Say It Ain't Joe!

The Pittsburgh Penguins made a trade today that hits close to home for Nailer fans.

Former Wheeling Nailer, Joe Jensen, has been traded to the Carolina Hurricaines and in returnthe Penguins have acquired forward David Gove.

Gove has played 45 games this season scoring 23 points (8G,15A) for the Albany River Rats of the AHL.

Gove also has some NHL experience to his credentials as he made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes during the 2005-06 season recording a point in his only game in the NHL that season coming by way of an assist. Gove appeared in one game for Carolina during the 2006-07 season but failed to register a single point.

In parts of seven seasons in the AHL, Gove has scored 198 points (80G,118A) in 393 games.

Gove is scheduled to report to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Bad Blood or just business?

We thought we may see it with the affiliation with Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, friends one day, enemy's the next, but tonight in Norfolk, former Nailer teammates Adam Henrich and Paul Bissonnette fought each other at 11:18 in the second period tonight. Bissonnette dropped Henrich with a right to the back of the head.
Henrich has a birthday tomorrow, maybe this is Bissonnette's way of saying happy birthday Henny...
Bissonnette was in the starting lineup for the WBS Penguins tonight.

5 Is The Magic Number

Nailers vs. Devils 7:05

With a win tonight the Nailers (13-20-4) will jump Trenton(14-19-3) in the standings for the all important fifth and final playoff spot and keep their point streak going to 5 games.

Wheeling leads the season series 2-1-1.

New addition Matt Johnson has had a game winner in the previous two Nailer wins.

Wheeling is currently riding a hot streak, going 4-0-1 since new head coach "Gary" Puhalski took the reigns. (trentondevils.com) leave it to Trenton to get someones name wrong. Idiots.

Coach GREG Puhalski turns Nailers around (ECHL)

While Trenton coach Dick Kowalsky will have plenty of white towels on hand tonight for the tantrums expected from such a crybaby...


If you feel the need to bring some of your own,
he may need some extras. It's a long season.

You're suppose to use the towels to wipe off your face after a good Sean Collins face-washing, but waving it in surrender always motivates your team.

Douche...

Morale on the Trenton bench must be as low as Rosie O'Donnells' metabolism and self esteem combined after losing 4 out of their last 5 games.

Yikes! She's really let herself go.

The Devils look to the addition of Jason Bonsignore to give them the edge in tonights contest. (Trentondevils.com) Bonsignore has some size and is an NHL Vet and stuff.
Whatever... In 7 games with Fresno this season he totaled two assist.

Wheeling should have Curtiss Patrick back in the lineup today as he was released from his PTO in Springfield (AHL) yesterday.

Saw this on the ECHL website today... John Brophy's ECHL 480 wins will soon be surpassed. Probably not by Dick Kowalsky, as he coaches from the stands.

Nailers Win!

Nailers win tonight 4-1 as they beat Dayton for only the 3rd time this season.
Tifu got a point, but he's still a woman.

Need any more proof?
I didn't think so.

Wheeling put 3 behind Jeremy Duchesne with goals by Vadim Slivchinko, Matt Johnson and Kevin Croxton. Aaron Clarke added an empty netter to make the win more concrete.

Duchesne didn't know what happened tonight.
His middle name is really Summers Eve.



His parents must've liked him enough to not make it his first name.

This pretty much sums up how Nailers fans feel the past couple games.

Let the good times roll!

Some of you may remember TJ. Reynolds from his days with the Nailers... well, last night he got knocked out!

Ouch.

Lots to catch up on...

The ECHL announced today that Wheeling Nailer defenseman Jon D'Aversa will replace teammate Paul Bissonnette on the American Conference roster for the 2008 ECHL All-Star Game.
D'Aversa, 22,has 17 points (3g-14a) and 43 penalty minutes in 22 games with Wheeling.

::Edit::
The curse strikes again as hours after D'Aversa was announced to take Paul Bissonnettes' ECHL All Star Spot, he was recalled to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

::End Edit::

Moving Up
Pittsburgh Penguins reassigned forward Joe Jensen from Wheeling to
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and WBS recalled forward Ned Havern from Wheeling.
Havern was going to be in the lineup because Dennis Bonvie was
scratched because of back spasms. However, WBS coach Todd
Richards accidentally listed Havern as a scratch and when he got to
the faceoff circle to take his first shift, the referee told Havern that he
wasn't on the roster. So Havern had to go back to the locker room.
Nice.

Curtiss Patrick also had a brief stint up being recalled to the
Springfield Falcons of the AHL.

