce to open the scoring with 5:16 left on the clock. Brent Johnson skated in on the right side of the offensive zone and attempted a shot. That try got blocked, but the rebound kicked into the slot, where Max Graham promptly used his backhand to scoop the puck up and into the top-right corner of the cage.
Wheeling did a phenomenal job of holding onto the momentum, while adding to its lead in the middle frame. The second marker of the night for the home team came at the 1:36 mark. Raivis Ansons dangled his way down the right side of the ice, then swept a pass to the top-left side of the crease, where Tommy Budnick smashed home the goal. With 5:42 remaining, the Nailers lit the lamp again to go ahead by three. Tristan Thompson broke up a play in neutral ice, then turned defense into offense with a rush into the offensive end. Thompson delivered a pass into the slot for Ryan McAllister, who whipped a wrist shot into the left side of the twine. Wheeling got a strong penalty kill with 2:26 to go in order to maintain the 3-0 advantage.
The Nailers shut the door on Adirondack in the third period, and Raivis Ansons iced the 4-0 triumph with an empty netter.
Taylor Gauthier was perfect on 29 shots for Wheeling to earn his second shutout of the season. Tyler Brennan made 24 saves on 27 shots in the loss for the Thunder.
The Nailers and Thunder will do battle in Wheeling again on Saturday night at 7:10, and the promotion is Margaritaville Night. Island Troy will perform some of Jimmy Buffet's greatest hits after the game, the Nailers will wear specialty jerseys, there will be island-themed drink specials, and more. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Royals Stump Nailers on Education Day
Wednesday, March 11th
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers played host to their annual Education Day game on Wednesday morning at WesBanco Arena, and a crowd of 4,803 students were taught a lesson in defense and goaltending. Connor Kurth scored the lone goal of the game midway through the third period on a power play for the Reading Royals, who skated away with a 1-0 road win.
Wheeling struggled to get the legs going in the first period, but Taylor Gauthier was dialed in early, as the two sides played to a scoreless draw, while the Royals led in shots, 10-3. The Nailers had a stronger start to the middle frame, but neither team could break through, as the score stayed 0-0 into the second intermission.
The key moments in the match took place in the third period. The Nailers got a power play at the 6:37 mark, but gave up a 3-on-1 break, which resulted in Gauthier making a save on Ben Meehan. However, Connor Lockhart received a penalty after the whistle for engaging in an altercation with Meehan, which eventually gave Reading a man advantage. The Royals cashed in on that power play, as Kyle Haskins' high shot stunned Gauthier, who was unable to recover to deny Connor Kurth, who swept in the loose puck on the left side of the crease. Wheeling mustered just 16 shots on goal, and suffered the 1-0 defeat.
Yaniv Perets only needed to make 16 saves to earn the shutout win for Reading. Taylor Gauthier came up on the short end for the Nailers, despite stopping 31 of the 32 shots he faced.
The Nailers will continue their homestand with two big games over the weekend, as they will face the Adirondack Thunder on Friday and Saturday nights, with both contests starting at 7:10. Friday night is a Frosty Friday with select $2 beers. Saturday is Margaritaville Night, which will have a post game tropical tribute concert, specialty jerseys, and more. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, March 7th
Nailers Strike Gold by Sweeping Rush
RAPID CITY, SD- The Wheeling Nailers had a perfect trip to South Dakota, as they earned all six points against the Rapid City Rush at The Monument. On Saturday night, Wheeling allowed a goal on the first Rush shot, but Mike Posma scored the tying and winning goals, then Tristan Thompson added insurance for the 3-1 road triumph. Maxim Pavlenko stopped the final 23 shots he saw to earn the win in goal, as the Nailers climbed to 19 games over .500 for the first time this season.
Both teams put a marker on the scoreboard during the first period. Fans were barely in their seats before the first puck went in, as Rapid City opened the scoring at the 54-second mark. Briley Wood led Maurizio Colella down the right side of the slot. Colella corralled the puck on his backhand, and flipped a shot up and into the top-left corner of the cage. The Nailers drew even during a delayed penalty. Wheeling kept possession for approximately 15 seconds, before Mike Posma netted the equalizer with a long-distance wrist shot from just inside of the left side of the blueline.
The Nailers began to take control of the contest in the middle frame, as they lit the lamp twice in a span of 1:51. The go-ahead goal came off of the rush at the 3:47 mark. Ryan McAllister took a pass from David Breazeale, then immediately spotted Posma in the right circle. Goaltender Connor Murphy was still sliding across his crease, which opened his legs, and Posma whipped his wrist shot right through them. Former Rush defenseman Tristan Thompson followed that up with his first goal in a Wheeling uniform. Raivis Ansons won a right circle face-off back to Thompson, who skated to the middle of the blueline, and tossed a shot through Murphy's legs.
Neither team scored in the third period, as the Nailers took the 3-1 score to the finish line.
Maxim Pavlenko backstopped the victory for Wheeling, as he turned away 23 of the 24 shots he faced. Connor Murphy made 34 saves on 37 shots in the loss for the Rush.
The Nailers will return home to WesBanco Arena for three games next week. The homestand will begin with the annual Education Day Game on Wednesday at 10:45 a.m. against the Reading Royals. That game is sold out. Wheeling will then play two huge home games against the Adirondack Thunder on Friday and Saturday. The Saturday game is Margaritaville Night, which will have a post game tropical tribute concert, specialty jerseys, and more. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Win Second Straight in Rapid City, 4-3
Friday, March 6th
RAPID CITY, SD- For the second time this week, the Wheeling Nailers and Rapid City Rush played a tight game with lots of shots on goal at The Monument. Wheeling won by the exact same 4-3 final score, but this tilt was decided in regulation. Logan Pietila's shorthanded goal at the 2:04 mark of the third period was the eventual game winner, while Matty De St. Phalle posted his second straight multi-point game with a goal and an assist. Taylor Gauthier took care of business with 31 saves between the pipes.
The game got off to an explosive start, as four goals were scored in the opening eight minutes of play, with three of those going to the Nailers. The first marker came at the 4:32 mark. Matthew Quercia sped into the left circle of the offensive zone, then wired a wrist shot into the right side of the twine. Rapid City bounced right back with an equalizer just 22 seconds later. Blake Bennett set up Ryan Wagner, who roofed a one-timer into the top-right corner of the cage from the left circle. Wheeling went right back on top just 66 seconds after that. Matty De St. Phalle's backhander from deep on the left side somehow stayed out of the net, but Craig Armstrong made sure the visitors didn't come away empty-handed, as he buried the rebound from the slot. Next up was a power play goal at the 7:55 mark, as the Nailers converted on their only opportunity of the night. Tristan Thompson let a wrist shot go from the center point, which was tipped home by Matty De St. Phalle.
The scoring slowed down significantly in the second period, despite a plethora of shots, as the two teams combined to put 40 shots on the netminders. All but one of those attempts stayed out, and that goal went to the Rush on the power play. Wheeling cleared the zone, leading Rapid City goaltender Connor Murphy to leave the puck for Ryan Wagner. The Rush captain flew down the right side of the ice, before cutting to the net, and shoveling in the tally on his forehand.
The Nailers got a key goal at the 2:04 mark of the third period, which gave them a two-goal advantage at the time. Logan Pietila stole the puck in neutral ice, and skated in alone on a shorthanded breakaway. Pietila knew exactly what he wanted to do, as he ripped a shot into the right side of the net. The significance of that tally showed when Rapid City's Blake Bennett lifted in a rebound with 35 seconds left and the goaltender pulled for the extra attacker. Wheeling didn't allow the Rush into the offensive zone with possession after that, closing out the 4-3 road victory.
Taylor Gauthier earned the win in goal for the Nailers, as he denied 31 of the 34 shots he faced. Connor Murphy made 37 saves on 41 shots in the loss for Rapid City.
The Nailers and Rush will wrap up their three-game series in Rapid City on Saturday at 9:05 p.m. Eastern. Wheeling's next home game is the annual Education Day Game on Wednesday, March 11th at 10:45 a.m. against the Reading Royals. That game is sold out. The Nailers will then play two huge home games against the Adirondack Thunder on Friday, March 13th and Saturday, March 14th. The Saturday game is Margaritaville Night, which will have a post game tropical tribute concert, specialty jerseys, and more. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Thursday, March 5th
Taylor Gauthier Sets All-Time Wins Record in Rapid City
RAPID CITY, SD- History was made on Wednesday night at The Monument in Rapid City, South Dakota. Goaltender Taylor Gauthier earned his 61st career win in a Wheeling Nailers uniform, making him the winningest netminder in Wheeling Hockey History. Gauthier's final save of the night secured the historic achievement, as he blocked a shootout attempt by Rapid City Rush leading scorer Ryan Wagner for the 4-3 triumph. To make the win even more special, the deciding goal of the shootout was scored by Gauthier's longest active Wheeling teammate, Matthew Quercia, who was celebrating his 200th professional game.
The first period was played to a scoreless draw, as there was a lot of feeling out between two teams who were meeting up for the first time since 2019. The Nailers finally got on the board first at the 7:20 mark of the middle frame, as they cashed in on a power play. Connor Lockhart tossed a shot toward the net from the right point, and got a tip in the slot from Emil Pieniniemi, which knocked the puck down and in for the tally. Rapid City temporarily tied the score with a shorthanded strike. Cameron Buhl led the way on a two-on-one break, and elected to keep the puck to himself, as he eluded a sprawling defender, then whipped his shot inside of the left post. Wheeling regained the less than three minutes later. Tommy Budnick drove in on the left side of the offensive zone, then handed the puck off to Matty De St. Phalle. De St. Phalle got a backhand shot off, which floated past Connor Murphy and into the left side of the cage.
The Nailers came out firing in the third period, as they took seven straight shots, which included one that went in to expand their lead to two. Tommy Budnick let a shot go from the blueline, which got tipped in by Brayden Edwards. The Rush called their timeout a few minutes later, and started to make a comeback. Quinn Olson closed the gap to one, when he roofed a wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle at the 5:35 mark. Then, with 7:28 remaining, Simon Mack evened the score, as he fired home a one-timer from the center point on the power play.
Mack's equalizer sent the game into overtime, and eventually a shootout, as the two netminders kept the tilt tied despite 74 combined shots on goal. Both shooters came up empty in the first round. In round two, Blake Bennett led off for Rapid City and was denied by Taylor Gauthier. That put Matthew Quercia on the big stage, and he delivered, as he roofed a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the net. All eyes then turned to Gauthier, who stoned Ryan Wagner to clinch his historic win with a 4-3 final score.
Taylor Gauthier earned the victory for Wheeling, as he made 30 saves on 33 shots in the game, then went 3-for-3 in the shootout. Connor Murphy stopped 38 of the 41 shots he faced during the game for the Rush, then was 1-of-2 in the shootout.
The Nailers will play two more games against the Rush in Rapid City on Friday and Saturday, with both matches starting at 9:05 p.m. Eastern. Wheeling's next home game is the annual Education Day Game on Wednesday, March 11th at 10:45 a.m. against the Reading Royals. That game is sold out. The Nailers will then play two huge home games against the Adirondack Thunder on Friday, March 13th and Saturday, March 14th. The Saturday game is Margaritaville Night, which will have a post game tropical tribute concert, specialty jerseys, and more. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Fort Wayne Steals Overtime Win from Nailers
Sunday, March 1st
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers were less than one minute away from earning their 20th home triumph of the season on Sunday afternoon, as they battled with the Fort Wayne Komets for the third time this week. However, Fort Wayne's William Dufour had other ideas, as he scored the tying goal during the final minute of regulation, then broke Wheeling's hearts with the overtime goal, as the Komets prevailed, 3-2 at WesBanco Arena. The Nailers and Adirondack Thunder both fell in overtime on Sunday, and remain tied for first place in the North Division with 68 points.
Both teams scored in the first period, while emotions began to boil over. Wheeling was first on the board at the 5:16 mark. Raivis Ansons took a pass from Mike Posma, and dangled his way through the right circle. Once he found an opening, Ansons delivered a perfect pass to the left side of the crease for a touch-in by Zach Urdahl. The Komets got their goal on the power play with 3:24 remaining. One of the defensemen for the Nailers lost his stick, which gave Matt Miller the chance to drag the puck off of the goal line from his backhand to his forehand, as he shoved a shot in from tight on the left side.
The score stayed 1-1 all the way until the 11:31 mark of the third period, when the Nailers regained the lead. Daniel Laatsch let a wrist shot go from the middle of the blueline, which was tipped in by Mike Posma. Wheeling was less than one minute away from getting a win to the finish line, but with 51 seconds left, Fort Wayne forced overtime with a tying tally. William Dufour whizzed in a wrist shot from the top of the right circle.
Nearly all of overtime was played, but at 6:11 of the extra session, the Komets earned the extra point with the winning goal. Similar to regulation, Dufour was the culprit, as he skated into the left circle, and drove a shot into the right side of the net for the 3-2 Fort Wayne victory.
Samuel Jonsson was the winning goaltender for the Komets, as he stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced. Taylor Gauthier made 29 saves on 32 shots he faced in the overtime defeat for the Nailers.
The Nailers will spend the next week in Rapid City, South Dakota, where they will play three games against the Mountain Division's Rapid City Rush. All three tilts begin at 9:05 p.m. Eastern, and will be played on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Wheeling's next home game is the annual Education Day Game on Wednesday, March 11th at 10:45 a.m. against the Reading Royals. That game is sold out. The Nailers will then play two huge home games against the Adirondack Thunder on Friday, March 13th and Saturday, March 14th. The Saturday game is Margaritaville Night, which will have a post game tropical tribute concert, specialty jerseys, and more. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, February 28th
Komets Spoil Wheeling's Comeback
FORT WAYNE, IN- The Wheeling Nailers battled back from a three-goal deficit against the Fort Wayne Komets on Saturday night at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Unfortunately, they didn't come away with any points for their efforts. Fort Wayne regained the lead on Matthew Brown's second goal of the contest with 6:06 left in the third period, then added an empty netter for a 6-4 victory on home ice. Emil Pieniniemi had three assists for the Nailers, who received goals from four different players.
The Komets came out firing in the first period, as they outshot Wheeling, 17-8, while taking a 3-1 lead on the scoreboard. The first goal came at the 3:10 mark, when Brady Stonehouse gathered in a pass from Nick Deakin-Poot in the right circle, and proceeded to wire shot into the right side of the cage. The Nailers had a good response to that, which included a tying tally. Ryan McAllister's long distance shot got tipped off of the left post, then kicked to the right for a tap-in by Connor Lockhart for his team-leading 18th goal of the campaign. Fort Wayne rebounded to regain the lead 3:10 later. Jalen Smereck sent Matthew Brown in behind the defense, and Brown converted the partial breakaway by chipping a shot into the left side of the twine. The Komets added to their advantage on the power play. Dru Krebs' shot missed wide, but Blake Murray gathered in the rebound and fed Alex Aleardi for the goal from the left side of the crease.
All things considered, the middle frame was a better one for the Nailers, as they held a 14-9 shots advantage. However, the lone strike went to Fort Wayne. The puck bounced into the right side of the crease, where Kirill Tyutyayev whacked away, and ultimately got one of his attempts to dribble its way inside of the left post with 3:55 left in the period.
Wheeling made a serious push in the first 11 minutes of the third period, and came all the way back to tie the score. Jack Works began the offensive outburst for the Nailers at the 3:03 mark, when he deposited the rebound of Max Graham's inital attempt. 1:52 later, Nolan Renwick tipped in a point shot by Emil Pieniniemi to trim the deficit down to one. McAllister potted the equalizer with 9:26 remaining, when he ripped a shot from the slot into the left side of the goal. Unfortunately, Wheeling wasn't able to take any points out of the match, as Brown put the Komets back into the lead, when he sifted in the rebound of Tyson Feist's shot off of a face-off for his second of the night. Matt Copponi added an empty netter in the final minute to solidify Fort Wayne's 6-4 win.
Nathaniel Day was the winning goaltender for the Komets, as he made 35 saves on 39 shots. Maxim Pavlenko surrendered five goals on 32 shots in the defeat for the Nailers.
The Nailers and Komets will make the journey back to WesBanco Arena for the weekend finale on Sunday afternoon at 4:10. That will be the annual Faith & Family Day, which will feature a post game celebration of faith with player testimonials, live music, and more. The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Margaritaville Night on Saturday, March 14th. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Wheeling Whips Wings, 7-2
Friday, February 27th
WHEELING, WV- Friday night was absolute dominance by the Wheeling Nailers, as they bounced back into a tie for first place in the North Division by clobbering the Kalamazoo Wings, 7-2 at WesBanco Arena. Craig Armstrong scored twice, and Ryan McAllister pitched in with three points, as 15 of Wheeling's 18 skaters made their way onto the scoresheet with at least one point. The Nailers also made history in the win, as they allowed just ten shots on goal - the fewest in club history. The previous mark was 13, which was done in 1995.
Both teams came out firing, as the red light was turned on five times during the first period. The Nailers were the first on the board, thanks to a successful power play 1:17 into the contest. Ryan McAllister's wrist shot from the left circle was blockered up into the air by goaltender Aku Koskenvuo. However, the puck ended up floating backward, where it landed inside of the right post. Wheeling added to its lead less than three minutes later. Brayden Edwards and Matty De St. Phalle teamed together to win a puck battle along the wall, then set up Craig Armstrong, who flipped a backhander into the top-left corner of the cage. Kalamazoo bounced back with a goal 1:03 after that, as Andre Ghantous stuffed a wraparound into the left side of the net. Daniel Laatsch netted the third marker of the stanza for the Nailers, as he danced around two defenders, then whipped a shot into the right side of the twine. Josh Bloom followed that up for the Wings, as he tapped in the rebound of his initial shot, which came off of a rush down the right side of the ice.
