GAME DAY 2026-27
Toledo's Third Period Spoils Home-Opening Sellout
Saturday, October 24th
WHEELING, WV- For the fourth straight season, the Wheeling Nailers welcomed a sellout crowd to WesBanco Arena for the home opener, as 4,829 fans poured through the doors. Unfortunately, Wheeling was unable to register a fourth consecutive home-opening triumph, as the arch-rival Toledo Walleye rained on the parade. Toledo erased a 2-1 deficit with four goals in the third period to defeat the Nailers, 5-2. Remy Parker and Justin Taylor were Wheeling's goal scorers.
Both teams found the back of the net once during the first period. Wheeling opened the scoring at the 4:53 mark with perfect execution of an odd-man rush. Kevin Gursoy carried the puck in on the right side of the offensive zone, then deked around a defender to create a more favorable situation. Gursoy delivered a perfect feed to his left, where Remy Parker slammed the feed into the back of the cage. The Walleye evened the score with 8:07 remaining. Defenseman Cooper Zech attempted to carry the puck toward the bottom of the left circle, but had his chance thwarted. Unfortunately, the puck bounded out to Mitchell Lewandowski, who sent a shot through a maze of bodies and into the net from the top of the left circle.
Toledo held a 15-9 shots advantage in the middle frame, but the Nailers scored the lone goal. Craig Armstrong kept the play alive high in the offensive zone, then quickly directed a shot on goal from the left point. Jonathan Lemieux made the save, but the rebound kicked over to Dustin Geregach, who promptly shuffled a pass back into the slot, where Justin Taylor directed the puck into the right side of the twine.
Wheeling carried the 2-1 lead into the third period, but that's when the game turned in the other direction drastically. Special teams were the key to the turnaround for the Walleye, starting with the tying tally, which came on the power play at the 4:09 mark. Lewandowski's attempt from the left circle stayed out, but Tanner Dickinson jammed at the rebound and sent it trickling over the right side of the goal line. 4:07 later, Toledo took its first lead of the night, less than one second after a successful penalty kill. Kaden Bohlsen forced a turnover in the defensive zone, skated the length of the ice, and popped a shot into the left side of the cage. Tag Bertuzzi expanded the advantage to two with 4:23 left, when he slipped behind the defense, received a pass from Sam Craggs, and chipped a shot up and into the top-left corner. Less than one minute later, Reilly Funk tacked on an empty netter to put the finishing touches on the 5-2 final score in favor of the Walleye.
Jonathan Lemieux earned his second win in as many nights for Toledo, as he made 21 saves on 23 shots. Nolan Lalonde turned aside 34 of the 38 shots he faced for the Nailers.
The schedule heats up in a big way for the Nailers, as they will play 25 games in the next eight weeks. Wheeling gets the upcoming week started on Friday with a 7:35 p.m. road game against the Fort Wayne Komets. The Nailers will then return home on Saturday (Halloween) at 7:10 p.m. for the first of two clashes with the Cincinnati Cyclones. The promotion is Nailers Nightmare, which will feature a spooky and sporty haunted house, in addition to Table and Treat from our partners. Following round two of Wheeling vs. Cincinnati on Sunday at 4:10 p.m., fans will be able to skate with the entire team. The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Spike's Candy Kingdom on Saturday, December 5th. For information about season tickets, group tickets, ticket packages, and more, call (304) 234-GOAL or visit wheelingnailers.com. 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 Collect One Point in Season Opener
Friday, October 16th
FISHERS, IN- The Wheeling Nailers and Indy Fuel played a tight defensive game on Friday night at Fishers Event Center, as both clubs dropped the puck on the 2026-27 season. Regulation wasn't enough to decide a winner, as the two sides played to a 1-1 stalemate. Harrison Israels was the difference maker for the Fuel, as he scored at the 5:17 mark of overtime, to give the home team a 2-1 decision. Tristan Thompson scored the lone goal for Wheeling, who received a 29-save effort from Nolan Lalonde.
