View source for Wheeling Nailers

{{Short description|ECHL ice hockey team}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox ice hockey team
| current     = 2025–26 ECHL season
| bg_color    = background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#000000 5px solid; border-bottom:#FCB514 5px solid;
| text_color  = #000000
| team        = Wheeling Nailers
| logo        = Wheeling Nailers logo.svg
| logosize    = 
| city        = [[Wheeling, West Virginia]]
| league      = [[ECHL]]
| conference  = Eastern
| division    = North
| founded     = 1981 (in the [[Atlantic Coast Hockey League (1981–87)|ACHL]])
| arena       = [[WesBanco Arena]] (5,406)
| colors      = Black, gold, white<br />{{color box|#000000}} {{color box|#FCB514}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}}
| owner       = Hockey Club of the Ohio Valley
| coach       = Ryan Papaiannou
| captain     = 
| media       = ''[[The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register|Wheeling News Register]]''<br>[[WKWK-FM]] 97.3<br>[[WTRF-TV]] channel 7<br>[[WTOV-TV]] channel 9
| affiliates  = [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] ([[National Hockey League|NHL]])<br>[[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins]] ([[American Hockey League|AHL]])
| website = {{URL|https://wheelingnailers.com}}
<!-- Franchise history-->
| name1       = [[Winston-Salem Thunderbirds]]
| dates1      = 1981–1982
| name2       = [[Carolina Thunderbirds]]
| dates2      = 1982–1989
| name3       = Winston-Salem Thunderbirds
| dates3      = 1989–1992
| name4       = Wheeling Thunderbirds
| dates4      = 1992–1996
| name5       = '''Wheeling Nailers'''
| dates5      = 1996–present
<!---Championships--->
|reg_season_titles = '''2''' ([[1992–93 ECHL season|1992–93]], [[1994–95 ECHL season|1994–95]])
|division_titles = '''3''' ([[1992–93 ECHL season|1992–93]], [[1994–95 ECHL season|1994–95]], [[2003–04 ECHL season|2003–04]])
|conf_titles = '''2''' ([[1992–93 ECHL season#Riley Cup playoffs|1992–93]], [[2016 Kelly Cup playoffs|2015–16]])
}}

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

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

==Franchise history==
The Nailers began play in 1981 in the [[Atlantic Coast Hockey League (1981–87)|Atlantic Coast Hockey League]] as the [[Carolina Thunderbirds]] based in [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]]. The Thunderbirds won four consecutive regular season titles and were three-time [[Bob Payne Trophy]] winners as league champions.<ref>{{cite web |title =A to Z Encyclopaedia of Ice Hockey|url= http://www.azhockey.com/At.htm#Atlantic%20Coast%20Hockey%20League|access-date=February 22, 2010}}</ref>  In 1987, the ACHL folded and the team joined the [[All-American Hockey League]] for the 1987–88 season. The Thunderbirds, [[Virginia Lancers]], and [[Johnstown Chiefs]] then became the basis for the East Coast Hockey League, now known as the [[ECHL]]. The Thunderbirds lost the first ECHL playoff championship final to the [[Toledo Storm]]. The team was renamed [[Winston-Salem Thunderbirds]] in 1990 and moved to Wheeling to become the Wheeling Thunderbirds in 1992 under the leadership of president and co-owner Ed Broyhill.