Wheeling controlled the play in the middle frame, as the home side boosted its lead to three, while allowing just one shot on goal. Both goals in the second came via special teams. The power play converted for the second time at the 6:36 mark, when Emil Pieniniemi took a pass from Scooter Brickey, eluded a defender, and shoveled a shot into the top-left corner of the cage. The game took an interesting turn later in the second, when Connor Lockhart was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a slash. Not only did the Wings do absolutely nothing with the extended power play, but the Nailers scored shorthanded to take a 5-2 lead. Logan Pietila forced a turnover, then teed up Nolan Renwick, who blasted a one-timer home from the left side of the slot.
The home team put the match away with two more goals in the third period. Armstrong netted his second of the night by drilling in a cross-ice pass from Zach Urdahl, then Brent Johnson banked the puck in off of a Kalamazoo defender on the power play for the 7-2 victory.
Taylor Gauthier tied Andy Franck's record for most wins by a goaltender in Wheeling history with the 60th of his career, as he made eight saves on ten shots. Aku Koskenvuo allowed seven goals on 41 shots in the loss for the Wings.
The Nailers will take a quick trip over to Fort Wayne on Saturday night at 7:35, only for they and the Komets to turn right back around and make an overnight journey back to WesBanco Arena to close out the weekend on Sunday afternoon at 4:10. Sunday's game is the annual Faith & Family Day, which will feature a post game celebration of faith with player testimonials, live music, and more. The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Margaritaville Night on Saturday, March 14th. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Komets Power Back to Beat Wheeling, 6-3
Wednesday, February 25th
WHEELING, WV- Wednesday night at WesBanco Arena was a challenging one for the Wheeling Nailers, who ran into a team that has been clicking on all cylinders away from home. Wheeling built a 2-0 lead in the first period, but the Fort Wayne Komets bounced back by scoring six of the game's final seven goals to earn at least a point in their 18th straight road game (12-0-6). William Dufour led the way offensively for the Komets with two goals and two assists in the 6-3 final. The loss was the first of the year for the Nailers when leading by multiple goals at any point (23-1-0).
The Nailers came out flying in the first period with a 12-6 shots advantage, and their efforts were rewarded with a 2-1 lead on the scoreboard. Both Wheeling markers came on the power play, starting with a Fort Wayne blunder. Komets goaltender Samuel Jonsson gave the puck away to Ryan McAllister, who immediately spotted Logan Pietila in the slot. Pietila had the whole net to shoot at and he didn't miss. The Nailers struck again 1:50 later. Connor Lockhart took advantage of traffic created by his teammates, as he tossed a wrist shot into the cage from high on the right side of the offensive zone. One minute after that, the Komets netted their first goal of the evening. Matt Copponi slipped a pass through the low slot to William Dufour, who waited, then lifted a shot over Taylor Gauthier's left leg pad.
The late strike gave Fort Wayne some momentum, as the visitors flipped the script with three straight goals in the middle frame to turn a two-goal deficit into a two-goal lead. Austin Magera picked up the equalizer 1:13 into the period, when he took a drop pass from Matt Brown, and put just enough power on his shot to squeeze it through Gauthier and in over the goal line. The Komets went ahead for the first time in the match with 6:16 remaining in the stanza. Brady Stonehouse's shot from the right circle was denied, but Trevor Janicke fished out the rebound and swept into the left side of the net. Blake Murray added to the lead with one minute left, when he tipped in Louka Henault's point shot, which came three seconds after a successful penalty kill by Wheeling.
Wheeling closed the gap to one at the 5:48 mark of the third period off of a beautiful play by Pietila, who gathered in McAllister's initial shot, turned to his forehand, and twirled home his second goal of the contest. However, the Nailers ran into penalty trouble, as they were whistled for each of the final six infractions of the night. One of those was a match penalty for slew-footing against Raivis Ansons, which gave Fort Wayne a five-minute power play. That turned into a five-on-three, which was converted by a Jayden Grubbe dribbling backhander. Dufour cashed in on power play number six with his second goal and fourth point, which was a rip of a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the cage to put the finishing touches on the 6-3 Komets win.
Samuel Jonsson improved to 12-1-1 on the road for Fort Wayne, as he made 23 saves on 26 shots. Taylor Gauthier allowed more than three goals for the first time all season in the Wheeling crease, as he was bested six times on 30 shots.
The Nailers will continue their busy week of hockey with another home game on Friday night at 7:10, when they face the Kalamazoo Wings for the only time this season. That game will be a Frosty Friday, featuring select $2 beers. Wheeling will also be home on Sunday at 4:10, when Fort Wayne makes its return to the Friendly City. That is the annual Faith & Family Day, which will feature a post game celebration of faith with player testimonials, live music, and more. The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Margaritaville Night on Saturday, March 14th. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Reading Prevails in Marathon 14-Round Shootout
Sunday, February 15th
WHEELING, WV- Sunday afternoon's weekend finale between the Wheeling Nailers and Reading Royals at WesBanco Arena refused to end. The two division rivals battled through a 2-2 tie in regulation, then overtime, and eventually a 14-round shootout, before the Royals ultimately escaped with the 3-2 win. Miles Gendron scored the deciding goal in the longest shootout in Wheeling Hockey History in a game that took three hours and five minutes to play.
For the second time in three games, the Royals scored an early goal to take a 1-0 lead in the first period. Jeremy Michel swept a pass to defenseman Victor Hadfield, who was located just inside of the left point. Hadfield let a wrist shot go through a pile of bodies, and the puck found its way in. Shots on goal in the stanza were a mere 5-5.
The teams went over 40 minutes without scoring again, before Wheeling drew even at the 4:09 mark of the third. Tanner Andrew delivered a perfect pass into the crease for a tap-in by Mike Posma. Reading regained the lead 1:39 later on the power play, when Kyle Haskins wired a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the cage. The Nailers got a power play marker of their own to tie the score with 3:58 left. Craig Armstrong one-touched a pass from Tristan Thompson to tee up Scooter Brickey, who clobbered in a one-timer from above the right circle.
Little did everyone know at the time that there was still a lot more hockey left to be played. Overtime wasn't able to decide a winner, so the match progressed to a shootout. Zach Urdahl gave Wheeling the lead in the first round, but Jacob Frasca kept the Royals alive in round three. Taylor Gauthier and Keith Petruzzelli exchanged saves in rounds four and five, before Matty De St. Phalle of the Nailers and Nolan Burke of Reading were both successful in the sixth round. Seven rounds of unsuccessful chances followed, before the game finally ended in round 14. Connor Lockhart came up empty for Wheeling, while Miles Gendron converted to give the Royals the 3-2 win.
Keith Petruzzelli was the victorious netminder for Reading, as he stopped 29 of 31 shots during the game, then 12 of 14 shootout shots. Taylor Gauthier made 19 saves on 21 shots in the game for the Nailers, then went 11-of-14 in the shootout.
The Nailers will have nine days off before hitting the ice again for their next game on Wednesday, February 25th against the Fort Wayne Komets at 7:10. This is the make-up game from the original scheduled match on January 25th. Wheeling will have two more home games that week. Friday, February 27th at 7:10 against the Kalamazoo Wings is a Frosty Friday. Then, on Sunday, March 1st, the Nailers and Komets will clash at 4:10 for the annual Faith & Family game. The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Margaritaville Night on Saturday, March 14th. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, February 14th
Giddy Up! Nailers Gallop Past Royals, 6-3
WHEELING, WV- After getting shutout 24 hours earlier, the Wheeling Nailers looked like a completely different team, as they evened their weekend series with the Reading Royals at WesBanco Arena on Saturday night. Zach Urdahl's two goals led the way in a six-goal attack by the Nailers, who scored the final four of the night to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 6-3 triumph. David Breazeale's goal in the second period gave Wheeling the lead for good in the team's 30th win of the season.
Wheeling and Reading have played a lot of low scoring games this season, but the first period was a completely different story, as both teams turned on the red light twice. The Nailers got on the board first at the 11:20 mark with a successful power play. Matty De St. Phalle directed a pass through the slot to Brayden Edwards in the left circle. Edwards took his time in settling the puck down, before rifling a shot off of the back bar for a 1-0 lead. Wheeling temporarily upped its lead to two less than five minutes later. Connor Lockhart curled out of the left corner and swept a shot just inside of the right post. Reading responded on the very next shift, needing just 14 seconds to pull back within one. Cam Cook's shot from the right circle got padded away, but the rebound was slammed back in by Andrew Kurapov. The Royals then netted the equalizer with 8.9 seconds left in the stanza on the power play. Austin Saint looked off a pass and squeaked a shot between Maxim Pavlenko's legs from the bottom of the left circle.
The goals continued to pour in during the middle frame. Reading took its first lead of the night at the 4:29 mark during 4-on-4 play. The Nailers coughed up the puck in their defensive zone, which led to a Kyle Haskins steal. Haskins skated in alone, and roofed a quick backhander up and under the crossbar. Wheeling had a strong push back, which resulted in both a tying and a go-ahead marker. The tying tally came at the 9:03 mark, when Logan Pietila slipped a pass to his right for Zach Urdahl, who whipped a wrist shot through Yaniv Perets' legs. David Breazeale put the Nailers on top 4-3 with 4:13 remaining, as he sailed a wrist shot through traffic and in from the left point.
Wheeling battled through some adversity in the third period, but took care of business and shut the door on the Royals. Urdahl gave the home team some insurance with his second of the night, as he flew past the defense for a breakaway, which he converted with a low shot. The Nailers successfully killed off four penalties in the final period, and the last kill was punctuated by Daniel Laatsch's shorthanded empty net goal. That was the first shorthanded tally surrendered by Reading this season, and it put the finishing touches on the 6-3 Wheeling victory.
Maxim Pavlenko picked up the win for the Nailers, as he made 20 saves on 23 shots. Yaniv Perets gave up five goals on 38 shots in the loss for the Royals.
The Nailers and Royals will close out their weekend series in Wheeling on Sunday at 4:10. Following the game, fans will be able to skate with the odd-numbered players. The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Margaritaville Night on Saturday, March 14th. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, February 13th
Petruzzelli Pitches 3-0 Shutout for Royals
WHEELING, WV- Friday night's game at WesBanco Arena was a struggle for the Wheeling Nailers, as they ran into a solid goaltending performance by Keith Petruzzelli of the Reading Royals. Petruzzelli denied all 29 shots he faced, and played with the lead for all but 37 seconds, as Miles Gendron tallied for Reading in the opening minute of the contest. The Royals tacked on one more goal in both the second and third periods for a 3-0 final score.
One goal was scored in the first period, and it came right away, as Reading needed just 37 seconds to get on the scoreboard. Kyle Haskins dished the puck along the blueline to Miles Gendron at the left point. Gendron stepped up with traffic in the slot and beat a screened Taylor Gauthier.
The Royals expanded their lead to two at the 10:23 mark of the middle frame, when they capitalized on a Wheeling turnover. Nolan Burke broke up a pass in Reading's offensive end, and immediately went on the attack. Burke got past his defender, then deked to his backhand, as he shoveled a shot up and into the top-right corner of the cage.
The Nailers had some chances to pull back in the game, including three minutes of power play time in the third period. However, they were unable to solve Keith Petruzzelli, and Liam Devlin iced Reading's 3-0 win with an empty netter.
Keith Petruzzelli notched his third shutout of the season for the Royals, as he was perfect on 29 shots. It was the first home shutout loss by Wheeling this season. Taylor Gauthier allowed two goals or less for the 14th time in 17 games, as he made 26 saves on 28 shots for the Nailers.
The Nailers and Royals will continue their three-game weekend in Wheeling on Saturday night at 7:10. The promotion is Country Night, and special guest Loop Rawlins will be performing his One Man Wild West Show during both intermissions. Country music will be played throughout the night, plus fans will be able to take a ride on a mechanical bull in the main lobby. Wheeling and Reading will close out the weekend on Sunday afternoon at 4:10, and following that match, fans will be able to skate with the odd-numbered players. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Wednesday, February 11th
Late Comeback Lifts Nailers Over Indy, 2-1
FISHERS, IN- It took the Wheeling Nailers over 52 minutes to get on the scoreboard in Wednesday night's game against the Indy Fuel at Fishers Event Center. However, when the final buzzer sounded, they had smiles on their faces. Connor Lockhart tied the score with 7:10 remaining, then netted the winning goal with 1:38 on the clock, as Wheeling rallied from behind for a 2-1 triumph. Brent Johnson had the primary assists on both goals for the Nailers, while Taylor Gauthier made 21 saves between the pipes.
One goal was scored in the first period, and it came during the lone power play of the stanza. Although the man advantage was Wheeling's, the marker went to the Fuel. Tyler Paquette picked up a loose puck on the right side of his own end, then turned on the jets in the other direction. Paquette got behind the defense for a breakaway, and he converted the opportunity by whipping a shot through Taylor Gauthier's legs.
The score stayed 1-0 for over 45 minutes, before the Nailers began to turn the game around. Wheeling received a power play with 7:43 remaining in the third period, when Michael Marchesan threw a cross check on Matthew Quercia. The Nailers made him pay, as they capitalized on the man advantage. Connor Lockhart let a wrist shot go from the top of the right circle, which flew past an Indy leg and into the top-left corner of the net. The final two minutes of the contest featured some wild twists and turns. Wheeling was called for a penalty with 1:56 left, but the Fuel had one called against them three seconds later to create 4-on-4 action. 15 seconds into that sequence, the Nailers took the lead. Logan Pietila battled the puck down the right wall to Brent Johnson, who spotted Lockhart wide open between the hash marks. Lockhart gathered in the feed, and snapped a shot through Mitchell Weeks' legs. Wheeling played keep-away for the final 1:38, and Indy was unable to pull Weeks for the extra attacker until the closing 11 seconds, as the Nailers were victorious, 2-1.
Taylor Gauthier earned his 59th career win in a Nailers uniform by denying 21 of the 22 shots he faced. Gauthier is now one win shy of matching Andy Franck's all-time record of 60. Mitchell Weeks made 27 saves on 29 shots in the defeat for the Fuel.
The Nailers will return to WesBanco Arena for three home games this weekend, all against the Reading Royals. Friday's 7:10 tilt will be a Frosty Friday, and Sunday's 4:10 contest will be followed by a skate with odd-numbered players, but the highlight of the weekend will be Country Night on Saturday at 7:10. Loop Rawlins from season nine of America's Got Talent will be performing during both intermissions. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Sunday, February 8th
Nailers Pummel Cyclones 6-0 on Penguins Night
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers welcomed a crowd of 3,946 fans to Pittsburgh Penguins Night at WesBanco Arena on Saturday, and just about all of them left with smiles on their faces. After a scoreless first period, Wheeling's offense went off, scoring five times in the middle frame to blow the game open. Six different Nailers ended up scoring goals, and Maxim Pavlenko held the Cincinnati Cyclones off of the scoreboard in a 6-0 triumph.
The first period saw quality scoring chances go in both directions, both goaltenders were ready for the action, as the two sides played to a scoreless deadlock with a 13-10 shots advantage for Cincinnati.
The middle frame was a completely different story, as the Nailers dominated with five goals. The offensive explosion began at the 5:58 mark, when Tristan Thompson delivered a perfect pass to the right edge of the crease for a redirection by Craig Armstrong. Less than a minute later, Logan Pietila thought he had the second goal, but video review determined that the puck hit the crossbar. The real goal number two came 1:42 after the opening marker, when Max Graham scooped up his own rebound and lofted a shot over goaltender Tommy Scarfone. Next on the scoreboard was Daniel Laatsch with the first tally of his pro career. Laatsch made a disgusting move to deke around the defense and goaltender, before sliding the puck inside of the right post. The fourth goal was a strange one. Zach Urdahl's attempt from the left circle beat Scarfone, but play continued for nearly two full minutes before a whistle. The play was reviewed, and the goal was counted. 26 seconds of hockey time later, Brayden Edwards stashed in strike number five, when he wired in a wrist shot from the slot.
Matthew Quercia completed the scoring in the 6-0 rout for Wheeling at the 7:57 mark of the third period, when he slid a shot inside of the left post from along the right side of the goal line.
Maxim Pavlenko earned his fourth shutout of the season for the Nailers, as he rejected all 31 shots he faced. Tommy Scarfone took the loss for Cincinnati, as he allowed six goals on 36 shots.
The Nailers, Augusta Levy Learning Center, and Easterseals would like to invite everyone to the fifth annual Inclusion on Ice event, taking place from 1-4 on Sunday afternoon at Wheeling Park Ice Rink. Wheeling's next game will be on the road against the Indy Fuel on Wednesday at 7:00. That will be followed by three straight home games next weekend, and all three will be played against the Reading Royals. Friday's 7:10 tilt will be a Frosty Friday, and Sunday's 4:10 contest will be followed by a skate with odd-numbered players, but the highlight of the weekend will be Country Night on Saturday at 7:10. Loop Rawlins from season nine of America's Got Talent will be performing during both intermissions. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, February 6th
Fuel Eke Out 3-2 Shootout Win
WHEELING, WV- Friday night's game between the Wheeling Nailers and Indy Fuel at WesBanco Arena took two hours and 54 minutes to play, as the two sides needed every second of regulation, plus overtime and a shootout to determine a winner. Indy's Jadon Joseph avenged an unsuccessful penalty shot in overtime by delivering the deciding goal in the second round of the shootout. Mitchell Weeks followed that up by denying the last two shooters for Wheeling, as the Fuel prevailed, 3-2.
Scoring chances were few and far between in the first period, as the shots on goal were 7-4 in Indy's favor. The Fuel tallied the lone goal in the stanza, which came with 5:05 remaining on a transition rush. Tyler Paquette carried the puck into the offensive zone, then delivered the pass to his right for defenseman Nick Grima. Grima proceeded to set up Jadon Joseph, who drove in a one-timer from the left circle.
The Nailers didn't waste much time in evening the score in the middle frame, as the equalizer came at the one-minute mark. Brayden Edwards carried the puck toward the slot, looking to create a scoring chance. A poke check by Indy made the puck slide off of Edwards' blade to Matty De St. Phalle, who immediately shoveled a shot up and into the top-left corner of the cage. Wheeling did a better job of controlling the play in period two with a 13-9 shots advantage in the 1-1 deadlock.