The first period was about what one would expect with a pair of teams building chemistry and learning about their opposition. One goal was scored, while the two sides combined for 14 shots. The Nailers thought they may have scored the first goal of the season, when the Fuel put the puck into their own net during a delayed penalty. However, the goal was disallowed due to Dante Sheriff either making contact with the puck or impeding the play. 32 seconds into the power play, Indy recorded the first countable goal of the campaign. Former Nailer Tommy Budnick let a wrist shot go from the center point, which was tipped in by Chase Dafoe.
Wheeling drew even with 4:12 remaining in the second period, while the teams were playing four-on-four. Cam Cook gained entry into the middle of the offensive zone, then delivered a pass to his left. The recipient was Tristan Thompson, who cruised into the left circle, then roofed a shot into the top-right corner of the cage. The Nailers-Fuel rivalry began to boil as the middle frame progressed, highlighted by a scrum at the buzzer.
Indy put loads of pressure on during the third period, as shots on goal were 15-4 in favor of the home side. Wheeling bent, but didn't break, and got superb goaltending from Nolan Lalonde to send the clash into overtime deadlocked, 1-1.
The teams combined for seven shots in overtime, as chances were aplenty. At the 5:17 mark of the extra session, the Fuel scored to earn the bonus point and the 2-1 win. Harrison Israels skated across the offensive zone from right to left, then delivered a shot against the grain to find the twine on the right side.
Adam Gajan collected his first professional win for Indy in his second career start, as he made 18 saves on 19 shots. Nolan Lalonde rejected 29 of the 31 shots he faced in his Nailers debut.
The Nailers will play their home opener on Saturday, October 24th at 7:10 p.m. against the Toledo Walleye. There will be a magnetic schedule giveaway for all fans, plus Rachel Clement will perform an ice skating and fire act during intermissions. For information about season tickets, group tickets, ticket packages, and more, call (304) 234-GOAL or visit wheelingnailers.com. 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 Rally to Sweep Exhibition Set
Sunday, October 11th
FORT WAYNE, IN- The Wheeling Nailers and Fort Wayne Komets wrapped up their quick two-game exhibition series on Sunday afternoon at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The final score was identical to Friday's opener at WesBanco Arena, but the path was different. Fort Wayne erased a 2-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, to prevail 4-2 on home ice. Scott Kirton and Kevin Gursoy were the goal scorers for the Nailers.
One goal was scored during the first period, as Fort Wayne cashed in on its lone power play. Hunter Johannes fired a high shot from the left side, which ended up hitting teammate Alex Aleardi, who was parked above the left side of the crease. Aleardi dropped the puck onto his stick, then slipped a pass a couple of feet to his right for Jack Gorniak, who tapped the puck into the vacant right side of the twine.
Wheeling turned things around in the middle frame, starting with a power play goal of its own. Mitchell Smith dished a pass across the blueline to C.J. Valerian at the right point. Valerian let a wrist shot go, which was tipped into the cage by Scott Kirton at the 5:09 mark. 1:47 later, the Nailers took their first lead of the afternoon. Mitchell Haight leaped into the air at the right point to glove down a potential clearing attempt by the Komets. The great defensive play was immediately rewarded, as the puck navigated its way to the top of the crease, where Kevin Gursoy deked to his backhand, and flipped a shot into the top shelf.
Unfortunately for the Nailers, the game went back in the other direction during the third period, as all three goals were notched by Fort Wayne. Aleardi netted the equalizer at the 7:14 mark, six seconds after a successful penalty kill by Wheeling. The veteran forward flew down the right side of the ice, then cut to the middle, and in the process, trickled a backhander through Carter McPhail's legs. With 4:02 left, the Komets took the lead back. McPhail made three consecutive saves in quick succession, but Cody Morgan's fourth attempt finally found its way in. Arnaud Durandeau added an empty netter for a 4-2 final in Fort Wayne's favor.
Samuel Jonsson played the entire contest in goal for the Komets and earned the win by making 18 saves on 20 shots. Philip Svedebäck denied 16 of 17 shots in the start for the Nailers, before giving way to Carter McPhail, who suffered the loss, despite going 13-of-15 in relief.