After a trademark dispute with the [[Seattle Thunderbirds]] of the [[Western Hockey League]], the team was renamed Nailers for the 1996–97 season when the franchise held a contest open to local fans, which was won by C. J. Wickham of Steubenville, Ohio. The name "Nailers" was chosen for the city's long history of nail manufacturing. For the 2012–13 season, the Nailers dropped the red-black-gold scheme they had used for nearly two decades in favor of a black-and-gold palette used by the Penguins.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/list_by_team/1918/Wheeling_Nailers/|title=Wheeling Nailers|publisher=Chris Creamer's Sports Logos.net|access-date=2016-05-26}}</ref>

The team plays at the [[WesBanco Arena]] (formerly the Wheeling Civic Center), and used the [[Cambria County War Memorial Arena]] in [[Johnstown, Pennsylvania]] as an alternative venue during the 2010–2011 and 2011-2012 seasons.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tribune-democrat.com/sports/x993486041/Arena-confirms-Wheeling-Nailers-to-play-some-games-in-Johnstown-next-year|title=Arena confirms: Wheeling Nailers to play some games in Johnstown next year|last=Mastovich|first=Mike|date=2010-04-02|newspaper=[[The Tribune-Democrat]]}}</ref> After missing the playoffs for five straight seasons, they had a 106-point season in 2003–04. They were defeated by the [[Reading Royals]] in 5 games, 3–2. In season 2005–06 they had a great season making it to the second round of the playoffs losing to Toledo in the final second of the final game.

In August 2011, the Nailers moved to the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division as part of the league realignment for the [[2011–12 ECHL season|2011–12 season]]. The [[Chicago Express]] took the North Division spot vacated by the Nailers.<ref>{{cite web|title = Annual ECHL Board of Governors meeting concludes|website = [[ECHL]]|url = http://echl.com/annual-echl-board-of-governors-meeting-concludes-p172058|date = 2011-08-01|access-date = 2011-08-01|archive-date = August 24, 2011|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110824015723/http://www.echl.com/annual-echl-board-of-governors-meeting-concludes-p172058|url-status = dead}}</ref> In June 2014 the Nailers returned to the North Division after the ECHL eliminated the Atlantic Division in its realignment for the [[2014–15 ECHL season|2014–15 season]].<ref name="2014meeting">{{cite web|url=http://www.echl.com/annual-echl-board-of-governors-meeting-concludes-p192602|title=Annual ECHL Board of Governors Meeting concludes|website=[[ECHL]]|date=2014-06-24|access-date=2014-06-24|archive-date=June 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625204931/http://echl.com/annual-echl-board-of-governors-meeting-concludes-p192602|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On March 29, 2012, the ECHL announced that ownership of the Nailers would be transferred from the Brooks-owned Nailers Hockey LLC to the Hockey Club of the Ohio Valley, a joint venture of the Ohio Valley Industrial & Business Development Corporation, and the Wheeling Amateur Hockey Association,<ref>{{cite web|title=Ownership Transfer Approved By ECHL|url=http://echl.com/wheeling-ownership-transfer-approved-p176833|access-date=April 2, 2012}}</ref> to take effect at the conclusion of the 2011–2012 season.