The two teams exchanged goals in quick succession during the third period. At the 3:36 mark, Grima's shot from the top of the right circle produced a rebound, which was tucked inside of the right post by Jesse Tucker to put Indy ahead, 2-1. However, Wheeling responded 20 seconds later on the power play. Zach Urdahl's shot from the left circle was denied, but Logan Pietila cleaned up the loose change on the right side of the crease to knot the tilt, 2-2. The Nailers outshot the Fuel, 15-11 in the third period, but neither team could break the tie, sending the match to overtime.
Somehow, the extra session didn't decide a winner either, despite a 4-2 shots advantage for Indy. The biggest chance of overtime came at the 5:29 mark, when Joseph was awarded a penalty shot. However, Taylor Gauthier made a blocker side, and the teams kept playing.
Eventually, a shootout was needed to settle the score. Both shooters succeeded in round one - Eric Martin for the Fuel and Zach Urdahl for Wheeling. Joseph gave Indy the advantage in the second round, when he slammed a shot through Gauthier's legs. The Nailers were unable to answer that, as Mitchell Weeks thwarted Logan Pietila and Brent Johnson for a 3-2 Fuel victory.
Mitchell Weeks backstopped the win for Indy, as he made 32 saves on 34 shots during the game, then went two-of-three in the shootout. Taylor Gauthier turned away 29 of the 31 shots he faced during the game for Wheeling, then made one stop on three shootout attempts.
The Nailers have a big night of fun ahead of them on Saturday at 7:10, when they play host to the Cincinnati Cyclones. The promotion is the annual Pittsburgh Penguins Night. Two-time Stanley Cup Champion and current broadcast analyst Phil Bourque will be the celebrity guest. Bourque will sign autographs before the game and during the first intermission, before heading up to the broadcast booth to join DJ Abisalih and Brock Woods for the second period. The giveaway item is a beanie hat, the Nailers will be wearing specialty jerseys designed after Pittsburgh's from the 2008 NHL Winter Classic, and there will be a full team autograph session following the game. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Wednesday, February 4th
Gauthier Stops 53 in 3-2 Nailers Overtime Win
WHEELING, WV- Taylor Gauthier is on the verge of Wheeling history, as his 58 career wins are two shy of Andy Franck's all-time record of 60. Gauthier's performance for the Wheeling Nailers on Wednesday night against the Fort Wayne Komets at WesBanco Arena was definitely a legendary one. The Nailers netminder made an astounding 53 saves on 55 shots, and although he had to wait an extra 5:19 to earn the win, it was worth it. Brent Johnson delivered the game winning goal in overtime for Wheeling to end the team's five-game winless skid. The final score was 3-2.
The Komets missed out on their first trip to Wheeling due to some nasty winter weather, but they put a storm's worth of shots on the Nailers during the first period. However, Wheeling took advantage of its best opportunity of the stanza by cashing in on a power play to take a 1-0 lead. Brent Johnson sprinted into the right side of the offensive zone to snap a pass to Randy Hernández in the bottom of the right circle. Hernández wasted little time in setting up Matthew Quercia, who shoveled in a one-timer from the top of the crease. The Nailers fended off a 22-7 shots advantage by Fort Wayne, which included a 1:28 two-man disadvantage.
Wheeling had a tremendous opportunity to extend its lead in the opening minute of the second period, when Matty De St. Phalle was taken down from behind on a breakaway. De St. Phalle was awarded a penalty shot for his efforts, and although he made a slick move to his backhand, goaltender Nathaniel Day stretched over to make a right pad save. The Komets continued their shooting barrage with 16 attempts in the middle frame, and ultimately broke up Taylor Gauthier's shutout bid with their 37th shot of the night. Austin Magera tapped a pass ahead to Kirill Tyutyayev, who dribbled a shot just inside of the right post for the equalizer.
The score stayed 1-1 until the final five minutes of regulation, when the two sides exchanged goals 21 seconds apart from each other. Fort Wayne took the lead at the 15:08 mark, when Alex Aleardi slipped behind the defense, and squeezed a backhander between the left post and Gauthier's right skate. The Nailers rebounded immediately with a crazy bounce. Tristan Thompson's dump-in from neutral ice hopped onto the goal, but Day was unable to control the puck, which kicked to Connor Lockhart, who cashed in from the right side.
Both teams secured a point in the non-conference game, as overtime was necessary to determine a winner. The extra session wasn't the typical up-and-down sequence with chances being traded constantly, but at the 5:19 mark, Wheeling sent its fans home happy. Logan Pietila led Brent Johnson in toward the net, and Johnson faked to his backhand to slide the winning goal through Day's legs for the 3-2 Nailers triumph.
Taylor Gauthier set a career high by turning away 53 of the 55 shots he faced in the victory for the Nailers. The 53 saves were also tied for the third most by a Wheeling goalie in a game in team history. Nathaniel Day made 19 saves on 22 shots in the overtime loss for the Komets.
The Nailers will have Thursday off, before continuing their homestand with a Frosty Friday against the Indy Fuel on Friday night at 7:10. On Saturday night at 7:10, Wheeling will host the Cincinnati Cyclones for Pittsburgh Penguins Night. The star of the night will be two-time Stanley Cup Champion Phil Bourque, who will be signing autographs before the game and during the first intermission. Bourque will also join the Nailers broadcast during the second period. The Nailers will be wearing specialty jerseys designed after Pittsburgh's jerseys from the 2008 NHL Winter Classic in Buffalo. Additionally, the entire team will be signing autographs following the game. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Sunday, February 1st
Gahagen, Railers Shutout Wheeling, 1-0
WORCESTER, MA- The Wheeling Nailers left everything they had on the ice at DCU Center on Sunday afternoon, as they wrapped up their series with the Worcester Railers. Despite a 34-18 advantage in shots on goal, the Nailers came up on the short side of a 1-0 result, as Worcester's Parker Gahagen denied all 34 shots he faced. Anthony Callin scored the lone goal of the match for the Railers in the first period to saddle Wheeling with an 0-2-2 mark on its four-game road trip.
Despite what the scoreboard may have said, the Nailers played a strong first period, as they had the majority of the chances, in addition to a 12-5 advantage in shots. However, the lone goal was scored by Worcester. Riley Ginnell set up Anthony Callin for a one-timer from the right circle, and Callin got just enough on his attempt to squeeze the puck in over the goal line.
Wheeling continued to dominate the match in the middle frame, as shots on goal favored the visitors, 15-2 for a two-period total of 27-7. However, the score remained 1-0, as Railers netminder Parker Gahagen continued to stand on his head.
Unfortunately, the Nailers couldn't find the twine in the third period on seven shots, and Callin's goal from the first period held up for a 1-0 final.
Parker Gahagen was perfect on 34 shots to earn the shutout victory for Worcester. Taylor Gauthier stopped 17 of the 18 shots he faced in goal for Wheeling.
The Nailers will play nine of their next 11 games on home ice, starting on Wednesday night at 7:10, when they face the Fort Wayne Komets for the first time this season. That will be followed by a Frosty Friday at 7:10 against the Indy Fuel on February 6th. After that, it's the next Big-6 Promotional Game, which is Pittsburgh Penguins Night on Saturday, February 7th at 7:10 against the Cincinnati Cyclones. The special guest for Pittsburgh Penguins Night will be two-time Stanley Cup Champion and current broadcast analyst Phil Bourque. The Nailers will also wear specialty jerseys, and there will be a full team post game autograph session. Individual tickets, group tickets, and more are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, January 31st
Roller Coaster Ride Goes to Railers in Overtime
WORCESTER, MA- Saturday night's game between the Wheeling Nailers and the Worcester Railers was a wild rollercoaster ride. Worcester scored twice in the opening five minutes, but Wheeling battled back to tie the score at two, before successfully killing a five-minute major in the back half of the third period. The Nailers were able to earn one point, but the Railers got an overtime goal from Anthony Repaci to win the match, 3-2. Matthew Quercia had a shorthanded goal and an assist for Wheeling.
Worcester came out with a fast start for the second night in a row, as the home team built a 2-0 lead within the first five minutes of play, which included the opening strike at the 43-second mark. Cole Donhauser won a puck battle in the trapezoid, then centered a pass to Anthony Callin, who flicked a one-timer into the right side of the net. The Railers' second goal came less than four minutes later. Ryan Miotto won an offensive zone face-off back to Gabe Blanchard at the middle of the blueline. Blanchard let a slap shot go, which flew into the right side of the twine.
The second period went significantly better for the Nailers, as they pulled within one goal, while outshooting Worcester, 12-8. That tally came shorthanded with 5:04 remaining. Bogdans Hodass made a tremendous defensive play at his own blueline, as he forced the puck away and created a transition rush. Hodass tossed a pass across the slot to Matthew Quercia on the right side, where he powered a one-timer through goaltender Tristan Lennox.
Wheeling continued to battled back and was rewarded with an equalizer at the 7:30 mark of the third period. Brent Johnson let a wrist shot go from the right point, and the puck found its way into the cage through a maze of bodies. The Nailers fought through some incredible adversity in the third as well, as Bogdans Hodass was assessed a match penalty for high sticking with 6:33 remaining. However, the penalty kill was sensational, and Wheeling maintained the 2-2 score to the end of regulation.
Despite the momentum of the penalty kill, the Railers came away with the overtime win. Michael Suda delivered a pass to the top of the crease for a deflection by Anthony Repaci, which flew up and into the top-right corner of the goal for a 3-2 final.
Tristan Lennox picked up the win in goal for Worcester, as he made 22 saves on 24 shots. Taylor Gauthier turned in another strong performance in his 100th game as a Nailer, as he stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced.
The Nailers and Railers will conclude their three-game series in Worcester on Sunday afternoon at 3:05. Wheeling will then return home to WesBanco Arena, where it will play six home games over a two-week span. The highlight of the homestand is Pittsburgh Penguins Night on Saturday, February 7th, starring Phil Bourque. Another popular game will be Country Night on Saturday, February 14th, which will feature intermission performances by Loop Rawlins. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, January 30th
Rough Start Troubles Nailers in Worcester
WORCESTER, MA- The Wheeling Nailers faced an uphill climb from the start on Friday night, as they opened a three-game weekend series against the Worcester Railers at DCU Center. Ryan Miotto opened the scoring 97 seconds into the tilt for the Railers, who built a 3-0 lead in the first period, en route to a 6-3 triumph on their home ice. Ryan Mahshie and Brent Johnson both assisted on two of the three Wheeling strikes.
The game got off to a rough start for the Nailers, who found themselves behind less than two minutes into the first period, and the deficit ultimately became three before the buzzer sounded. Worcester started the scoring at the 1:37 mark. Anthony Repaci swept a pass across the low slot to Ryan Miotto, who roofed a wide-open one-timer from beneath the left circle. The Railers got their second goal off of a transition rush with 3:53 remaining. Riley Ginnell led the way on the left side of a two-on-one break. Ginnell kept the puck to himself, and tried to use the defender's stick as a screen, as he scooped a shot into the right side of the goal. Worcester dented the twine once more with 39 seconds on the clock. Cole Donhauser teed up a one-timer for Drew Callin at the left hashmarks, and Callin buried his shot into the top-left corner of the cage.
The middle frame was a bit better for Wheeling, who began to chip away at the deficit. The Nailers got their first marker of the night at the 6:17 mark. Ryan Mahshie's pass bounced out to David Breazeale at the middle of the blueline. Breazeale let a wrist shot go, which flew into the top-left corner of the net. The Railers had an answer a little more than five minutes later, when Anthony Callin maneuvered his way into the right side of the slot and tucked a shot into the right side of the twine. Wheeling got a second goal back with 4:07 left in the period. Matty De St. Phalle's first attempt from the low slot got blocked, but the rebound went directly back to him, and he capitalized by lifting the puck over Parker Gahagen's right shoulder.
With a two-goal margin, the next tally served to be a crucial one, and not only did that one go to Worcester, but the one after it did as well. Nikita Susuyev converted on a breakaway by sweeping a shot through Maxim Pavlenko's legs, then Repaci whizzed a wrist shot from the left circle into the right side of the net on the power play. Max Graham banged in the rebound of Ryan Mahshie's shot with 1:03 to go for the Nailers, who fell to the Railers, 6-3.
Parker Gahagen improved to 10-3-2 with the win for Worcester, as he made 24 saves on 27 shots. Maxim Pavlenko gave up six goals on 24 shots in the loss for Wheeling.
The Nailers and Railers will play the second of their three games in Worcester this weekend on Saturday night at 6:05, before the series wraps up on Sunday afternoon at 3:05. Wheeling will then return home to WesBanco Arena, where it will play six home games over a two-week span. The highlight of the homestand is Pittsburgh Penguins Night on Saturday, February 7th, starring Phil Bourque. Another popular game will be Country Night on Saturday, February 14th, which will feature intermission performances by Loop Rawlins. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Wednesday, January 28th
Nailers Battle Back for a Point in Maine
PORTLAND, ME- Wednesday night's game between the Wheeling Nailers and Maine Mariners at Cross Insurance Arena was as tight as could be. Neither team scored during the first 31 minutes of action, but the back half of the game made up for that, which included a tying goal by the Nailers in the closing 30 seconds. Unfortunately, Wheeling came up short in the shootout, as Maine's Sebastian Vidmar was the lone player on either side to score on five attempts. The Mariners prevailed, 3-2 on home ice, as the Nailers began their four-game trip through New England.
It took over half of the game to produce a goal, as the defense and goaltending took center stage. Maine was responsible for that lone marker, which came at the 11:10 mark of the second period. Max Andreev skated in on a breakaway, but launched a shot wide to the left. The missed attempt produced an enormous rebound off of the end glass, which tumbled into the left circle. Antonio Venuto pounced on the loose puck and drove a slap shot into the left side of the goal.
The Nailers battled back a couple of times in the third period to take a point out of the game. All three markers in the final stanza of regulation came off of deflections. Wheeling's first equalizer came at the 13-second mark. David Breazeale's shot from the right wall got tipped by both Logan Pietila and Connor Lockhart, with Lockhart's deflection being the final one for the goal. The Mariners took the lead back on a power play with 7:19 remaining. Andrew Nielsen let a shot go from the middle of the blueline, which was tipped out of the air and in by Robert Cronin. Time was ticking away on the Nailers, but with less than 30 seconds left, Logan Pietila batted the rebound of Brent Johnson's shot out of the air and in over the goal line. The play was reviewed for a long period of time, but the ruling on the ice stood, and the two sides progressed to extra hockey.
Wheeling was called for a penalty just 33 seconds into overtime, but nearly flipped the script, as Pietila had a chance to end the match with a shorthanded breakaway. There wasn't a single whistle after the penalty expired, meaning the teams played 4-on-4 for the final 4:27, which meant a shootout was going to decide the winner. Taylor Gauthier and Luke Cavallin matched each other save for save in the first four rounds, but in the fifth round, Maine skated away with the bonus point, as Sebastian Vidmar shoveled a shot into the top-left corner of the cage for the 3-2 final.
Luke Cavallin got the win for the Mariners, as he made 30 saves on 32 shots during the game, then was five-for-five in the shootout. Taylor Gauthier stopped 31 of the 33 shots he faced during the game for the Nailers, then went four-for-five in the shootout.
The Nailers will continue their New England road trip with three games against the Worcester Railers this weekend. Friday's game will begin at 7:05, Saturday has a 6:05 opening face-off, and the teams will wrap things up at 3:05 on Sunday. Wheeling will then return home to WesBanco Arena, where it will play six home games over a two-week span. The highlight of the homestand is Pittsburgh Penguins Night on Saturday, February 7th, starring Phil Bourque. Another popular game will be Country Night on Saturday, February 14th, which will feature intermission performances by Loop Rawlins. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Reading Gains Weekend Split in Wheeling
Saturday, January 24th
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers and Reading Royals continue to trade wins in their season series, as both sides have come out on top four times in 2025-26. On Saturday afternoon, it was Reading's turn to get into the win column. Brandon Saigeon and Jack Page both notched one goal and one assist, while Ian Shane made 37 saves, as the Royals picked up a 5-2 win, as they hope to beat the winter storm back to Reading.
There wasn't much urgency to beat the snowstorm in the first period, which took 43 minutes to play. Three goals were scored, while 11 penalties were assessed. Reading collected the first goal, which came just 2:01 into the contest. Brandon Saigeon led the way on a 2-on-1 rush, as he skated down the left side of the ice, then proceeded to keep the puck to himself, as he wired a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the cage. The other two markers in the opening stanza came 55 seconds apart, while the teams were playing four-on-four. The Nailers got the equalizer with 7:41 remaining, when Ryan Mahshie delivered a pass through the slot to Brayden Edwards, who smashed in a one-timer from the left side. However, the Royals followed that up with a goal of their own, as defenseman Jack Page skated into the high slot, where he ripped a wrist shot into the right side of the goal.
Wheeling made a goaltending change at the start of the middle frame, as Taylor Gauthier took over for Maxim Pavlenko. Gauthier was tested with some high-quality attempts immediately, and was successful in stopping seven of the eight shots in the period. The Nailers were able to tie the score on a power play at the 6:01 mark. Craig Armstrong whipped a long wrist shot on goal from the left side of the ice, which was stopped. However, the rebound dropped just outside of the blue paint, and was touched home by Matthew Quercia for his first goal since November 30th. With 2:10 remaining in the period, Reading regained its lead. Liam Devlin waltzed across the slot from his right to his left, but fired a shot against the grain, which flew into the top-right corner of the net.
The gap remained at one for most of the third period, until the Royals tacked on an insurance marker by utilizing the man advantage with 5:28 to go. The goal was a connection between a pair of former Nailers, as Saigeon placed a pass into the right side of the crease for a tip-in by Alec Butcher. Connor McMenamin added an empty netter for a 5-2 final score in Reading's favor.
Ian Shane thwarted 37 of the 39 shots he faced to win his debut for the Royals. Maxim Pavlenko allowed two goals on six shots for Wheeling, before giving way to Taylor Gauthier, who got saddled with the loss, despite making 14 saves on 16 shots.