The Nailers will open the 2026-27 regular season with a road contest against the Indy Fuel on Friday, October 16th at 7:15 p.m. Wheeling's home opener will take place on Saturday, October 24th at 7:10 p.m. against the Toledo Walleye. There will be a magnetic schedule giveaway for all fans, plus Rachel Clement will perform an ice skating and fire act during intermissions. For information about season tickets, group tickets, ticket packages, and more, call (304) 234-GOAL or visit wheelingnailers.com. 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 Fall 4-2 in Exhibition Opener
Friday, October 9th
WHEELING, WV- After a week of practices, the Wheeling Nailers got to experience game action against a league opponent on Friday night, as they hosted the Fort Wayne Komets to open the 2026 preseason. Wheeling's offense came to life with two goals in the third period, but unfortunately, a four-goal hole was too much to overcome, as the Komets prevailed, 4-2 at WesBanco Arena. Chris Dodero factored into both goals for the Nailers, as he notched one goal and one assist.
Fort Wayne potted both goals during the first period. The opening tally came at the 6:08 mark. Former Nailer Randy Hernández dropped a pass back to defenseman Jonny Tychonik, who stepped up into the high slot, and drilled a shot into the left side of the cage. The visitors added to their advantage with 4:01 remaining. Drake Rymsha gathered in a pass from Cody Morgan in the trapezoid, then quickly turned to his forehand and jammed a wraparound inside the left post.
The Komets added two more markers during the middle frame. At the 9:29 mark, Alex Aleardi delivered a slap shot on goal from the right circle, which was blocked by Wheeling goaltender Nolan Lalonde. Hunter Johannes batted the rebound out of the air and into the twine. Less than three minutes later, Nathan Dunkley made the score 4-0, when he received a pass from Morgan just outside of the crease, deked to his backhand, and shoveled a shot into the top shelf.
The third period was a different story for the Nailers, as they scored a pair of goals and outshot Fort Wayne, 12-7. Wheeling's first strike of the preseason came from Zach Krajnik, who finished off an exchange with Chris Dodero by banging in a shot from the left side of the slot. Dodero followed that up with a goal of his own, as he wired a shot into the top-right corner of the net. That made the regulation final score 4-2 in favor of the Komets.
As a way to fine tune some skills and entertain the fans, the two sides played an overtime period and a shootout. Neither squad turned on the red light in the extra session. Dante Sheriff scored the lone goal of the shootout for the Nailers, as he navigated his way around sprawled out goalie Eemil Vinni and slid in a backhander. Kasimir Kaskisuo denied all three attempts taken by Fort Wayne.
Both teams utilized both of their uniformed goaltenders. Nathaniel Day got the win for the Komets by stopping all 17 shots he faced in two periods. Eemil Vinni made 13 saves on 15 shots in the third. Nolan Lalonde made 21 saves on 24 shots in the first half of the game for Wheeling, before giving way to Kasimir Kaskisuo, who went 12-of-13 in the second half.
The Nailers and Komets will play the back half of their preseason home-and-home series at Fort Wayne's Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Wheeling will open the 2026-27 regular season with a road contest against the Indy Fuel on Friday, October 16th at 7:15 p.m. The home opener for the Nailers will take place on Saturday, October 24th at 7:10 p.m. against the Toledo Walleye. There will be a magnetic schedule giveaway for all fans, plus Rachel Clement will perform an ice skating and fire act during intermissions. For information about season tickets, group tickets, ticket packages, and more, call (304) 234-GOAL or visit wheelingnailers.com. 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 Announce 2026-27 Schedule
Thursday, May 14th
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, have announced their schedule for the 2026-27 season - the 35th season of professional hockey in Wheeling.
The Nailers have always prided themselves on having a family friendly schedule focused on weekends and holidays, and the 2026-27 schedule accomplishes that perfectly. 34 of the team's 36 home games will be played on weekends and holidays, and one of the two outliers is the annual Education Day game on Wednesday, March 10th at 10:45 a.m. Home game times will remain the same as they have been in previous seasons, as Sunday games will begin at 4:10 p.m., games on all other days of the week will begin at 7:10 p.m., and the annual New Year's Eve game will begin at 6:10 p.m.
After two seasons in the North Division, Wheeling has returned to the Central Division, where it will reignite its rivalries with Cincinnati, Fort Wayne, Indy, Kalamazoo, and Toledo, while building a new rivalry with Bloomington. Those six opponents make up 45 of the 72 games (63%) on the docket. The Nailers will play eight teams outside of the division. Reading and expansion Trenton will be the only non-divisional clubs that will face Wheeling both at home and on the road. Norfolk, Orlando, and Tulsa will all visit WesBanco Arena, while the Nailers will travel to Florida, Maine, and Worcester.