==Season-by-season results==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan=11|Regular season
!colspan=6|Playoffs
|-
! [[Season (sports)|Season]]!! GP !! W !! L !! T !! OTL !! SOL !! Pts !! GF !! GA !! Standing !! Year !! Prelim !! 1st round !! 2nd round !! 3rd round !! Kelly Cup
|- 
|colspan=17 style="text-align:center; background:#000; color:#FCB514;"|'''Wheeling Thunderbirds'''
|-
|[[1992–93 ECHL season|1992–93]] ||64||40||16||—||8||—||88||314||223||'''1st, East'''|| [[1992–93 ECHL season#Riley Cup playoffs|1993]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||BYE||W, 3–1, [[Johnstown Chiefs|JHN]] ||W, 4–2, [[Raleigh IceCaps|RAL]] ||L, 2–4, [[Toledo Storm|TOL]]
|-
|[[1993–94 ECHL season|1993–94]] ||68||38||23||—||7||—||83||327||289||3rd, North || [[1993–94 ECHL season#Riley Cup playoffs|1994]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||W, 2–0, [[Nashville Knights|NSH]] ||W, 3–1, [[Hampton Roads Admirals|HR]] ||L, 0–3, [[Toledo Storm|TOL]] ||—
|-
|[[1994–95 ECHL season|1994–95]] ||68||46||17||—||5||—||97||313||243||'''1st, North''' || [[1994–95 ECHL season#Riley Cup playoffs|1995]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||L, 0–3, [[Birmingham Bulls (ECHL)|BIR]] ||—||—||—
|-
|[[1995–96 ECHL season|1995–96]] ||70||42||23||—||—||5||89||289||261||2nd, North || [[1995–96 ECHL season#Riley Cup playoffs|1996]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||W, 3–0, [[Columbus Chill|CLB]] ||L, 1–3, [[Tallahassee Tiger Sharks|TAL]] ||—||—
|- 
|colspan=17 style="text-align:center; background:#000; color:#FCB514;"|'''Wheeling Nailers'''
|-
|[[1996–97 ECHL season|1996–97]] ||70||36||29||5||—||—||77||298||291||4th, North || [[1996–97 ECHL season#Kelly Cup playoffs|1997]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||L, 0–3, [[Peoria Rivermen (ECHL)|PEO]] ||—||—||—
|-
|[[1997–98 ECHL season|1997–98]] ||70||37||24||9||—||—||83||255||255||2nd, North || [[1997–98 ECHL season#Kelly Cup playoffs|1998]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||W, 3–2, [[Dayton Bombers|DAY]] ||W, 3–1, [[Toledo Storm|TOL]] ||L, 2–4, [[Hampton Roads Admirals|HR]]||—
|-
|[[1998–99 ECHL season|1998–99]] ||70||27||37||6||—||—||60||206||249||6th, Northeast || [[1998–99 ECHL season#Kelly Cup playoffs|1999]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[1999–2000 ECHL season|1999–2000]] ||70||25||40||5||—||—||55||202||246||5th, Northeast || [[1999–2000 ECHL season#Kelly Cup playoffs|2000]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2000–01 ECHL season|2000–01]] ||72||24||40||8||—||—||56||192||277||5th, Northeast || [[2000–01 ECHL season#Kelly Cup Playoffs|2001]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2001–02 ECHL season|2001–02]] ||72||36||32||4||—||—||76||213||208||5th, Northeast || [[2001–02 ECHL season#Kelly Cup playoffs|2002]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2002–03 ECHL season|2002–03]] ||72||28||41||3||—||—||59||193||261||6th, Northeast || [[2002–03 ECHL season#Kelly Cup playoffs|2003]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2003–04 ECHL season|2003–04]] ||72||51||17||4||—||—||106||259||188||'''1st, North''' || [[2003–04 ECHL season#Kelly Cup playoffs|2004]] ||BYE||L, 2–3, [[Reading Royals|REA]] ||—||—||—
|-
|[[2004–05 ECHL season|2004–05]] ||72||38||29||5||—||—||81||171||173||6th, North || [[2005 Kelly Cup playoffs|2005]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2005–06 ECHL season|2005–06]] ||72||45||21||6||—||—||96||247||186||2nd, East || [[2005–06 ECHL season#Kelly Cup playoffs|2006]] ||BYE||W, 3–1, [[Reading Royals|REA]] ||L, 2–3, [[Toledo Storm|TOL]] ||—||—
|-