The Nailers will spend next week on the road in New England, where they will play four games. The trip begins in Portland, Maine against the Maine Mariners on Wednesday night at 7:00. Wheeling will then travel to Worcester for battles with the Railers on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Nailers will then return home to WesBanco Arena, where they will play six home games over a two week span. The highlight of the homestand is Pittsburgh Penguins Night on Saturday, February 7th, starring Phil Bourque. Another popular game will be Country Night on Saturday, February 14th, which will feature intermission performances by Loop Rawlins. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Come Back for Sixth Straight Home Win
Friday, January 23rd
WHEELING, WV- All the Wheeling Nailers leaded was one goal to get things going in the right direction on Friday night, as they played the first of two games at WesBanco Arena against the Reading Royals. Connor Lockhart tied the game with 23 seconds left in the second period, then Matty De St. Phalle gave the Nailers the lead 1:09 into the third. Taylor Gauthier made the win stand up with 31 saves, including a perfect 19-for-19 effort in the third period. Wheeling earned the 3-1 triumph for its sixth straight home win.
Neither team got on the scoreboard in the first period, while Wheeling outshot Reading, 12-10. The Royals finally broke the deadlock with a shorthanded strike at the 2:58 mark of the middle frame. Nolan Burke freed the puck off of the end boards for Jacob Frasca, who twirled around the right post and slipped a backhander through Taylor Gauthier's legs. The Nailers were able to rebound and tally an equalizer on the power play during the final minute of the stanza. Ryan Mahshie directed a shot on goal from the left circle, which was padded away by Keith Petruzzelli. However, the rebound kicked out to Connor Lockhart, who lifted in a backhander from the right side of the crease.
The late tying goal gave Wheeling some momentum, and the home team took the lead for the first time at the 1:09 mark of the third. Lockhart played the puck into the left circle for Matty De St. Phalle, who roofed a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the cage. The Nailers received tremendous goaltending from Taylor Gauthier to preserve the win, as Reading had a 19-4 shots advantage in the third, and also had a two-man advantage for 43 seconds. Logan Pietila rewarded his netminder by putting the game away with an empty netter in the closing minute for a 3-1 victory.
Taylor Gauthier added those 19 saves in the third period to his 12 from the first two frames to give him 31 stops on 32 shots in the contest. Gauthier is now three wins away from matching Andy Franck for the most career wins in team history. Keith Petruzzelli turned away 24 of the 26 shots he faced in the defeat for the Royals.
The Nailers and Royals will wrap up their two-game series in Wheeling on Saturday at 4:10. Saturday's game will be "Nail Down Cancer" Night. Fans will be able to fill out "I Fight For..." signs to hold up during the game, there will be a ribbon making station, cancer survivors will be celebrated throughout the night, and fans can donate money to have their head shaved in support of the St. Baldrick's Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research. As a reminder, the game originally scheduled for Sunday at 4:10 against the Fort Wayne Komets has been postponed. The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Pittsburgh Penguins Night on Saturday, February 7th, starring former player and current broadcast analyst Phil Bourque. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, January 17th
Wheeling's Comeback Attempts Foiled by Admirals
NORFOLK, VA- Norfolk Scope Arena hasn't treated the Wheeling Nailers well in the last two seasons, and on Saturday night, the road team was eager to get out of town. The Norfolk Admirals scored four times in the third period to defeat the Nailers, 6-3, handing Wheeling back-to-back losses for just the second time all year. Former Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Chase Yoder led the way for Norfolk with one goal and three assists, while goaltender Isaac Poulter earned his sixth straight victory in goal for the Admirals.
Both teams got on the scoreboard once in the opening stanza. Wheeling struck first at the 3:53 mark, as Craig Armstrong helped move the puck to Bogdans Hodass along the wall on the left side of the blueline. Hodass let a wrist shot go, which caught goaltender Isaac Poulter by surprise, as it flew into the top-right corner of the cage. The Admirals got the equalizer on the power play at the 10:03 mark. Kristóf Papp danced through the defense and got a shot off, which was kicked out by Maxim Pavlenko. However, the rebound went directly to Chase Yoder, who shoveled a shot up and into the top-right corner.
One goal was scored in the second period, Norfolk took its first lead of the match at the 3:44 mark. David Drake took a few strides in toward the left circle, then placed the puck into the slot for a tip-in by teammate Jack Jaunich.
The third period was a completely different story, as the two clubs combined for six goals over the course of the final 20 minutes. The Nailers tied the match 37 seconds into the frame, when Connor Lockhart slipped in the rebound of Logan Pietila's initial shot. The Admirals retook the lead 1:22 later, as Grant Hebert whizzed in a one-timer from the slot off of a centering pass by Brady Fleurent. Wheeling rebound with another equalizer on the power play, as Armstrong set up Randy Hernández to roof a shot from the right side of the ice. However, Norfolk had another quick response, as Fleurent slipped a shot through Pavlenko's legs off of a feed from Yoder on the man advantage. Brandon Osmundson created the first multi-goal lead of the night for the Admirals, when he completed a two-on-one rush with Jack O'Leary by ripping a shot up and under the crossbar. Osmundson then put the final touches on the 6-3 final score by tapping in a loose puck in the right circle.
Isaac Poulter backstopped the win for Norfolk, as he made 21 saves on 24 shots. Maxim Pavlenko took the loss for the Nailers, as he gave up six goals on 28 shots.
The Nailers will play their next three games at home, and all three of them will take place next weekend. First up is a Frosty Friday on January 23rd against the Reading Royals at 7:10, featuring select $2 beers. Wheeling and Reading will collide again on Saturday, January 24th at 7:10 for Nail Down Cancer Night. The weekend will conclude with the first meeting of the season against the Fort Wayne Komets on Sunday, January 25th at 4:10. Following that game, fans will have the opportunity to skate with the odd-numbered players. The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Pittsburgh Penguins Night on Saturday, February 7th, starring former Penguins player and current broadcaster Phil Bourque. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, January 16th
Wheeling's Win Streak Halted in Norfolk
NORFOLK, VA- Strong defense and goaltending was on display at Norfolk Scope Arena on Friday night, as the Wheeling Nailers and Norfolk Admirals played the first of two games this weekend. Only three goals were scored on 49 shots on goal, as the Admirals prevailed, 2-1, to extend their winning streak to five games, while bringing Wheeling's five-game winning streak to an end. Norfolk scored both of its goals in the second period, then rode the netminding of Isaac Poulter to the finish line. Logan Pietila was the lone Nailer to light the lamp, as he netted his team-leading tenth tally of the season.
The two sides played to a scoreless opening stanza, which saw Wheeling lead 7-6 in shots. At the 3:09 mark of the second period, the Admirals broke the deadlock. Josh McDougall created the play by navigating his way in from the right point. McDougall was ultimately rewarded for his efforts, as his final destination was the bottom of the left circle, where he slammed home the rebound of Jack Jaunich's shot. A little more than four minutes later, Norfolk added to its advantage. Brahden Engum launched a pass ahead to Justin Young, which created a breakaway. Young took a simple approach, as he snapped a shot through Taylor Gauthier's legs.
The Nailers tried to get their offense going in the third period, as they put 11 shots on goal and pulled within one at the 4:34 mark. Logan Pietila won a puck battle along the left wall, then had a quick give-and-go with Connor Lockhart. The end result was Pietila taking the return feed and roofing a shot into the top-right corner of the twine. Unfortunately, that was the only goal that Wheeling could muster, as the Admirals held on for the 2-1 win.
Isaac Poulter earned his fifth straight win for Norfolk, as he turned aside 23 of the 24 shots he faced. Taylor Gauthier played well in the defeat for the Nailers, as he made 23 saves on 25 shots.
The Nailers and Admirals will wrap up their season series in Norfolk on Saturday night at 7:05. Wheeling will then return to WesBanco Arena for three straight home games on January 23rd, 24th and 25th. Friday the 23rd will be a Frosty Friday with select $2 beers at 7:10 against Reading. The Royals will also be the opponent at 7:10 on Saturday the 24th, which will be Nailers Fight Cancer Night. The opposition changes to Fort Wayne for Sunday the 25th at 4:10, which will be followed by a post game skate with odd-numbered players. The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Pittsburgh Penguins Night on Saturday, February 7th, and the special guest will be Phil Bourque. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Sunday, January 11th
Nailers Sweep Lions for Fifth Straight Win
WHEELING, WV- The Trois-Rivières Lions may have captured the ECHL's greatest hardware in 2024-25, but this weekend at WesBanco Arena, the Wheeling Nailers weren't about to bow down to the defending champions. Wheeling swept Trois-Rivières in three games, while outscoring the Lions, 13-5. In Sunday's contest, Craig Armstrong opened the scoring just 12 seconds into play, then added an empty netter to cap off a 4-2 triumph on home ice. The Nailers have won five straight games, are 14-2-1 on home ice, and have regained the top spot in the ECHL at 25-7-1 overall.
The Nailers didn't waste any time getting onto the scoreboard, as they came out smelling blood in the water. Brent Johnson made a beautiful move to deke around a defender on the right side of the blueline, then sifted a pass across the slot to Craig Armstrong on the left side. Armstrong picked his spot, and roofed a shot into the top-right corner of the cage. The goal came just 12 seconds into the contest, which tied the third fastest goal to start a game in team history. With 3:15 left in the stanza, Wheeling went ahead by two. Johnson showed why he was selected as an ECHL All-Star, as he made an end-to-end rush, which finished with a cross-ice pass to Randy Hernández, who buried a one-timer from the left side. There was also a fight which took place in between the two markers, as Cole Tymkin and Sean Gulka dropped the mitts.
Both teams found the twine once in the middle frame, and both goals came during the final six minutes. The Nailers started by expanding their lead to three. Logan Pietila led Emil Pieniniemi to an odd-man rush, as he skated into the left side of the offensive zone. Pieniniemi took his time and lined up a slap shot, which he fired into the left side of the net. With 1:02 remaining, the Lions scored for the first time since Friday's second period, as Darick Louis-Jean crashed the crease and deposited the rebound of Logan Nijhoff's long shot, which was deflected by Joel Teasdale.
Wheeling's defense was nearly unbeatable during the third period, as Trois-Rivières mustered just one shot on goal in the first 15 minutes. Armstrong iced the victory for the Nailers with a shorthanded empty net tally with 3:26 remaining. Anthony Poulin gave the game a 4-2 final score, as he scored from the right circle for the Lions with 1.8 seconds to go.
Taylor Gauthier earned his fourth straight win in goal for Wheeling and improved to 5-0-0 on home ice this season, as he denied 26 of the 28 shots he faced. Vincent Duplessis made 24 saves on 27 shots in the defeat for Trois-Rivières.
Next weekend, the Nailers will head onto the road for the first time in nearly a month, as they will visit the Norfolk Admirals on Friday and Saturday, with both games starting at 7:05. Wheeling will then return for three straight home games on January 23rd, 24th and 25th. Friday the 23rd will be a Frosty Friday with select $2 beers at 7:10 against Reading. The Royals will also be the opponent at 7:10 on Saturday the 24th, which will be Nailers Fight Cancer Night. The opposition changes to Fort Wayne for Sunday the 25th at 4:10, which will be followed by a post game skate with odd-numbered players. The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Pittsburgh Penguins Night on Saturday, February 7th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Earn Fantastic Win in the 304
Saturday, January 10th
WHEELING, WV- The theme of the night was a perfect fit on Saturday night at WesBanco Arena, as the Wheeling Nailers were every bit of fantastic in their 5-0 triumph over the Trois-Rivières Lions. Connor Lockhart led the offensive attack by opening the scoring and adding two assists in his 100th professional goal. Emil Pieniniemi netted his first North American pro marker, and Maxim Pavlenko earned his third shutout of the campaign with 26 saves. 3,580 fans had plenty to cheer about, as the Nailers won their fourth straight home game to improve to 24-7-1 on the season.
The Nailers got the exact start they were looking for, as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. The first goal came off of a rush into the offensive zone, as Logan Pietila led Connor Lockhart into the left circle. Lockhart picked his spot perfectly, as he rang a wrist shot off of the right post and in. Later in the stanza, Lockhart set up Wheeling's second marker, as he delivered a beautiful pass across the high slot to Brent Johnson at the top of the left circle. Johnson clobbered a one-timer, which rocketed into the top-left corner of the cage.
The middle frame was more of a defensive period for the Nailers, who maintained their 2-0 advantage, despite being outshot, 12-4. Wheeling followed that up by blowing the game open in the third. At the 1:45 mark, Cole Tymkin picked off a pass and wound up for a humongous slap shot. The shot got partially blocked, but threw Lions goaltender Vincent Duplessis for a loop, as the puck trickled through his legs. 47 seconds later, Randy Hernández centered the puck to the top of the crease, where Pietila chipped a shot into the top-right corner of the net. With 6:19 left, Maxim Pavlenko faced his biggest test of the night, as Egor Goriunov was awarded a penalty shot. Pavlenko forced the shot wide to the left, preserving his shutout. Emil Pieniniemi applied the final exclamation point to the 5-0 win with his first North American professional goal, as he dangled into the slot and slipped a backhander through Duplessis' legs.
Maxim Pavlenko tied for the league lead with his third shutout of the season, as the Wheeling netminder was perfect on 26 shots. Vincent Duplessis gave up five goals on 19 shots in the loss for Trois-Rivières.
The Nailers and Lions will wrap up their weekend series in Wheeling on Sunday afternoon at 4:10. Following the game, fans will have the opportunity to skate with the even-numbered players. A couple of other exciting upcoming promotions include Nailers Fight Cancer on January 24th and Pittsburgh Penguins Night on February 7th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, January 9th
Nailers Rally Back to Top Lions, 4-3
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers showed loads of heart on Friday night, as they opened up a three-game home weekend against the Trois-Rivières Lions at WesBanco Arena. The Nailers battled back from a pair of deficits, then took their first lead of the game with 10:45 remaining on a goal by ECHL All-Star Brent Johnson. Wheeling made sure to hold onto that lead, as it defeated the defending champions, 4-3. The win was the first of the season for the Nailers when trailing at the end of two periods.
The Nailers had a bit of a challenging start, as Trois-Rivières scored two early goals, before the home team closed the gap to one. The first tally came on the power play at the 4:40 mark. Cédric Desruisseaux received a pass at the offensive blueline, then flew past the defense for a breakaway, which he converted by zipping a shot into the top-left corner of the cage. 50 seconds later, the Lions struck again. Joel Teasdale's shot got denied, but the rebound kicked out to the right circle for Wyatt McLeod, who got just enough on his attempt to slither the puck in along the ice. Wheeling was held without a shot for over 13 minutes, but made one of their tries count with 4:09 left in the stanza. Tommy Budnick took advantage of traffic in the slot by delivering a low wrist shot which eluded goaltender Benjamin Gaudreau.
The Nailers continued to battle their way back, and for a few minutes, they played with a tied score. Matthew Quercia started the play that led to the equalizer by picking the pocket of his former teammate, Desruisseaux. That created a 3-on-2 rush, which was completed by Tanner Andrew, who drove into the slot and roofed a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the twine. However, with 1:39 remaining, the Lions regained the lead. Riley Kidney cut from left to right in the offensive zone, then went against the grain by shoveling a shot up and into the top-left corner of the goal.
Wheeling was bound and determined to take points out of the game, and the team's efforts were rewarded in the third period. The Nailers tied the tilt at the 5:15 mark. Matthew Quercia twirled his way around on the left side of the ice, then put a shot on goal, which was kicked out by Gaudreau. The rebound landed in the low slot, where Craig Armstrong faked from his forehand to his backhand and flipped in the goal. Four minutes later, Wheeling took its first lead of the evening. Brent Johnson stepped in with a shot from the top of the right circle, and he got some puck luck, as the shot bounced off of Kidney's skate in the slot, then took a right turn into the cage. Trois-Rivières puts tons of pressure on in the closing minutes, and even played with an extra attacker for the final 3:30. But the Nailers stood tall and got the game to the finish line for a 4-3 triumph.
Taylor Gauthier earned the win for Wheeling, as he thwarted 24 of the 27 shots he faced, including all 11 in the third period. Benjamin Gaudreau made 21 saves on 25 shots in the loss for the Lions.
The Nailers and Lions will continue their weekend series in Wheeling on Saturday night at 7:10 with Marvel Night. The theme will be the Fantastic Four, the Nailers will wear specialty Fantastic 304 jerseys, there will be a poster giveaway, and fans will be able to put their Fantastic Four skills to the test at various stations in the arena. The two teams will do battle again on Sunday at 4:10, and fans will have the opportunity to skate with the even-numbered players following that contest. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, January 3rd
Wheeling's Goat Takes Down Bison
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers showed hearts of lions this weekend at WesBanco Arena, as they took the ice with a short lineup in back-to-back contests. They skated away with back-to-back victories, capped off by a 4-1 win over the Bloomington Bison on Saturday night. Taylor Gauthier was spectacular with 31 saves in goal, while Logan Pietila led the offensive attack with one goal and two assists.
Although the Nailers found themselves in the penalty box a bit more than they hoped, they were able to flip the script on Bloomington with a pair of shorthanded goals in the first period. The first tally came at the 16:24 mark. Jack Works fell to his knees upon entering the offensive zone, but was able to keep possession of the puck and deliver a pass to Craig Armstrong. Armstrong broke in behind the defense, and drove a shot into the left side of the cage. Wheeling struck again with 1:14 left on the clock. Logan Pietila stole the puck and immediately skated in the other direction on a breakaway. Pietila kept it simple and buried a snap shot into the right side of the net.
Wheeling spent a significant amount of time in its defensive zone during the middle frame, as shots were 19-9 in favor of the Bison. Bloomington also recorded the lone goal of the period on the power play. Nikita Sedov's shot from straight away got blocked by a defender, but the puck kicked to the left and gave Shane Ott an open attempt, which he converted from the circle.