There will be regular season hockey in October at WesBanco Arena for the first time since 2022. However, before that game gets played, Wheeling will open its season on the road for the fourth consecutive year. For the first time ever, game one will be at Fishers Event Center, as the Nailers will face the Indy Fuel on Friday, October 16th. The home opener is eight days later against the Toledo Walleye on Saturday, October 24th. Believe it or not, that will be Toledo's first game in Wheeling since December 20, 2024. The first three-in-three of the season will close out October, as the Nailers will visit Fort Wayne on Friday the 30th, before hosting Cincinnati on Halloween and November 1st.
Although Wheeling is no longer a member of the North Division, November will start with a trip to some of those cities, including the first visit to Trenton since 2013 to face the Ironhawks on the 6th. The Nailers will continue to navigate up the coast to Worcester on the 7th and 8th, before wrapping up the journey with a playoff rematch in Maine on the 10th. Wheeling will make a quick pit stop at home to tangle with Toledo on the 13th, before going right back out on the road for matches in Indy, Bloomington, and Cincinnati on the 14th, 15th, and 20th. Kalamazoo comes to town for contests on the 21st and 22nd, before the Nailers look to gobble up a win over Indy in the annual Thanksgiving Eve game on the 25th. Black Friday will be spent in Toledo for the second year in a row, which will be followed by a trip to Kalamazoo on the 28th to finish November.
December is all about the holiday spirit, but fans will also be in the hockey spirit right away, as that month gets underway with the first of three home three-in-three weekends. The opponents are Indy on the 4th and 5th, followed by Fort Wayne on the 6th. Wheeling will get its bus miles in the following weekend by visiting three different cities in three days, starting in Kalamazoo on the 11th, then Fort Wayne on the 12th, and finally Bloomington on the 13th. The Nailers and Cyclones will find out if they made each other's nice or naughty lists before the holiday break, as they will play each other once in Cincinnati on the 18th, then scoot back over to Wheeling for the 19th and 20th. The Nailers will hope to box up a pair of points against the Komets on Boxing Day (26th), before the two squads meet again three days later in Fort Wayne on the 29th. Wheeling will bump down to Indy on the 30th, before returning to the Friendly City for the annual New Year's Eve game against Bloomington on the 31st.
The 2027 calendar year will begin with a home game, as the Nailers will wrap up their season series with Kalamazoo on the 2nd. Wheeling will skip over to Reading on the 6th, before playing a home-and-home series against Toledo on the 8th and 9th, starting with the home match. The Nailers will spend Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend on the road, starting in Cincinnati on the 15th and 16th, then finishing up in Reading with a day game on the 18th. A pair of teams from farther away will close out January in West Virginia, as Tulsa travels in on the 22nd and 23rd, then Orlando will pay a visit on the 29th, 30th, and 31st.
The first two weekends of February will both be mixtures of home and road tilts. In the first weekend, Wheeling will host Trenton on the 5th, head to Cincinnati on the 6th, then return home with the Cyclones to face-off again on the 7th. The following weekend will start with a trip to Indy on the 12th, then another home contest with Cincinnati on the 13th. After that, the Nailers will spend a week in the Sunshine State, as they will play a three-game series against Florida on the 17th, 19th, and 20th. That will be the first head-to-head match-ups with the Everblades since the 2020-21 season. Wheeling will wrap up February with a three-game home weekend against Bloomington on the 26th and 27th, then Fort Wayne on the 28th.
With the exception of two outliers, the theme of March will be series. The first weekend will be spent in Trenton, as the Nailers will face the Ironhawks on the 5th, 6th, and 7th. Wheeling will then play its annual Education Day game against Reading on the 10th, before Norfolk comes to town for the 12th, 13th, and 14th. The Nailers will head east once more for three contests in Reading on the 19th, 20th, and 21st, before returning home to tangle with Trenton on the 26th and 27th. Finally, Cincinnati visits for one game on the 31st.