|[[2006–07 ECHL season|2006–07]] ||72||32||34||—||2||4||70||215||255||7th, North || [[2006–07 ECHL season#Kelly Cup playoffs|2007]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2007–08 ECHL season|2007–08]] ||72||22||43||—||3||4||51||186||284||7th, North || [[2007–08 ECHL season#Kelly Cup playoffs|2008]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2008–09 ECHL season|2008–09]] ||72||36||28||—||2||6||80||263||260||4th, North || [[2009 Kelly Cup playoffs|2009]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||L, 3–4, [[Cincinnati Cyclones|CIN]] ||—||—||—
|-
|[[2009–10 ECHL season|2009–10]] ||72||33||32||—||2||5||73||240||249||4th, North || [[2010 Kelly Cup playoffs|2010]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2010–11 ECHL season|2010–11]] ||72||38||29||—||0||5||81||230||210||2nd, North || [[2011 Kelly Cup playoffs|2011]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||W, 3–1, [[South Carolina Stingrays|SC]] ||W, 4–3, [[Greenville Road Warriors|GRN]] ||L, 2–4, [[Kalamazoo Wings|KAL]]||—
|-
|[[2011–12 ECHL season|2011–12]] ||72||37||26||—||4||6||83||219||202||2nd, Atlantic || [[2012 Kelly Cup playoffs|2012]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||L, 1–3, [[Kalamazoo Wings|KAL]]||—||—||—
|-
|[[2012–13 ECHL season|2012–13]] ||72||31||29||—||3||9||74||193||225||3rd, Atlantic || [[2013 Kelly Cup playoffs|2013]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2013–14 ECHL season|2013–14]] ||72||39||27||—||1||5||84||216||196||2nd, Atlantic || [[2014 Kelly Cup playoffs|2014]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||W, 4–0, [[South Carolina Stingrays|SC]] ||L, 2–4, [[Greenville Road Warriors|GRN]] ||—||—
|-
|[[2014–15 ECHL season|2014–15]] ||72||37||33||—||1||1||76||210||213||4th, North || [[2015 Kelly Cup playoffs|2015]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||L, 3–4, [[Toledo Walleye|TOL]] ||—||—||—
|-
|[[2015–16 ECHL season|2015–16]] ||72||37||26||—||5||4||83||214||211||2nd, North || [[2016 Kelly Cup playoffs|2016]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—||W, 4–2, [[Florida Everblades|FLA]] ||W, 4–3, [[Reading Royals|REA]] ||W, 4–3, [[South Carolina Stingrays|SC]]||L, 2–4, [[Allen Americans|ALN]]
|-
|[[2016–17 ECHL season|2016–17]] ||72||34||30||—||8||0||76||244||239||5th, North || [[2017 Kelly Cup playoffs|2017]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2017–18 ECHL season|2017–18]] ||72||35||28||—||8||1||79||248||245||5th, North || [[2018 Kelly Cup playoffs|2018]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2018–19 ECHL season|2018–19]] ||72||31||31||—||6||4||72||239||240||6th, Central || [[2019 Kelly Cup playoffs|2019]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2019–20 ECHL season|2019–20]] ||59||24||30||—||5||0||53||163||206||6th, Central || 2020 ||colspan=5|Season cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]
|-
|[[2020–21 ECHL season|2020–21]] ||68||22||39||—||6||1||51||196||241||7th, Eastern|| [[2021 Kelly Cup playoffs|2021]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify
|-
|[[2021–22 ECHL season|2021–22]] ||72||37||31||—||4||0||78||243||247||3rd, Central || [[2022 Kelly Cup playoffs|2022]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—|| W, 4–3, [[Fort Wayne Komets|FW]] || L, 0–4, [[Toledo Walleye|TOL]] ||—||—
|-
|[[2022–23 ECHL season|2022–23]] ||72||29||38||—||5||0||63||223||244||5th, Central || [[2023 Kelly Cup playoffs|2023]] ||colspan="5"| Did not qualify 
|-
|[[2023–24 ECHL season|2023–24]] ||71||38||28||—||4||1||81||232||204||3rd, Central || [[2024 Kelly Cup playoffs|2024]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—|| W, 4–1, [[Indy Fuel|IND]] || L, 0–4, [[Toledo Walleye|TOL]] ||—||—
|-
|[[2024–25 ECHL season|2024–25]] ||72||43||25||—||3||1||90||225||194||2nd, North || [[2025 Kelly Cup playoffs|2025]] ||bgcolor=#000000|—|| L, 1–4, [[Norfolk Admirals (ECHL)|NOR]] ||—||—||—
|}