The Nailers rebounded well in the third period, and had two significant moments lead to the closing of the victory. First, Wheeling killed off a delay of game penalty at the 7:44 mark. Then, with 7:08 to go, Pietila won a face-off to Aidan Sutter, who skated into the slot, and whizzed a wrist shot into the right side of the twine. Works capped off the 4-1 triumph with an empty netter, which Pietila assisted on for his third point of the night and fifth of the weekend.
Taylor Gauthier shined again between the pipes for the Nailers, as he stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced, giving him 61 saves in two days after flying around the world. Hugo Ollas made 18 saves on 21 shots in the loss for the Bison.
The Nailers will play three more home games next weekend, as they will welcome the Trois-Rivières Lions to town on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Friday's 7:10 match is a Frosty Friday with select $2 beers. Saturday at 7:10 is Marvel Night. The theme will be the Fantastic Four, the Nailers will wear specialty jerseys, there will be a poster giveaway, and fans will be able to put their Fantastic Four skills to the test at various stations in the arena. Finally, following Sunday's 4:10 tilt, fans will have the opportunity to skate with the even-numbered players. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, January 2nd
Nailers Get Revenge on Railers, 3-2
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers faced a tall task on Friday night, as they took the ice two players short, while looking to avenge a 7-2 defeat against the Worcester Railers from Wednesday. The Nailers worked hard and were rewarded for their efforts, as they skated away victorious, 3-2. Logan Pietila scored Wheeling's first two goals of the night, while Taylor Gauthier made 30 saves in his return from representing Team Canada at the Spengler Cup.
The two sides played to a scoreless tie in the opening period, despite a 12-7 shots advantage for Wheeling. However, the Nailers needed just 25 seconds to snap the deadlock in the middle frame. Brent Johnson started the play by rimming the puck around to Logan Pietila in the left circle. Pietila proceeded to spin and launch a wrist shot up and into the net. Worcester briefly evened the contest on the power play. Michael Suda let a shot go from the center point, which was tipped off of the left post and in by Cole Donhauser. Wheeling rebounded immediately to regain the lead 1:29 later, and ironically, the marker came off of a rebound. Matty De St. Phalle threw a shot on goal which was blocked away by goaltender Tristan Lennox. The puck landed in front of the crease, where it was flipped home on the backhand by Pietila for his second of the period. Things began to get physical toward the end of the second, as a fight took place between Matthew Quercia and Max Dorrington. Dorrington was ejected from the game for leaving the bench to participate in the fight.
The Nailers got a key goal during the opening minutes of the third period, as they converted on the man advantage. Randy Hernández wired a wrist shot from the left circle that smacked off of the back bar of the cage. The significance of that tally grew with 5:23 left, when Lincoln Hatten of the Railers tipped in an Anthony Callin shot from the top of the left circle to make the score 3-2. Taylor Gauthier and his Wheeling teammates shut the door from there, and 3-2 was the final.
The Nailers will welcome a different opponent to town on Saturday night, as they will host the Bloomington Bison at 7:10, and the promotion is Women in Sports Night. There will also be three home games next weekend, as Wheeling faces Trois-Rivières on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The highlight promotion of that weekend is Marvel Night on Saturday, which will be themed after the Fantastic Four. The Nailers will wear specialty jerseys, there will be a poster giveaway, and fans will be able to put their Fantastic Four skills to the test at various stations in the arena. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Wednesday, December 31st
Special Teams Key Victory for Worcester
WHEELING, WV- For the first time in eight years, the Wheeling Nailers didn't get to put an exclamation point on a calendar year. On Wednesday night at WesBanco Arena, the Worcester Railers scored three shorthanded goals, three power play markers, and one goal at even strength for a 7-2 road victory. Anthony Callin led Worcester's offensive attack with a hat trick and an assist, while Ryan Miotto turned on the red light twice.
The first period took an interesting path, as the Nailers led 1-0 for most of the way, before two special teams goals in the final three minutes gave Worcester a 2-1 advantage. Wheeling's goal came at the 3:16 mark on a 2-on-1 rush. Jack Works led the way, as he carried the puck down the left side of the ice, then proceeded to whip a wrist shot into the right side of the cage. The Railers tied the score with 2:48 remaining by capitalizing on a two-man advantage. Anthony Callin curved his way from left to right into the high slot, then twirled a wrist shot into the left side of the goal. Then, with just 21 seconds to play, Matt DeMelis stole the puck in center ice, skated in on a shorthanded breakaway, and slipped a backhander in over the goal line.
The visitors added to their lead with two goals in the middle frame, and both markers came from former Nailer Ryan Miotto. His first tally came from beneath the right circle at the 3:15 mark, when he swatted in a loose puck following a play by Tanner Schachle. His second one came on the power play, as he utilized a screen by Max Dorrington to convert on a shot from the top of the left circle.
Brent Johnson's wrist shot from the top of the right circle on the power play temporarily pulled Wheeling within one, but the rest of the third period went Worcester's way. Callin jammed a shorthanded goal between Maxim Pavlenko's left skate and the post, Mitton scored on a shorthanded breakaway, then Callin completed his hat trick and the 7-2 result by roofing a wrist shot on the man advantage from the right circle.
Former Nailer Thomas Gale was the winning netminder for the Railers, as he thwarted 28 of the 30 shots he faced. Maxim Pavlenko gave up seven goals on 34 shots in the loss for Wheeling.
The Nailers and Railers will open the 2026 calendar year against each other in Wheeling on Friday night at 7:10. That game will be a Frosty Friday, featuring select $2 beers. Saturday at 7:10 against Bloomington is Women in Sports Night. The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Marvel Night on Saturday, January 10th, which will feature a poster giveaway, plus the Nailers will wear specialty jerseys. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Spread Holiday Cheer with OT Win
Saturday, December 20th
GREENSBORO, NC- It took the Wheeling Nailers over a period and a half to get on the scoreboard on Saturday night at First Horizon Coliseum, but once they did, they were in much better shape. The match against the Greensboro Gargoyles needed extra time to decide a winner, and that winner was the Nailers, who got a Matty De St. Phalle tally at the 1:24 mark of overtime to skate away victorious, 3-2.
Despite a 14-6 advantage in shots on goal, the Nailers didn't quite have the start they envisioned, as Greensboro opened the scoring with a power play strike 2:31 into the match. David Gagnon gained entry into the offensive zone, then dropped a pass back to Tyler Weiss, who sniped a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the goal.
Wheeling battled back to even the score in the middle frame, and in doing so, ended a stretch of over six straight periods without a marker. The Nailers entered the offensive zone on an odd-man rush, with Matty De St. Phalle leading the charge on the left side. De St. Phalle slipped a pass through the slot to Tanner Andrew, who had his first shot stopped, but scored on the rebound by slithering a backhander through Ruslan Khazheyev's legs.
Both teams found the twine in the third period. Wheeling collected its first lead of the night at the 8:10 mark. Logan Pietila dropped a pass back to Connor Lockhart, then proceeded to skate towards the net. Lockhart sent the puck that way, and Pietila tipped it into the cage. The Gargoyles pulled even a little more than six minutes later with their second successful power play conversion. Weiss set up Patrick Newell, who launched a one-timer into the top-right corner of the goal from the right circle.
The teams needed overtime to determine a winner, and only 1:24 was needed for the Nailers to begin their celebration. Zach Urdahl let a shot go from the left circle, and Matty De St. Phalle got a redirection into the right side of the net to end the contest with a 3-2 triumph.
Maxim Pavlenko got the win in goal for Wheeling, as he made 19 saves on 21 shots. Ruslan Khazheyev stopped 35 of the 38 shots he faced in the overtime loss for Greensboro.
The Nailers will get a few days off to enjoy the holidays, before returning to the ice on Friday night in Toledo at 7:15. Wheeling will then play eight straight home games, starting with 80's Night on Saturday, December 27th, which features a post game concert by Tongue 'n Cheek. Some other highlights during that homestand include Kid's New Year's Eve on Wednesday, December 31st, Women in Sports Night on Saturday, January 3rd, and Marvel Night on Saturday, January 10th. The Kid's New Year's Eve Game will feature a post game toast with sparkling grape juice, and the first 2,500 fans will receive free light sticks. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Blanked in Greensboro, 3-0
Friday, December 19th
GREENSBORO, NC- The Wheeling Nailers did a lot of things well on Friday night, as they outshot the Greensboro Gargoyles, 34-15 at First Horizon Coliseum. However, there was one thing missing from Wheeling's effort and that was a goal. Greensboro's Ruslan Khazheyev denied all 34 shots he faced, while the Gargoyles scored twice in a span of 30 seconds in the first period of what turned out to be a 3-0 win for the home side.
Wheeling controlled the majority of the play during the first period with a 12-6 shots advantage. However, the visitors found themselves trailing on the scoreboard, as the Gargoyles struck twice in a span of 30 seconds. The first marker came at the 17:27 mark. Ethan Leyh intercepted a pass at Greensboro's offensive blueline, and tossed the puck to Patrick Newell, who had escaped behind the Nailers defense. Newell made a quick deke, then shoveled a shot into the top-left corner of the net. The Gargoyles forced another turnover on the very next shift, and the end result was a Ryan Richardson backhander that floated into the right side of the twine.
The Nailers thought they had pulled within one during the early stages of the middle frame. Bogdans Hodass let a shot go from the left point, which was tipped in by Connor Lockhart. However, the puck was ruled to be hit by Lockhart with a high stick, so the possible goal was wiped off of the board. Wheeling outshot Greensboro 9-3 in the period, but one of those shots for the Gargoyles went in with 1:04 left on the clock. Braden Doyle's shot rocketed wide off of the end boards, but produced a rebound for Tyler Weiss, who jammed the puck inside of the right post.
The score didn't change in the third period, as Greensboro prevailed, 3-0.
Ruslan Khazheyev earned his first career shutout for the Gargoyles, as he was perfect against 34 Wheeling shots. Taylor Gauthier made 12 saves on 15 shots in goal for the Nailers.
The Nailers and Gargoyles will wrap up the pre-holiday portion of their schedules in Greensboro on Saturday night at 7:00. Wheeling's next home game is 80's Night on Saturday, December 27th, which features a post game concert by Tongue 'n Cheek. That will be the first of eight straight home games. Some other highlights during that homestand include Kid's New Year's Eve on Wednesday, December 31st, Women in Sports Night on Saturday, January 3rd, and Marvel Night on Saturday, January 10th. The Kid's New Year's Eve Game will feature a post game toast with sparkling grape juice, and the first 2,500 fans will receive free light sticks. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, December 13th
Third Period Breakaway Lifts Adirondack, 3-1
GLENS FALLS, NY- Hockey is a game of breaks, and on Saturday night, the Adirondack Thunder got the break they were looking for against the Wheeling Nailers at Harding Mazzotti Arena. Shane Harper picked off a pass then converted on a breakaway in the third period to give the Thunder their first lead of the contest. Adirondack added one more for a 3-1 win and a split of the weekend series. Brayden Edwards scored Wheeling's lone goal.
The Nailers controlled the majority of the play during the first period, as they outshot Adirondack, 14-5, and scored the opening goal. The tally came at the 4:45 mark. Brayden Edwards won an offensive zone face-off back to David Breazeale at the blueline. Breazeale handed the puck off to Eric Parker, who let a shot go from the right point. After winning the draw, Edwards skated into the slot, where he tipped Parker's shot into the cage.
The score stayed 1-0 until the closing minutes of the middle frame, when the Thunder pulled even on their fourth straight power play. Justin Taylor slid the puck to the right side of the crease, where Jackson van de Leest tapped in the marker to set off his club's Teddy Bear Toss. The assist for Taylor came in his 885th career ECHL game, which sets a new record for the most in league history.
With 6:28 remaining, Adirondack snapped the deadlock. Shane Harper intercepted a pass in neutral ice and burst the other way on a breakaway. The veteran forward made a quick fake, then lifted a shot into the top-right corner of the net. Alex Campbell tacked on an empty netter for the Thunder to give the game its 3-1 final score.
Jeremy Brodeur got the win in goal for Adirondack, as he made 24 saves on 25 shots. Maxim Pavlenko turned away 22 of the 24 shots he faced in the loss for Wheeling.
The Nailers will continue their stretch of road games in a warmer location next weekend, when they visit the Greensboro Gargoyles on Friday and Saturday, with both matches starting at 7:00. Wheeling's next home game is 80's Night on Saturday, December 27th, which features a post game concert by Tongue 'n Cheek. That will be the first of eight straight home games. Some other highlights during that homestand include Kid's New Year's Eve on Wednesday, December 31st, Women in Sports Night on Saturday, January 3rd, and Marvel Night on Saturday, January 10th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Wheeling Wins Wild One Against Thunder
GLENS FALLS, NY- The third period of Friday night's game between the Wheeling Nailers and Adirondack Thunder at Harding Mazzotti Arena was epic. The two teams played to a scoreless tie through two periods, before Wheeling put three goals on the board in front of an irate Thunder crowd. Taylor Gauthier made sure those were the only three markers of the night, as he earned the 3-0 shutout win in his second start of the season.
The two squads felt each other out in the first period with 14 combined shots and only one penalty. The highlight of the middle frame was a fight between Wheeling's Cole Tymkin and Adirondack's Mathieu Boislard, which resulted in Boislard getting ejected for not having his jersey tied down.
The craziness of the third period started at the 7:14 mark. The Nailers got trapped in their defensive zone, and the puck ended up in the net, but the ruling on the ice was that it was kicked in. The play was reviewed and the call stood. 1:06 later, Wheeling went the other way and got a close call to count for a goal. Connor Lockhart's initial shot hit Tyler Brennan's left pad. However, the puck sat in the crease, and was eventually touched in by Aidan Sutter. The play was reviewed for possible goaltender interference, but the goal stood, and the fans went nuts. The Nailers followed that up with a no-doubter at the 14:29 mark, when Connor Lockhart snapped in a wrist shot from the left circle. Wheeling had to kill off a 6-on-4 with 2:25 remaining, then Brent Johnson came out of the penalty box and buried an empty netter for the 3-0 final.
Taylor Gauthier was perfect in goal for the Nailers, as he denied all 29 shots he faced. That was Gauthier's eighth career shutout, which tied him with Andy Franck for the second most in team history. His junior hockey teammate Tyler Brennan made 17 saves on 19 shots for Adirondack.
The Nailers and Thunder will do battle again in Glens Falls on Saturday night at 7:00. Wheeling's next home game is 80's Night on Saturday, December 27th, which features a post game concert by Tongue 'n Cheek. That will be the first of eight straight home games. Some other highlights during that homestand include Kid's New Year's Eve on Wednesday, December 31st, Women in Sports Night on Saturday, January 3rd, and Marvel Night on Saturday, January 10th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, December 12th
Wednesday, December 10th
Royals Snap Wheeling's Point Streak
READING, PA- The Wheeling Nailers and Reading Royals have been very evenly matched thus far this season. Both teams have recorded three wins in the season series, and on Wednesday night, it was Reading's turn to get into the win column with a 3-2 result. The Royals scored three consecutive goals after falling behind 1-0, including their first power play goal in six contests against Wheeling, which put the home team ahead in the second period. The Nailers saw their nine-game point streak (8-0-1) come to an end, but remain a league-leading 18-4-1 on the year.
One goal was scored in the opening stanza, as the Nailers broke through at the 11:06 mark. Matty De St. Phalle tossed a pass into the slot to lead Connor Lockhart toward the goal. Lockhart skated in with the puck on his forehand, but quickly shifted to his backhand, and lifted a shot into the top-left corner of the cage. Logan Pietila made the defensive play to start the rush, as he picked up the secondary assist in his 100th professional game.
Reading rebounded to take the lead in the middle frame with one early goal and one late marker. The equalizer came at the 2:06 mark. Jeremy Michel led Kyle Haskins in on the left side of the offensive zone. Haskins navigated his way to the left circle, where he lifted a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the net. With 3:27 remaining, the Royals went ahead with their first power play goal on 17 chances in the season series. Carson Golder's one-timer from the blueline missed wide to the right, but the rebound came rocketing off of the end boards to Connor McMenamin, who had a slam dunk waiting for him on the right side of the crease.
The Royals got a key goal at the 12:07 mark of the third period to extend their lead to 3-1. Golder skated across the offensive zone to deliver a shot on goal. A rebound was produced, which got stashed in by Nick Capone. Wheeling had an answer to that strike 1:47 later on the power play. The Nailers got lots of traffic set up around the slot, which ultimately led to Logan Pietila grabbing the puck out of the crease and lifting it up and into the left side of the twine. Wheeling pushed for the tying tally, and even spent the final 1:13 of play on the man advantage, but came up short, as Reading prevailed, 3-2.
Keith Petruzzelli got the win for the Royals, as he made 17 saves on 19 shots. Maxim Pavlenko stopped 24 of the 27 shots he faced in the defeat for the Nailers.
The Nailers will travel farther north to continue their week, as they will go to Glens Falls, New York to face the Adirondack Thunder on Friday and Saturday at 7:00. Wheeling's next home game is 80's Night on Saturday, December 27th, which features a post game concert by Tongue 'n Cheek. That will be the first of eight straight home games. Some other highlights during that homestand include Kid's New Year's Eve on Wednesday, December 31st and Marvel Night on Saturday, January 10th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Sweep Greensboro Again
Sunday, December 7th
WHEELING, WV- It seems like the only thing the Wheeling Nailers do these days is win, win again, and then keep on winning. On Sunday afternoon, they closed out a stretch of eight games in 12 days by completing a three-game weekend sweep of the Greensboro Gargoyles at WesBanco Arena. The offense was spread throughout the lineup once again, as five different players found the back of the net, led by Connor Lockhart, who had one goal and two assists in the 5-2 triumph. Maxim Pavlenko made 29 saves for his eighth win of the campaign. The Nailers have secured points in nine straight games (8-0-1), and are now 18-3-1 for the first time in their history. Wheeling has opened up a five-point lead for the best record in the ECHL.