April will be spent in two states - West Virginia and Ohio. The Nailers will start with a home-and-home series against Toledo on the 2nd and 3rd (the home game is on the 2nd). Then there will be a home-and-home series against Cincinnati on the 9th and 10th (home on the 10th). And finally, the regular season will conclude in Toledo on the 11th.
2026-27 Opponent Breakdown
14 vs. Cincinnati - 8 home, 6 away
8 vs. Toledo - 4 home, 4 away
7 vs. Indy - 3 home, 4 away
7 vs. Trenton - 3 home, 4 away
6 vs. Fort Wayne - 3 home, 3 away
6 vs. Reading - 1 home, 5 away
5 vs. Bloomington - 3 home, 2 away
5 vs. Kalamazoo - 3 home, 2 away
3 vs. Norfolk - 3 home
3 vs. Orlando - 3 home
3 vs. Florida - 3 away
2 vs. Tulsa - 2 home
2 vs. Worcester - 2 away
1 vs. Maine - 1 away
2026-27 Schedule
Fri. Oct. 16 at Indy
Sat. Oct. 24 vs. Toledo
Fri. Oct. 30 at Fort Wayne
Sat. Oct. 31 vs. Cincinnati
Sun. Nov. 1 vs. Cincinnati
Fri. Nov. 6 at Trenton
Sat. Nov. 7 at Worcester
Sun. Nov. 8 at Worcester
Tue. Nov. 10 at Maine
Fri. Nov. 13 vs. Toledo
Sat. Nov. 14 at Indy
Sun. Nov. 15 at Bloomington
Fri. Nov. 20 at Cincinnati
Sat. Nov. 21 vs. Kalamazoo
Sun. Nov. 22 vs. Kalamazoo
Wed. Nov. 25 vs. Indy
Fri. Nov. 27 at Toledo
Sat. Nov. 28 at Kalamazoo
Fri. Dec. 4 vs. Indy
Sat. Dec. 5 vs. Indy
Sun. Dec. 6 vs. Fort Wayne
Fri. Dec. 11 at Kalamazoo
Sat. Dec. 12 at Fort Wayne
Sun. Dec. 13 at Bloomington
Fri. Dec. 18 at Cincinnati
Sat. Dec. 19 vs. Cincinnati
Sun. Dec. 20 vs. Cincinnati
Sat. Dec. 26 vs. Fort Wayne
Tue. Dec. 29 at Fort Wayne
Wed. Dec. 30 at Indy
Thu. Dec. 31 vs. Bloomington
Sat. Jan. 2 vs. Kalamazoo
Wed. Jan. 6 at Reading
Fri. Jan. 8 vs. Toledo
Sat. Jan. 9 at Toledo
Fri. Jan. 15 at Cincinnati
Sat. Jan. 16 at Cincinnati
Mon. Jan. 18 at Reading
Fri. Jan. 22 vs. Tulsa
Sat. Jan. 23 vs. Tulsa
Fri. Jan. 29 vs. Orlando
Sat. Jan. 30 vs. Orlando
Sun. Jan. 31 vs. Orlando
Fri. Feb. 5 vs. Trenton
Sat. Feb. 6 at Cincinnati
Sun. Feb. 7 vs. Cincinnati
Fri. Feb. 12 at Indy
Sat. Feb. 13 vs. Cincinnati
Wed. Feb. 17 at Florida
Fri. Feb. 19 at Florida
Sat. Feb. 20 at Florida
Fri. Feb. 26 vs. Bloomington
Sat. Feb. 27 vs. Bloomington
Sun. Feb. 28 vs. Fort Wayne
Fri. March 5 at Trenton
Sat. March 6 at Trenton
Sun. March 7 at Trenton
Wed. March 10 vs. Reading
Fri. March 12 vs. Norfolk
Sat. March 13 vs. Norfolk
Sun. March 14 vs. Norfolk
Fri. March 19 at Reading
Sat. March 20 at Reading
Sun. March 21 at Reading
Fri. March 26 vs. Trenton
Sat. March 27 vs. Trenton
Wed. March 31 vs. Cincinnati
Fri. April 2 vs. Toledo
Sat. April 3 at Toledo
Fri. April 9 at Cincinnati
Sat. April 10 vs. Cincinnati
Sun. April 11 at Toledo