==Players and personnel==
===Notable NHL alumni===
List of Wheeling Nailers/Thunderbirds alumni who played more than 25 games in Wheeling and 25 or more games in the [[National Hockey League]].
{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
*[[Paul Bissonnette]]
*[[Francis Bouillon]]
*[[Mike Condon (ice hockey)|Mike Condon]]
*[[Scott Darling]]
*[[Jason Jaffray]]
*[[Chris Jensen]]
*[[David Kočí|David Koci]]
*[[Zenon Konopka]]
*[[François Leroux|Francois Leroux]]
*[[Michel Ouellet]]
*[[Carter Rowney]]
*[[Dany Sabourin]]
*[[Ben Street (ice hockey)|Ben Street]]
*[[Darcy Verot]]
*[[Tomáš Vokoun]]
*[[Chris Wells (ice hockey)|Chris Wells]]
*[[Ron Wilson (ice hockey, born 1956)|Ron Wilson]]
}}

===Head coaches===
{{Div col}}
*1992–95 – [[Doug Sauter]] 
*1995–96 – Larry Kish
*1996–97 – [[Tom McVie]]
*1997–98 – [[Peter Laviolette]]
*1998–99 – [[Chris Jensen]]
*1999–2000 – [[Murray Eaves]]
*2000–01 – [[Alain Lemieux]]
*2001 – Joe Harney (interim)
*2001–03 – [[John Brophy (ice hockey)|John Brophy]]
*2003–05 – [[Pat Bingham]]
*2005–08 – [[Glenn Patrick]]
*2008–10 – [[Greg Puhalski]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Franchise History |url=http://www.nailershockey.com/history.htm |access-date=July 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515045312/http://www.nailershockey.com/history.htm |archive-date=May 15, 2008 }}</ref>
*2010–11 – [[Stan Drulia]]
*2011–15 – [[Clark Donatelli]]
*2015–16 – [[David Gove]]
*2016–18 – [[Jeff Christian]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theintelligencer.net/sports/top-sports/2018/04/nailers-part-with-coach/ |title=Nailers Part With Coach |work=[[The Intelligencer and Wheeling News Register]] |date=April 11, 2018}}</ref>
*2018–2020 – Mike Bavis<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wheelingnailers.com/news/nailers-name-mike-bavis-head-coach |title=Nailers Name Mike Bavis as Head Coach |publisher=Nailers |date=August 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/nailers-begin-search-for-next-head-coach/n-5613296 |title=Nailers Begin Search for Next Head Coach |website=OurSports Central |date=March 30, 2020}}</ref>
*2020–21 – [[Mark French (ice hockey)|Mark French]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://triblive.com/sports/wheeling-nailers-hire-mark-french-as-coach/ |title=Nailers hire Mark French as coach |publisher=TribLive |date=June 8, 2020}}</ref>
*2021–25 – Derek Army<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/mark-french-resigns-as-nailers-head-coach/n-5683084 |title=Mark French Resigns as Nailers Head Coach |website=OurSports Central |date=April 21, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/nailers-name-derek-army-head-coach-remove-interim-tag/n-5700968 |title=Nailers Name Derek Army Head Coach, Remove Interim Tag |website=OurSports Central |date=June 4, 2021}}</ref>
*2025–present – Ryan Papaioannou
{{Div col end}}

==Notes==
:1.{{note|a}}The ECHL's [[Utah Grizzlies]] franchise also dates from 1981, but was dormant from 2003–2005.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Wheeling Nailers}}
* {{Official website|https://wheelingnailers.com}}

{{Pittsburgh Penguins}}
{{Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins}}
{{ECHL}}
{{West Virginia Sports}}

[[Category:ECHL teams]]
[[Category:Wheeling Nailers players]]
[[Category:Ice hockey teams in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Flyers minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Penguins minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1996]]
[[Category:Montreal Canadiens minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:1996 establishments in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Sports in Wheeling, West Virginia]]