The Nailers came out flying and turned on the red light three times before the game was ten minutes old. The first marker came at the 2:04 mark on a three-way passing play with Logan Pietila, Connor Lockhart, and Matty De St. Phalle. The final pass went from Lockhart to De St. Phalle, who chipped a shot into the top shelf from the right edge of the crease. Lockhart scored goal number two at the 8:28 mark, when he clobbered in a one-timer from the left circle, which was set up by Ryan Mahshie. 1:21 later, Zach Urdahl upped the advantage to three, when he gloved down an aerial pass from Brent Johnson, battled past the defense, and lifted a backhander over goaltender Nikita Quapp's right shoulder.
Both teams put a mark on the board in the middle frame. The Gargoyles started with their first goal of the match at the 8:59 mark. Tyler Weiss got the puck along the right side of the goal line, and proceeded to toss a shot toward the net, which bounced off of Maxim Pavlenko's left arm and in. Wheeling regained its three-goal lead with 3:30 remaining. Lockhart and Pietila were alone behind the defense, and the only question was would end up taking the shot. The answer was Pietila, who shoveled a shot up and under the crossbar from the left side of the slot.
Greensboro temporarily pulled within two when David Gagnon cleaned up the rebound of Anthony Rinaldi's breakaway. However, the Nailers officially put the game away with Ryan Mahshie's empty netter for a 5-2 final score.
Maxim Pavlenko earned his fourth straight win and third of the week, as he blocked away 29 of the 31 shots he faced for Wheeling. Nikita Quapp made 29 saves on 33 shots in the loss for the Gargoyles.
The Nailers will play their next six games on the road, starting on Wednesday night in Reading at 7:00. Wheeling's next home game is 80's Night on Saturday, December 27th, which features a post game concert by Tongue 'n Cheek. That will be the first of eight straight home games. Some other highlights during that homestand include Kid's New Year's Eve on Wednesday, December 31st and Marvel Night on Saturday, January 10th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, December 6th
Nailers Earn Two More Magical Points
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers had a few magic tricks up their sleeves on Saturday night to celebrate Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow at WesBanco Arena against the Greensboro Gargoyles. The first trick was making an early deficit disappear. Then, Matty De St. Phalle made thousands of teddy bears fly onto the ice for the team's annual Teddy Bear Toss. Finally, Taylor Gauthier turned into a brick wall in his return to the lineup with 22 saves, as Wheeling was victorious, 3-1. The Nailers are now enjoying their second eight-game point streak of the season (7-0-1), which brings their season record to 17-3-1.
Both teams got on the scoreboard in the opening stanza. Greensboro came out flying with the game's first six shots, and one of those produced a goal. Tyler Weiss wound his way into the left circle, then took advantage of traffic, as he wired a wrist shot into the right side of the cage. The Nailers answered 3:10 later on the power play. The man advantage needed just six seconds to convert, as the puck moved rapidly. Connor Lockhart slipped a pass across to Matty De St. Phalle, who stepped up into the left circle and launched a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the cage. That goal set off the annual Teddy Bear Toss, which benefits the Salvation Army.
Wheeling had an even better middle frame, as the home team bounced back in the shots department, while taking the lead in goals. For the second time in the tilt, it was the power play getting the job done. Ryan Mahshie delivered a perfect pass into the right side of the crease for Craig Armstrong, who willed the puck in over the goal line. 11 of Armstrong's 13 points on the season have come in the last six games.
Connor Lockhart punctuated the 3-1 win for the Nailers by launching in an empty net goal from the left circle of the defensive zone.
Taylor Gauthier made his season debut for Wheeling and delivered another great performance, as he denied 22 of the 23 shots he faced. Ruslan Khazheyev made 23 saves on 25 shots in the loss for the Gargoyles.
The Nailers and Gargoyles will wrap up their weekend series in Wheeling on Sunday at 4:10. That will be the second annual Sensory Day game. Lights will stay on for the entire day, music will be lowered, and the goal horn will not be used. This will be the final home game before the holidays. An exciting promotion coming up at the end of the month is Kid's New Year's Eve on December 31st.Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Glide Past Gargoyles, 3-1
Friday, December 5th
WHEELING, WV- The line of Craig Armstrong, Randy Hernández, and Zach Urdahl was tremendous for the Wheeling Nailers on Friday night, as they opened a three-game home series against the Greensboro Gargoyles at WesBanco Arena. Armstrong lit the lamp twice, Hernandez dished out a pair of assists, and Urdahl scored once in Wheeling's 3-1 triumph. Maxim Pavlenko secured the victory with 20 saves. The Nailers are currently riding a seven-game point streak (6-0-1), and are now a league best 16-3-1 overall.
The Nailers pounced on Greensboro with two goals in the opening stanza. The first marker came at the seven-minute mark. Finn Harding let a shot go from the middle of the blueline, and Ryan Mahshie got a piece of the attempt to send it trickling through goaltender Nikita Quapp's legs. The home side added to the lead with 8:38 remaining. Craig Armstrong broke through the defense and rushed in with a chance, and although he didn't convert, he was able to create an opportunity for Zach Urdahl, who whipped in a wrist shot from the right circle.
One goal was scored in the middle frame, as the Gargoyles trimmed the margin down to one. Zach Faremouth maneuvered a pass over to Artyom Borshyov, who skated deep into the right side of the slot, then buried a shot into the left side of the cage. The goal ended Maxim Pavlenko's shutout streak at 113:18.
Wheeling regained its two-goal advantage at the 1:11 mark of the third period. Armstrong intercepted the puck along the right wing wall, cut to the middle, and roofed a shot into the top-right corner. The Nailers held Greensboro to just six shots on goal in the final stanza, and took the 3-1 score into the win column.
Maxim Pavlenko earned his third win in a row for Wheeling, as he stopped 20 of the 21 shots he faced. Nikita Quapp made 23 saves on 26 shots in the loss for the Gargoyles.
The Nailers and Gargoyles will continue their weekend series in Wheeling on Saturday night at 7:10. The promotion is Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow, which will feature a brand new wand giveaway, the Nailers will wear specialty jerseys, and fans will be able to shop in Diagon Alley while enjoying butter beer and chocolate frogs. Plus, the annual Teddy Bear Toss will take place to benefit the Salvation Army. The two teams will meet again on Sunday at 4:10 for the second annual Sensory Day, in addition to a post game skate with even-numbered players. For Sensory Day, the goal horn will not be utilized, music will be lowered, and lights will remain on at the same level throughout the day. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
READING, PA- The Wheeling Nailers took a quick business trip over to Reading, Pennsylvania on Wednesday night, put in their work, and brought two points back home. Maxim Pavlenko returned to the Wheeling crease with a 32-save shutout, as the Nailers blanked the Reading Royals, 4-0 at Santander Arena. The Nailers got goals from four different players, as they extended their point streak to six games (5-0-1) and improved their league-leading mark to 15-3-1.
The Nailers put together a strong first period, as they scored the lone goal, while killing off a lengthy 5-on-3. The successful penalty kill came first, as Wheeling received back-to-back penalties 23 seconds apart from each other before the match was ten minutes old. The visitors battled through it, then got on the scoreboard at the 13:48 mark. Ryan Mahshie delivered a pass to the left side of the slot, where Jack Works spun and fired a shot through goaltender Yaniv Perets for his third tally in five games against Reading. Daniel Laatsch also collected an assist in his return from the AHL.
The score stayed 1-0 until the closing minutes of the middle frame, when the Nailers upped their lead thanks to a successful power play. Mahshie tossed a backhander through traffic and on goal. Max Graham swiped the rebound free to set up Logan Pietila, who chipped in a shot from the left side of the crease.
Wheeling tacked on two more in the third period to ice its 4-0 victory. Cole Tymkin poked a pass ahead to Zach Urdahl, who broke away and blazed a shot in on the left side of the twine for goal number three. Then, Craig Armstrong waited patiently to serve up a feed for Randy Hernández, who drove down the middle and shoveled a backhander into the top-right corner.
For the second time this season, Maxim Pavlenko was perfect in Reading, as he denied all 32 shots he faced for the Nailers. Yaniv Perets made 33 saves on 37 shots for the Royals.
The Nailers will play three straight home games this weekend, and the opponent for all three will be the Greensboro Gargoyles. Friday at 7:10 is a Frosty Friday with select $2 beers. Saturday at 7:10 is Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow. Saturday's game will feature a brand new wand giveaway, the Nailers will wear specialty jerseys, and fans will be able to shop in Diagon Alley while enjoying butter beer and chocolate frogs. Plus, the annual Teddy Bear Toss will take place to benefit the Salvation Army. Sunday at 4:10 is the second annual Sensory Day, in addition to a post game skate with even-numbered players. For Sensory Day, the goal horn will not be utilized, music will be lowered, and lights will remain on at the same level throughout the day. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Wednesday, December 3rd
Pavlenko Perfect in Reading Again, as Nailers Win 4-0
Nailers Get One Point to Match Best Month in Team History
Sunday, November 30th
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers tied history on Sunday afternoon, as they wrapped up a stretch of four games in five days at WesBanco Arena against the Cincinnati Cyclones. Unfortunately, the Nailers came up short, 2-1, as Elijah Vilio scored for Cincinnati at the 41-second mark of overtime. However, Wheeling went 12-2-1 in November to match the best month in team history. The Wheeling Thunderbirds also went 12-2-1 in February of 1995. Jake Smith made 32 saves for the Nailers, as he played in his third game in less than 48 hours.
Both teams got on the scoreboard in the first period. Cincinnati struck first with the power play at the 7:08 mark. Ryan Kirwan took three shots on the man advantage, and his third try was the charm, as he whipped in a wrist shot from the left circle. The Nailers drew even 4:28 later. Matthew Quercia laid an enormous check on Cole Fraser behind the goal to earn possession for the home team. The puck eventually found its way back to Quercia from Scooter Brickey, and the Wheeling captain blasted home a one-timer from the right circle.
Goals were hard to come by in this match, as the two squads were held off of the board for the final 48 minutes of regulation. Wheeling had an 11-6 advantage in shots during the second period, while the Cyclones led the shots 12-8 in the third.
Overtime lasted for 41 seconds, before Cincinnati collected the winning tally. Elijah Vilio sprinted down the left side of the ice, then cut to the goal, where his backhand attempt was denied. However, the puck found its way back to Vilio's stick for a second chance, and he proceeded to roof a shot from the right circle for the 2-1 final.
Ken Appleby picked up the win for the Cyclones, as he made 29 saves on 30 shots. Jake Smith played for the third day in a row for the Nailers, and put forth another stellar effort, as he stopped 32 of the 34 shots he faced. Smith finished November with a 7-0-1 record.
The Nailers will travel to Reading to face the Royals on Wednesday at 7:00, before returning to WesBanco Arena for three games next weekend. The opponent for all three will be the Greensboro Gargoyles on Friday at 7:10, Saturday at 7:10, and Sunday at 4:10. Friday night is a Frosty Friday with select $2 beers. Saturday is Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow. Saturday's game will feature a brand new wand giveaway, the Nailers will wear specialty jerseys, and fans will be able to shop in Diagon Alley while enjoying butter beer and chocolate frogs. Plus, the annual Teddy Bear Toss will take place to benefit the Salvation Army. Sunday is the second annual Sensory Day game. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Crush Cyclones, 8-3
Saturday, November 29th
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers have had some tremendous performances this season, but Saturday night was their best offensive showing thus far. Wheeling carried a 3-2 lead into the second intermission, then exploded for five goals in the third period to destroy the Cincinnati Cyclones, 8-3 at WesBanco Arena. Some of the top performers included Craig Armstrong (one goal, four assists), Randy Hernández (two goals, two assists), and Max Graham (Gordie Howe Hat Trick - goal, assist, fight). With a 12-2-0 record in November, the Nailers are one point away from matching their best month in team history, and are now 14-3-0, with the first quarter of the campaign set to come to a close on Sunday.
The Nailers had a great start to the contest, as they scored twice in the opening stanza, while outshooting Cincinnati, 8-3. The first goal came at the 8:06 mark. Randy Hernández entered the offensive zone on the rush, then dropped a pass back to a trailing Mike Posma, who cranked a one-timer into the bottom-right side of the cage. Wheeling added to its lead 5:41 later. Posma was involved once again, but this time, he was the one making the pass. The rookie forward led Scooter Brickey into the slot, and Brickey proceeded to slither a backhander underneath Cyclones goaltender Kyle McClellan.
The Nailers kept the offense coming at the start of the middle frame, as they upped their lead to three. Hernández led Craig Armstrong down the right side of the ice, and Armstrong proceeded to roof a wrist shot from the circle and into the top-right corner of the twine. Cincinnati killed three straight penalties, and that led to a momentum shift, as the Cyclones followed the final kill by scoring twice in a span of 1:02. Ryan Kirwan put Cincinnati on the board when he lifted in the rebound of his initial attempt on the backhand from the right side of the crease. Gunnarwolfe Fontaine then tallied during 4-on-4 action, as he whipped a shot along the ice and in from the left side, off of a pass from Ben King. The Cyclones outshot Wheeling, 19-7 in period two.
The third period took an unexpected turn, as the Nailers regained their momentum in a big way, and blew the game wide open. Ryan Mahshie scored with a wrist shot from the left circle on the power play for a 4-2 lead. Connor Lockhart followed that up 2:11 later by tapping in a feed from Max Graham on the right side of the crease. Ben King's 5-on-3 goal temporarily brought Cincinnati within two, but Wheeling's man advantage made it 6-3, when Graham converted a shot from the left side of the slot. Graham ended the night with a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, as he dropped the gloves with Cole Fraser. Hernández tacked on two more tallies in the final three minutes to slam a pair of exclamation points on the 8-3 victory.
Jake Smith became the eighth goaltender to earn at least seven straight wins for Wheeling, as he made 26 saves on 29 shots to improve to 7-0-0. Kyle McClellan took the loss for the Cyclones, as he allowed seven goals on 25 shots.
The Nailers and Cyclones will do battle in Wheeling again on Sunday afternoon at 4:10. That will be the annual Pups & Pucks game, when fans can bring their dogs to the game and take part in the puppy parade during the first intermission. There will also be a post game skate with odd-numbered players. Saturday, December 6th is the next Big-6 Promotional Game, which is Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow. There will be a brand new wand giveaway, the Nailers will wear specialty jerseys, and fans will be able to shop in Diagon Alley while enjoying butter beer and chocolate frogs. Plus, the annual Teddy Bear Toss will take place to benefit the Salvation Army. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Scale Walleye, 5-2
Friday, November 28th
TOLEDO, OH- For many Wheeling fans, there isn't much more satisfaction than hearing 8,300 fans at Huntington Center silenced. The Wheeling Nailers achieved that with another stellar performance on Friday night against the Toledo Walleye. The Nailers scored three times in a span of 1:39 in the first period to build a 3-0 lead. Wheeling added two more in the second for what turned out to be a 5-2 final score. Scooter Brickey netted the first two goals of his professional career, while Cole Tymkin also posted a two-goal night. Jake Smith earned his sixth win in a row with 30 saves. The Nailers improved to a league-leading 13-3-0 on the year.
The Nailers fended off an early five-shot attack by Toledo, then immediately turned things in their favor with three goals in a span of 1:39. The first strike came at the 7:19 mark. Mike Posma dropped a pass back to Craig Armstrong, who was entering the offensive zone. Armstrong took a few strides in, then wired a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the cage. 57 seconds later, Brayden Edwards delivered a feed into the slot for Scooter Brickey, who drilled his first professional goal into the right side of the net. The assist gave Edwards a six-game point streak to match the team's season-high. 42 seconds after that, Cole Tymkin tickled the twine with a one-timer from just inside of the center point, which was set up by Eric Parker. That goal chased Toledo starter Liam Soulière from the crease after just five shots in 8:58.
The Walleye temporarily cut into the Wheeling lead just three seconds after a power play expired. Riley McCourt's shot from the right point whistled wide of the net, but pounded off of the end boards to produce a rebound. Tanner Dickinson scooped up the loose puck and squeezed a shot between Jake Smith's right skate and the left post. The Nailers bounced right back and extended their lead with two goals in the final four minutes of the middle frame. Parker tossed a pass into the right circle for Tymkin, who spun around and launched his second of the night into the right side of the goal. Wheeling then converted on the power play to go ahead, 5-1. Matthew Quercia took a feed along the goal line from Connor Lockhart, then immediately snapped a pass of his own to Brickey, who powered home his second of the tilt.
Jordan Ernst picked up the lone marker in the third period with a wrist shot from the right circle for Toledo, as the Nailers were victorious, 5-2.
Jake Smith earned the win for Wheeling, as he denied 30 of the 32 shots he faced. Liam Souliere was the losing goaltender for the Walleye, as he gave up three goals on five shots, before being replaced by Nolan Lalonde, who was 11-of-13 in relief.
The Nailers will return home on Saturday night at 7:10 to begin a two-game series against Cincinnati. Saturday will be Bluey Night, and and fans will be able to meet Bluey and get pictures taken throughout the night. Sunday at 4:10 is Pups & Pucks Day, when fans can bring their dogs to the game. The annual Puppy Parade will take place during the first intermission, plus there will be a post game skate with odd-numbered players. Also coming up in the near future is Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on Saturday, December 6th at 7:10. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Wednesday, November 26th
Wheeling Wrestles Two Points from Indy, 5-2
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers had plenty to be thankful for on Wednesday night, as they celebrated a 5-2 victory over the Indy Fuel in the annual Thanksgiving Eve game at WesBanco Arena. Wheeling got goals from five different players, including Randy Hernández, who put the Nailers ahead for good when he snapped a 2-2 tie at the 2:09 mark of the third period. Defenseman Brent Johnson had a goal and an assist, with his goal coming 53 seconds into play, and Maxim Pavlenko made the score stand up with 29 saves.
The Nailers came out flying and scored the opening goal just 53 seconds into the match. Wheeling had a pair of forwards creating traffic next to the crease, which allowed Brent Johnson to send a seeing-eyed wrist shot into the bottom-right part of the cage from the blueline. The home team added to its lead at the 8:03 mark. Jack Works picked up the puck in neutral ice and turned on the burners, as he rushed into the offensive zone. After blazing past the defense, Works chipped a shot up and under the crossbar for his fourth goal in seven games. Indy got one back 2:23 later on the power play. Harrison Israels found the twine with a wrist shot from the right circle, and snapped a streak of 25 straight successful penalty kills by the Nailers.
The score stayed 2-1 until the closing minutes of the middle frame, when the Fuel pulled even with a power play strike. Matt Petgrave set up Sahil Panwar for a one-timer from the right circle. Maxim Pavlenko got a piece of the shot, but the puck squirted into the crease, where it was touched home by Israels for his second of the contest.
The third period belonged to Wheeling, starting with the go-ahead strike at the 2:09 mark of the stanza. Randy Hernández made a dazzling move to dangle around a defender, then cruised into the slot, where he wired in his first goal in a Nailers uniform. Insurance followed a little more than eight minutes later. Ryan Mahshie centered a puck to the top of the crease, where Max Graham converted the feed with a redirection into the left side of the cage. David Breazeale tacked on one more for Wheeling in the 5-2 triumph, as he blasted in a one-timer off of a drop pass from Brayden Edwards in the left circle.
Maxim Pavlenko secured the win for the Nailers, as he turned away 29 of the 31 shots he faced, including all ten attempts sent his way in the third. Mitchell Weeks made 25 saves on 30 shots in the loss for Indy.
The Nailers will take a quick trip over to Toledo on Black Friday at 7:15, before returning to WesBanco Arena for games on Saturday and Sunday against Cincinnati. Saturday's 7:10 tilt is Bluey Night, and fans will be able to meet Bluey and get pictures taken throughout the night. Sunday at 4:10 is Pups & Pucks Day, when fans can bring their dogs to the game. The annual Puppy Parade will take place during the first intermission, plus there will be a post game skate with odd-numbered players. Also coming up in the near future is Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on Saturday, December 6th at 7:10. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Win First Place Showdown, 3-1
Saturday, November 22nd
READING, PA- The teams with the top two records in the ECHL collided on Saturday night at Santander Arena, with first place overall going to the winner. That team was the Wheeling Nailers, who got a 37-save performance from Jake Smith, as well as the first professional goal and an assist by Tanner Andrew. The Nailers defeated the Reading Royals, 3-1 to improve to 11-3-0 on the year.
Neither team was able to find the twine in the opening 32 minutes of play. Wheeling finally broke the scoreless deadlock with 7:48 left in the second period. Tanner Andrew cruised across the offensive zone and pounded a low shot on goal from the right circle. Keith Petruzzelli made the save, but the rebound kicked out to Jack Works, who deposited the loose change. The Nailers added to their lead 4:40 later. Brayden Edwards carried the puck deep on the right side of the ice, then centered a pass to Connor Lockhart, who slammed a shot into the wide-open left side of the cage.
Wheeling put another marker on the board in the early stages of the third. Bogdans Hodass tossed a shot on net from the left point, which produced a rebound for Andrew to tuck in for his first professional goal. Massimo Rizzo spoiled the shutout bid with 3:11 to go, as he slid in a wrist shot from the left circle, but the Nailers closed things out on the winning side, 3-1.
Jake Smith turned in one of his best performances yet, as he made a season-high 37 saves on 38 shots to earn his fifth straight victory for Wheeling. Keith Petruzzelli turned away 28 of 31 shots in the loss for Reading.
The Nailers will play six home games over the course of the next two weeks. First up is the annual Thanksgiving Eve game on Wednesday night at 7:10 against Indy. There will be live IWC Wrestling in the main lobby, Turkey Bowling during intermission, and select $2 beers. Saturday, November 29th at 7:10 is Bluey Night, when fans will be able to meet Bluey and take photos throughout the game. Another exciting upcoming promotion is Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on Saturday, December 6th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Perets Steals Show in 4-1 Royals Win
WHEELING, WV- Sometimes, you have to tip your cap to a standout performance by a player on the opposing team. On Friday night at WesBanco Arena, that player was Reading Royals goaltender Yaniv Perets, who stood on his head by stopping 52 of 53 shots taken by the Wheeling Nailers, including all 25 in the third period. The Royals scored twice in the first period, then once each in the second and third, while Matthew Quercia potted the lone marker for Wheeling.
Reading scored twice in the opening stanza, and the goals came 1:32 apart from each other. The first strike came at the 9:50 mark. Nick Capone swiped the puck off of the left wing wall, then delivered a pass into the left circle for Cam Cook, who wired a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the cage. Connor McMenamin collected the second marker, as he scooped the rebound of Kyle Haskins' shot off of the end boards and jammed a wraparound inside of the right post.
The Nailers tried to swing the momentum in the early stages of period two with a successful power play conversion. Brayden Edwards dished a pass across the slot for Matthew Quercia, who blasted in a one-timer from the right circle. However, the Royals regained their two-goal edge with 5:52 to go. Brandon Saigeon took a wrist shot from the right side with traffic, and the puck ended up going off of Patrick Moynihan before dropping in over the goal line.
Wheeling poured it on in the third period with 25 shots on goal to Reading's seven, but Yaniv Perets stopped each and every one of them, and Carson Golder sealed the 4-1 win for the Royals with an empty netter.
Yaniv Perets was sensational in goal for Reading, as he denied 52 of the 53 shots he faced. Maxim Pavlenko made 23 saves on 26 shots in the loss for the Nailers.
The Nailers and Royals will travel back to Reading, where they will clash for the fourth time in a row on Saturday night at 7:00. Wheeling has six home games on the schedule over the course of the next two weeks. First up is the annual Thanksgiving Eve game on Wednesday night at 7:10 against Indy. There will be live IWC Wrestling, Turkey Bowling, and select $2 beers. Saturday, November 29th at 7:10 is Bluey Night, when fans will be able to meet Bluey and take photos throughout the game. Another exciting upcoming promotion is Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on Saturday, December 6th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, November 21st
Pavlenko, Nailers Blank Royals, 2-0
Tuesday, November 18th
READING, PA- Maxim Pavlenko had quite the morning in goal for the Wheeling Nailers at Santander Arena on Tuesday. The Kazakhstan native stopped all 29 shots he faced and got involved physically with a pair of minor penalties. Wheeling got goals from Ryan Mahshie and David Breazeale to defeat the Reading Royals, 2-0. The Nailers improved to 10-2-0 on the season, and are 17-5-3 all-time in morning games.
The first period was a wild one. Both teams received two power plays, Wheeling goaltender Maxim Pavlenko was called for two penalties, there was a fight, and the Nailers took a 1-0 lead. The goal came on the power play with 1:27 remaining. Ryan Mahshie and Brayden Edwards exchanged passes in the left circle, and Mahshie ultimately shoveled a shot into the top-right corner of the cage. Brent Johnson also picked up an assist for his seventh point in four games.
Wheeling added to its lead at the 4:28 mark of the middle frame. Logan Pietila carried the puck in on the right side of the offensive zone, then dropped a pass back to David Breazeale. The ice opened up for Breazeale, who skated to the top of the right circle, where he wired a shot in off of the left post for his first professional goal.
A pair of fights took place in the third period to run the game's total to three, but neither team turned on the red light, as the Nailers were victorious, 2-0.
Maxim Pavlenko earned the shutout for Wheeling, as he was perfect on 29 shots. Keith Petruzzelli made 29 saves on 31 shots in the defeat for Reading.
The Nailers and Royals will meet again on Friday, but this time, the game will be at WesBanco Arena with a 6:30 opening face-off. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to Friday's match-up, as that is the same night as the Main Street Bank Fantasy in Lights Parade. That will also be a Frosty Friday, with select $2 beers. Additional upcoming promotions include Bluey Night on November 29th and Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on December 6th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Sunday, November 16th
Late Goal Snaps Wheeling's Winning Streak
READING, PA- The Wheeling Nailers had a long night of travel to Reading, Pennsylvania, but still had enough energy to put forth a strong effort against the Reading Royals on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, that effort was spoiled, as Reading's Jake Willets scored with 51.1 seconds remaining to give the home team a 3-2 victory at Santander Arena. Brayden Edwards had a goal and an assist in his return to the lineup for the Nailers, who saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end.
The lone goal in the first period went to the Royals at the 12:59 mark. Cam Cook stole a Wheeling clearing attempt in neutral ice, and maneuvered his way into the left side of the offensive zone. Cook let a wrist shot go from the left point, which floated into the twine.
The Nailers pulled even shortly before the midway point of the second period. Brayden Edwards entered the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 break, and shuffled a pass over to Jack Works, who buried his second goal in three days from the left side of the slot. Reading briefly regained the lead with 3:08 remaining in the frame, and did so with a 2-on-1 of its own. Former Nailer Brandon Saigeon made the pass to Jacob Frasca, who wired in a shot from just inside of the right circle. Wheeling got an equalizer 1:24 later on the power play. Brent Johnson's right point wrist shot glanced off of Matthew Quercia's skate and went directly to Edwards, who stashed home the loose puck from the right side of the crease.
The Nailers came less than one minute away from taking at least one point out of the game, but with 51.1 seconds left, the Royals netted the game winner. Jake Willets exchanged a quick pass with Saigeon, and the result was Willets firing a wrist shot which found its way into the left side of the net. Wheeling was unable to find a tying tally, as Reading prevailed, 3-2.
Vinnie Purpura secured the win for the Royals, as he stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced. Maxim Pavlenko took the loss for the Nailers, as he made 18 saves on 21 shots.
The Nailers and Royals will continue their stretch of games against each other on Tuesday morning at 10:30 in Reading. The teams will then travel to Wheeling for a 6:30 start time on Friday. Fans are encouraged to arrive early on Friday, as that is the same night as the Main Street Bank Fantasy in Lights Parade. That will also be a Frosty Friday, with select $2 beers. Additional upcoming promotions include Bluey Night on November 29th and Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on December 6th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, November 15th
Nailers Sweep Maine for Eight Straight Win
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers took care of business against the Maine Mariners, and took over sole possession of first place in the North Division with back-to-back victories at WesBanco Arena. On Saturday night, Mike Posma recorded his second straight two-goal game, while Jake Smith made 22 saves in the 4-1 Wheeling win. The Nailers have now won eight straight contests and are 9-1-0 overall.
For the second straight night, the two North Division clubs played to a scoreless draw in the first period, while Wheeling held a 9-7 advantage in shots. The Nailers finally broke the deadlock at the 11:52 mark of the middle frame. David Breazeale worked the puck to the middle of the blueline, where Matthew Quercia launched a shot toward the net. Max Graham got a tip in the slot to collect his team-leading fifth marker of the campaign. With under one minute remaining, Wheeling added to its lead. Brent Johnson let a wrist shot go from the right point, which was stopped by Brad Arvanitis. However, Mike Posma was there to sweep home the rebound for his third goal in two games.
The score stayed 2-0 until the 12:20 mark of the third period, when Maine trimmed the margin to one. Shawn Element led Robert Cronin down the slot, and although his first attempt got thwarted, Cronin followed that up to convert on the rebound. The Nailers went back up by two 4:08 later. Craig Armstrong flew down the right side of the ice, then delivered a perfect pass into the left side of the crease for a tap-in by Zach Urdahl. Posma iced Wheeling's 4-1 triumph with his second of the night into an empty net.
Jake Smith earned his fourth straight win in goal for the Nailers, as he kicked out 22 of the 23 shots he faced. Brad Arvanitis took the loss for the Mariners, as he made 22 saves on 25 shots.
The Nailers will play their next four games against the Reading Royals, starting on Sunday at 3:00 in Reading. The lone home game of that mini-series will be Friday, November 21st. The puck will drop at 6:30, and fans are encouraged to arrive early, as that is the same night as the Main Street Bank Fantasy in Lights Parade. That will also be a Frosty Friday, with select $2 beers. Additional upcoming promotions include Bluey Night on November 29th and Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on December 6th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, November 14th
Nailers Mangle Mariners, 5-1
WHEELING, WV- Friday night was a statement victory for the Wheeling Nailers, as they took down the Maine Mariners, 5-1 at WesBanco Arena to move into a tie for first place in the North Division. The win was Wheeling's seventh in a row, which brought the team's overall record to 8-1-0 for the best nine-game start in team history. Mike Posma netted the first two-goal game by a Nailer this season, Jack Works scored his first pro marker, and Jake Smith made 26 saves.
The two teams played to a scoreless draw in the first period, before Wheeling finally broke through at the 3:22 mark of the second. The Nailers got lots of traffic around the crease, and the puck popped free to Mike Posma, who slid a shot inside of the left post. The goal gives Posma points in three straight contests. Wheeling added to its lead with 8:21 remaining. Zach Urdahl entered the offensive zone off of the rush, then waited for teammates to join him. One of those teammates was Max Graham, who took a drop pass in the slot and zipped a wrist shot into the left side of the cage. The Nailers held off a powerful attack by Maine to maintain their 2-0 lead at the intermission break.
Wheeling busted the game open with three goals in the third period. The first of those came shorthanded at the 3:34 mark. Logan Pietila poked the puck past a Mariners defender to create a 2-on-0 break.
Pietila dished a pass over to Posma, who buried his second of the night into the left side of the twine. The Nailers fed off of the shorthanded goal and successful penalty kill to go ahead by four. Tanner Andrew set up Jack Works, who wired his first professional tally into the top-left corner of the goal. Matthew Quercia tacked on another insurance marker from the left circle, before James Marooney netted Maine's lone goal for the 5-1 final score.
Jake Smith was stellar in goal once again for Wheeling, as he denied 26 of the 27 shots he faced for his third straight triumph. The Nailers ended Luke Cavallin's five-game winning streak, as he allowed five goals on 28 shots for the Mariners.
The Nailers and Mariners will play in Wheeling again on Saturday at 7:10. The promotion is First Responders Night, and following the ECHL match, the annual Guns & Hoses game will take place. Additional upcoming promotions include Bluey Night on November 29th and Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on December 6th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, November 8th
Nailers Sweep Gargoyles for 500th Road Win
GREENSBORO, NC- The Wheeling Nailers added a couple of new items to the history books on Saturday night, as they finished off a three-game sweep of the Greensboro Gargoyles at First Horizon Coliseum. Wheeling earned its sixth straight win for its first 7-1-0 start in team history, which was also the 500th road win in the club's 34-year history. Zach Urdahl broke a 1-1 tie with a shorthanded goal in the third period, and Jaxon Castor made 23 saves to get the 2-1 victory to the finish line for the Nailers.
The Nailers netted the lone goal of the opening stanza, and they needed just 2:10 to do so. Eric Parker flicked a wrist shot toward the goal from the right wing wall, and the puck went into the left side of the cage. Matthew Quercia and Mike Posma picked up the assists.
Greensboro evened the score at the 11:54 mark of the second period. Zach Faremouth carried the puck down the left side of the ice, then tossed a pass into the slot for Anthony Rinaldi, who drove a shot into the right side of the goal.
Wheeling went through the first two periods without being called for a penalty, but the visitors turned the tables during their first penalty kill of the evening, as they regained the lead with a shorthanded strike. Posma poked the puck ahead to the right side of the offensive zone. Zach Urdahl skated onto the loose biscuit, charged toward the net, then shuffled a shot around Christian Propp's right leg. The Nailers played their best third period of the week, as they limited the Gargoyles to just seven shots in order to preserve the 2-1 triumph.
Jaxon Castor earned the win in goal for Wheeling, as he denied 23 of the 24 shots he faced. Christian Propp made 27 saves on 29 shots in the defeat for Greensboro.
The Nailers will return home to WesBanco Arena next weekend for a two-game series against the Maine Mariners. Friday night is Military Appreciation Night as well as a Frosty Friday. Saturday night is First Responders Night. Additional upcoming promotions include Bluey Night on November 29th and Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on December 6th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Friday, November 7th
Five-Round Shootout Produces Five Straight Wins for Wheeling
GREENSBORO, NC- Friday night was a bit on the wild side for the Wheeling Nailers and Greensboro Gargoyles at First Horizon Coliseum. However, the Nailers came away with smiles on their faces, as they secured their fifth straight victory and sixth in seven games to start the season. Logan Pietila scored in the fifth round of the shootout to give Wheeling a 3-2 win, which was backstopped by Jake Smith's 33 saves. Eric Parker scored his first goal as a pro during regulation for the Nailers.
The start of the game was chaotic, as there was a 12-minute delay before the opening puck drop, then matching high sticking minors were assessed at the 23-second mark to create a 4-on-4 scenario. Only one goal was scored in the first period, as Greensboro turned on the red light at the 6:41 mark. Ethan Leyh won a face-off back to Patrick Kyte, who found a spot on the left side of the cage with his wrist shot from the left point.
The middle frame was significantly better for the Nailers, who outshot the Gargoyles 12-9 and tied the score in the process. Ryan Mahshie used his strength to maintain possession of the puck on the right side of the offensive zone. Mahshie proceeded to let a wrist shot go from the top of the right circle, which found a home in the left side of the net. Mike Posma and Tommy Budnick assisted on the equalizer.
Both teams found the scoreboard in the third period, and the first team to strike was Wheeling at the 2:27 mark. Craig Armstrong set up Eric Parker, who wired his first professional goal into the top-right corner of the twine. Greensboro answered 3:14 later, when David Gagnon tipped in Colton Leiter's attempt from the right point.
The Nailers got tested heavily, as they were forced to kill five penalties, and were outshot, 35-24. However, thanks to more brilliant goaltending by Jake Smith, the game passed through regulation and overtime still tied, 2-2. Both netminders shined in the shootout, as the two sides went four full rounds without a goal being scored. In round five, Tyler Weiss came up empty for the Gargoyles, which set the table for Logan Pietila's heroics. Pietila placed his shot in the top-right corner to deliver the 3-2 triumph for Wheeling.
Jake Smith earned his second win in as many days with a dazzling 33-save performance in the game, then five more stops in the shootout. Connor Ungar made 22 saves on 24 shots during the game, then went 4-of-5 in the shootout.
The Nailers and Gargoyles will wrap up their series in Greensboro on Saturday night at 7:00. Wheeling's next home series is November 14th and 15th against the Maine Mariners, and both of those games will start at 7:10. November 14th is Military Appreciation Night and November 15th is First Responders Night. Additional upcoming promotions include Bluey Night on November 29th and Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on December 6th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Thursday, November 6th
Nailers Double up Gargoyles in Series Opener
GREENSBORO, NC- The Wheeling Nailers took on a brand new opponent for the first time on Thursday night, as they took on the expansion Greensboro Gargoyles at First Horizon Coliseum. Wheeling cruised out to a 3-0 lead in the first half of the match, then held on at the end for a 4-2 triumph. Jake Smith won his ECHL debut with 24 saves, and the Nailers got goals from four different players.
The Nailers notched the lone goal of the first period, and it came at the 6:36 mark. Jordan Kaplan started the play from his own end, before rushing down the entire length of the ice. Kaplan ultimately saw his opportunity develop behind the offensive goal, when he gathered the puck on his backhand, swooped beneath the right circle, and tossed a shot into the left side of the cage.
Wheeling added to its advantage with a pair of strikes in the early stages of the middle frame. At the 5:41 mark, Ryan Mahshie skated in on the left side of the offensive zone and delivered a perfect saucer pass to the right side of the crease, where Connor Lockhart swatted it home. Less than four minutes later, Kaplan won an offensive zone face-off to Zach Urdahl, who immediately wired in a wrist shot from the left circle. Greensboro got on the scoreboard with a power play marker in the closing minutes of the period, when David Gagnon potted a loose puck in the low slot.
The game tightened up a bit more in the closing minutes, as the Gargoyles trimmed the gap to one with 3:46 left. Trevor Zins' shot from the center point got denied, but Deni Goure poked in the rebound. Things got even more tense 33 seconds later, when the Nailers were called for a penalty. However, Wheeling was successful on the penalty kill, then Matthew Quercia fired in an empty net tally from his own left circle for the 4-2 victory. The goal extended Quercia's point streak to six games.
Jake Smith made a couple of dazzling saves as part of his 24 saves on 26 shots to win his ECHL debut for the Nailers. Connor Ungar turned away 27 of the 30 shots he faced for Greensboro.
The Nailers and Gargoyles will play the remaining games of their series in Greensboro this week on Friday and Saturday, with both contests starting at 7:00. Wheeling's next home series is November 14th and 15th against the Maine Mariners, and both of those games will start at 7:10. November 14th is Military Appreciation Night and November 15th is First Responders Night. Additional upcoming promotions include Bluey Night on November 29th and Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on December 6th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Sunday, November 2nd
Nailers Get a Win for the Maxes
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers had a thrilling first weekend at WesBanco Arena, and it was capped off with some overtime magic on Sunday afternoon. Wheeling trailed 2-0 early, then fended off a barrage of shots in the third period, before Max Graham delivered the winning goal at the 2:25 mark of overtime. The Nailers beat the Norfolk Admirals 3-2 for the second day in a row, and improved to 4-0-1 on the young season. Maxim Pavlenko was tremendous in goal with 33 saves.
Three goals were scored in the opening ten minutes of play, but unfortunately, the Nailers found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Norfolk got onto the board first at the 5:05 mark. Brehdan Engum slipped a pass into the right circle for Connor Fedorek, who launched a one-timer into the right side of the net. 2:06 later, the Admirals added to their lead. Jaydon Dureau delivered a perfect pass into the right side of the crease for a tip-in by Brady Fleurent. Wheeling cut into the deficit 2:33 after that. Jordan Kaplan dropped a pass off to Randy Hernández, who whipped a shot on goal from the slot. Goaltender Alex Worthington lost control of the rebound, which was touched home by Ryan Mahshie.
One of the biggest strengths for the Nailers in the first five games has been their power play, and it was the man advantage that tied the score at the 12:35 mark of the second period. Connor Lockhart took a shot from the right circle, which ramped off of a Norfolk defender's stick, then floated over the netminder and into the cage.
Norfolk controlled the majority of the play in the third period with a 15-4 shots on goal advantage. However, thanks to an outstanding performance by rookie goaltender Maxim Pavlenko, Wheeling bent, but didn't break, and the score stayed tied, 2-2.
The Nailers needed just one shot in overtime to win the contest, and it came at the 2:25 mark. Jordan Kaplan delivered a pass to Max Graham in the left circle. Graham hesitated, then shoveled a shot into the left side of the goal for his second straight game winning strike and a 3-2 final score.
Maxim Pavlenko earned his second win in as many days for Wheeling, as he denied 33 of the 35 shots he faced. Alex Worthington made 34 saves on 37 shots in the overtime loss for the Admirals.
The Nailers will travel to Greensboro, North Carolina this week for their first three games against the expansion Gargoyles on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. All of those matches will begin at 7:00. Wheeling's next home series is November 14th and 15th against the Maine Mariners, and both of those games will start at 7:10. November 14th is Military Appreciation Night and November 15th is First Responders Night. Additional upcoming promotions include Bluey Night on November 29th and Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on December 6th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
WHEELING, WV- For the third straight season, the Wheeling Nailers opened their home campaign with a sellout crowd, as 4,839 fans packed WesBanco Arena on Saturday night. For the third straight year and 23rd time in history, Wheeling fans left the home opener with smiles on their faces, thanks to a win by their team. Brent Johnson, Bogdans Hodass, and Max Graham scored for the Nailers, who avenged their playoff defeat by knocking off the Norfolk Admirals, 3-2.
The sellout crowd had something to cheer about right off of the hop, as the Nailers scored the opening goal 91 seconds into play. Wheeling received an early power play, and went to work in the offensive zone to cash in. Brent Johnson let a wrist shot go from the right point, which found its way through traffic and into the left side of the net. Matthew Quercia and Zach Gallant assisted on the marker to extend each of their point streaks to four games.
The middle frame saw a similar story to the first, as the Nailers needed just 1:48 to up their lead to two. Wheeling had a quality scoring chance off of the rush that came up empty, but the offensive pressure led to a Norfolk turnover. Bogdans Hodass stole the puck and promptly wired a shot into the top part of the cage. The Nailers dominated the second period with a 17-6 shots advantage, bringing the game total to 29-13 in favor of the home side.
Another early goal was scored in the third, but that time, it was the Admirals who struck at the 1:32 mark. Matt Crasa slipped a pass through the crease for a slam dunk by Jack O'Leary next to the left post. Wheeling regained its two-goal advantage with its second power play tally of the night. Connor Lockhart spotted Max Graham, who wired in a shot from the right circle. That turned out to be a key tally, as Norfolk's Brandon Osmundson floated a shot past a stickless Maxim Pavlenko with 2:43 to go, making the score 3-2. The Nailers locked things down from there and solidified the 3-2 victory.
Maxim Pavlenko earned the win for Wheeling, as he made 24 saves on 26 shots. Isaac Poulter received the loss for the Admirals, as he turned aside 33 of the 36 shots he faced.
The Nailers and Admirals will play each other in Wheeling again on Sunday at 4:10. Following the game, fans will be able to skate with the entire team. Additional upcoming promotions include Bluey Night on November 29th and Wizards & Wands: Spells in the Snow on December 6th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, November 1st
Sellout Crowd Treated to Home-Opening Victory
Sunday, October 26th
Pietila Pushes Nailers to Overtime Victory
PORTLAND, ME- Multiple goal leads were not safe at Cross Insurance Arena on Sunday afternoon, as the Wheeling Nailers and Maine Mariners needed extra time to determine a winner. Both teams erased a two-goal deficit, leading to a 4-4 deadlock after regulation. With less than one minute to go in overtime, Logan Pietila stepped up as the hero for the Nailers, as he poked in the rebound of Zach Gallant's initial shot for a 5-4 triumph. Tommy Budnick and Max Graham both scored their first pro goals for Wheeling.
The first period was a busy one, as there was a Maine goal, a pair of double minors for roughing, an ejection, and some wild exchanges of power play time. The Mariners got their goal at the 7:08 mark. Jacob Perreault rang a shot from the right side off of Jaxon Castor's mask. The rebound dropped into the slot, where it was swatted in by Brooklyn Kalmikov. 50 seconds later, the gloves hit the ice, as Wheeling's Zach Gallant delivered a solid left in an altercation with Jaxon Bellamy. The end of the period saw the Nailers receive a five-minute power play, due to a cross check by Shawn Element on Aidan Sutter. However, a pair of Wheeling penalties created a temporary 4-on-3 man advantage for the Mariners.
Maine capitalized on the 4-on-3 at the 40-second mark of the middle stanza. Max Andreev had his initial stuff attempt stopped on the right side, but he deposited his own rebound for the marker. When the Nailers finally got their power play back, they cashed in to trim the deficit to one. Nolan Renwick worked the puck back to Tommy Budnick, who tossed in a wrist shot from the point for his first professional goal. Wheeling continued to battle throughout the second and got rewarded with a tying tally. Daniel Laatsch spotted Max Graham wide open in the right circle, and Graham wired his first career goal into the right side of the cage. A second dust-up came in the latter stages of the period, as Budnick and Jacob Hudson went at it.
23 seconds into the third period, the Nailers took the lead for the first time. Renwick blocked a shot in the defensive zone, then created a 2-on-1 in the other direction. The rookie forward attempted to slide a pass across the slot, but the puck kicked off of a Mariners defender and ended up in the net. 2:27 later, Wheeling struck again. Gallant navigated his way into the slot and zipped a wrist shot into the bottom-left corner of the twine. Maine battled back with two goals during the final minutes to even the score and force overtime. Kalmikov struck for his second of the night, when he dangled through the slot and ripped a wrist shot into the right side of the net. Then, with 2:53 to go, Ty Cheveldayoff roofed the equalizer into the top-right corner.
Overtime saw nine combined shots on goal, but nearly reached its entirety without a goal being scored. However, with just over 58 seconds left, the Nailers secured their victory. Gallant smoked a shot on goal from the left circle that goaltender Brad Arvanitis stopped. However, Arvanitis lost the handle of the puck, and Logan Pietila stashed in the loose change, giving Wheeling the 5-4 win.
Jaxon Castor was the victorious netminder for the Nailers, as he made 24 saves on 28 shots in his season debut. Brad Arvanitis stopped 26 of the 31 shots he faced in the overtime loss for the Mariners.
The Nailers will play their home opener on Saturday night at 7:10 against the Norfolk Admirals. America's Got Talent Star Grace Good will be performing during both intermissions, the game will have a circus theme, and there will be a magnetic schedule giveaway. Wheeling and Norfolk will also face-off at WesBanco Arena on Sunday at 4:10. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
PORTLAND, ME- The Wheeling Nailers took one on the chin for the first time in the 2025-26 season on Saturday night, as the Maine Mariners put seven goals on the board at Cross Insurance Arena. Three of the goals belonged to Jacob Hudson, who scored them in succession for a natural hat trick in a 7-3 contest. Aidan Sutter netted his first pro goal for the Nailers, who got multi-point efforts from Matthew Quercia and Zach Gallant.
Offense was the name of the game in period one, as both teams lit the lamp twice. Maine got on the board first at the 3:53 mark. Robert Cronin found Shawn Element wide-open on the left side of the slot, and Element wasted little time in sifting a shot through Maxim Pavlenko's legs. The Nailers evened the score with 7:39 remaining, following an icing call against the Mariners. Zack Gallant won the face-off back to Bogdans Hodass, who quickly moved the puck to Aidan Sutter at the middle of the blueline. Sutter let a wrist shot fly through a pile of bodies, which found a home in the net for his first goal as a pro. Wheeling briefly took the lead 3:03 later on the power play. Brent Johnson tossed a shot toward the goal from the right point and got a deflection by Matthew Quercia for his second goal in as many games. Maine squared the score back up just 39 seconds later off of a chaotic sequence in the Nailers zone. Tristan Thompson ultimately converted for the marker by sweeping a shot in along the ice from the right circle.
The scoring continued for one side in the middle frame, but unfortunately for Wheeling, that side was the home one. Robert Cronin needed just 23 seconds to snap the 2-2 deadlock, when he roofed a shot into the top-right corner of the cage from the high slot. Jacob Hudson created the first multi-goal lead of the game for Maine with 7:16 to go, as he took a drop pass from Max Andreev and drove a one-timer into the left side of the twine.
Hudson and the Mariners opened things up even more in the third, as the forward potted a power play marker and an even strength goal to complete a natural hat trick. Jacob Perreault tacked on one more for Maine, before Nolan Renwick's late power play wrist shot from the right circle gave the match its 7-3 final score.
Luke Cavallin picked up the win for the Mariners, as he made 24 saves on 27 shots. Maxim Pavlenko suffered the loss for the Nailers, as he allowed seven goals on 35 shots.
The Nailers and Mariners will collide in Portland again on Sunday at 3:00. Wheeling will then open its home schedule on Saturday, November 1st at 7:10 against the Norfolk Admirals. America's Got Talent Star Grace Good will be performing during both intermissions, the game will have a circus theme, and there will be a magnetic schedule giveaway. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Saturday, October 25th
Nailers Fall in Maine, 7-3
Saturday, October 18th
Electric Ending for Nailers on Opening Night
CINCINNATI, OH- The Wheeling Nailers opened the 2025-26 season in thrilling fashion on Saturday night, as they faced the Cincinnati Cyclones at Heritage Bank Center. Matthew Quercia snapped a 3-3 deadlock with 1:33 remaining, and Brayden Edwards followed with his first career goal to deliver a 5-3 victory. Mike Posma and Zach Urdahl also collected their first pro markers, while Cole Tymkin recorded his second career Gordie Howe Hat Trick (goal, assist, fight) in 25 pro games.
The regular season started with a bang, as Wheeling's Cole Tymkin and Cincinnati's Justin Portillo threw down the gloves 3:31 into the contest. Tymkin was heard from later in the opening period, but first, the Nailers followed up that scrap with a goal just 23 seconds later. Logan Pietila dipped a shot on goal from the right wing wall, which was fumbled by goaltender Ken Appleby. Mike Posma crashed in to jam home the loose puck for his first professional goal. With 2:07 remaining, Tymkin checked off another box by lighting the lamp. The forward received a centering pass from Tommy Budnick and drilled in a one-timer from the slot. Budnick assisted on both markers in the first for his first two points as a pro. Cincinnati pulled within one during the final ten seconds of the frame, when Luke Grainger tipped in Ryan Kirwan's toss from the left boards.
A penalty at the first period buzzer gave the Cyclones a power play to start the middle frame. They needed just 37 seconds to cash in, as Ben King threw the puck toward the goal for a redirection by Justin Vaive, who was parked at the left post. The score stayed deadlocked for nearly the remainder of the period, before Wheeling replicated what Cincinnati did in the first - scoring in the final ten seconds. Zach Gallant set off some chaos around the crease with his initial shot, which resulted in Zach Urdahl slipping the go-ahead strike underneath Appleby for his first professional goal and point.
The Cyclones pulled even again at the 4:34 mark of the third, when Vaive deposited the rebound of Rhett Parsons' initial attempt. All that did was set the stage for an electric finish. With 1:33 remaining, the Nailers regained the lead. Tymkin laid a hit to free up the puck for Logan Pietila, who connected with Matthew Quercia for a one-time dart from the right side of the slot. 30 seconds later, Wheeling got some breathing room, as Brayden Edwards danced around a defender, then faked out the netminder with a gorgeous backhander to put the finishing touches on the 5-3 triumph.
Maxim Pavlenko earned his first professional win in North America, as he denied 27 of the 30 shots he faced. Ken Appleby took the loss for Cincinnati, as he allowed five goals on 38 shots.
The Nailers will play two more road games next weekend, when they visit the Maine Mariners on Saturday at 6:00 and Sunday at 3:00. Wheeling will then open its home schedule on Saturday, November 1st at 7:10 against the Norfolk Admirals. America's Got Talent Star Grace Good will be performing during both intermissions, the game will have a circus theme, and their will be a magnetic schedule giveaway. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Greenville Wins Diamond Anniversary Pro Classic, 3-0
JOHNSTOWN, PA- The Wheeling Nailers and Greenville Swamp Rabbits treated fans in Johnstown, Pennsylvania to a fun night of hockey on Saturday night in the Diamond Anniversary Pro Classic, as the city was celebrating 75 years of hockey. Greenville wore Johnstown Chiefs jerseys for the game, and the Johnstown fans got to celebrate, as their team came away with a 3-0 win. Mattias Sholl and Pierce Charleson combined for the shutout for the Swamp Rabbits, while Jacob Modry notched a goal and an assist.
It took a while for the first goal to be scored, as the two teams worked to get settled into their lone preseason match. Shots on goal in the opening stanza were 13-9 in Wheeling's favor, but neither team was able to turn on the red light. Greenville finally broke the scoreless deadlock with 2:13 remaining in the middle frame. Ryan O'Reilly's shot from the left circle got blocked by the Nailers defender, but kicked out to the right side of the high slot. Jacob Modry stepped in and drilled a slap shot into the open right side of the cage. Former Nailer David Drake also assisted on the marker.
Modry helped to set up the second goal for the Swamp Rabbits, which came at the 6:55 mark of the third period. The blueliner let a shot go from the middle of the blueline, which bounced off of a Wheeling leg and landed on the left side of the crease. Kenta Isogai picked up the loose change and tucked it into the twine. Stepan Timofeyev capped off the scoring with an empty netter, as Greenville prevailed, 3-0.
Mattias Sholl and Pierce Charleson combined for the shutout win for the Swamp Rabbits. Sholl made 15 saves and Charleson made 17, with Charleson earning the victory. Jaxon Castor was perfect on all 15 shots he faced for the Nailers, before he gave way to Jake Smith, who stopped 16 of 18 shots in the defeat.
The Nailers will open the 2025-26 season on Saturday, October 18th with a 7:35 road game against the Cincinnati Cyclones. Wheeling's home opener will be on Saturday, November 1st at 7:10 against the Norfolk Admirals. The home opener will have a circus theme, and there will be performances during intermissions by Grace Good, who performed on America's Got Talent. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.