Currently the Nailers have 10 players called up to the AHL.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton: David Brown, John Curry, Paul Bissonnette, Ned Havern, Mark Letestu, Joe Jensen, Kyle Rank, Jon D'Aversa.
Philadelphia: David Laliberte
Norfolk: Adam Henrich

Moving Back
The Wheeling Nailers have claimed forward Joe Guenther
off waivers from the Florida Everblades.
The Guenther has two assists and four penalty minutes in
five games with Elmira and four points (2G,2A) and
10 PIM in 19 games with Florida.
Last season in Wheeling, Guenther played in all 72 games
and was third on the team with 26 goals and 42 points.

Just Moving
The Nailers also signed B.J. Radovich who played for Puhalski in Chicago (UHL).
Radovich was traded to the Kalamazoo Wings (UHL) mid season.

Forward Matt Johnson who played part of this season with the Augusta Lynx, but is now enrolled at Providence College. Seems like an odd situation... We'll see what pans out I guess. In 7 games with Augusta, Johnson had one goal.

Forward Kelly Miller who also played for Coach Puhalski in Fort Wayne and Chicago.
No, we did not sign the former NHL Player. We only save those roster spots for Mario's Friends.

"Want to see a house?"


John Burton has been released from the team to make room for the UHL invasion.



Did a google search on Kelly Miller found some interesting things.

*Kelly Miller, the first Black mathematics graduate student

*Welcome to Kelly Miller Circus.Com

*WNBA.com: Kelly Miller Playerfile

*Portfolio Website - Miller Photography - Kelly Miller

Miller is from the craptown of Toledo however...
It feels like an infestation with these Toledo ties... I feel dirty all of a sudden.

What's next? Attard? Zultek? Rob Snowball?
He's the only guy I know that drops the soap more than he drops his gloves,
and if his hockey game is any indication, he's getting crushed.


"Hey guys, lets hit the showers. I'll drop."

God, I hope not.

Du You Wanna Trade? Sure, What the Falk?

Correction:
Kevin Du's suspension has been lifted and his rights have NOT been traded away to the Johnstown Chiefs. He was actually suspended again thus retaining his rights.
There was a typo in the transactions yesterday on ECHL.com that was later fixed and brought to my attention.

Du left Wheeling to play overseas in China and then went on to play for the Hannover Indians of the GerObL.

A trade was made with Johnstown yesterday for future considerations, in return Wheeling gets right handed forward Mike Falk and shortly after the trade Falk has been suspended by the Nailers.

Seriously, who wants to be traded to a last place team? We may have received more for the rights to Du if we had asked for a bag of Tostitos.


They're great with salsa or Wendy's chili... or any chili for that matter

Anyway, Falk has played for 3 teams this season (probably another reason he doesn't seem to want to come to Wheeling). Mississippi Sea Wolves, Charlotte Checkers and the Johnstown Chiefs. In 13 games for Mississippi, Falk had 4 points (1G, 3A). Falk had one point (an assist) in 4 games for Charlotte and in his 10 games for Johnstown, Falk registered 5 points (3G, 2A).

It'd be nice if he actually showed up, but I won't hold my breath.

In other news, the Wheeling Nailers are sending another person to the ECHL All Star game in Stockton, CA.

Athletic Trainer Jerry Duncan... or as he is politely referred to in Trenton...

Twinkie.



Let it be known that Twinkie the Kid is in no way related to Sidney Crosby.

It just goes to show you that the ECHL must even feel sorry for us. Not one of our current players made the team... but an all-star radio broadcaster (who is actually really good) and an athletic trainer going to Stockton help to ease the pain I guess... but so would Jello shots.

Moves Made

Forwards David Laliberte and Vadim Slivchenko have been assigned to the Philadelphia Phantoms by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Laliberte has 2 points in 5 games with the Phantoms this season (1G,1A) while Slivchenko, the native of Kharkov, Ukraine, gets his first chance to show the AHL that the Ukraine is NOT WEAK in his 20'th professional season.


These transactions leaves Wheeling with only 8 healthy forwards for this weekend. Someone, probably Snavely, will once again skating up on the 3rd line.

Greg Puhalski Named Coach of Nailers

Greg Puhalski will be announced at a press conference as the next
coach of the Wheeling Nailers while Glenn Patrick will remain as
a scout for the organization.

Last season Puhalski went 31-38-0-7 and was named Coach of the Year
with the Chicago of the UHL for the second time.

The other came with the Fort Wayne Komets during the 2002/2003 season
in which Fort Wayne went 44-21-0-11 and won the Colonial Cup in the UHL.

Puhalski is the all-time United Hockey League leader in career victories and
brings over ten years of coaching experience to Wheeling.

Prior to Puhalski’s time at Fort Wayne, he spent four seasons as Head Coach for the East Coast Hockey team the Toledo Storm and posted a .638 winning percentage and 1995-1996 divisional title. Immediately following, Puhalski joined the Port Huron Border Cats of the UHL and posted back to back winning seasons until joining the Komets in 2000.

However Coach Puhalski was once petitioned to be fired from the UHL Komets,
mainly because of lack of passion from behind the bench.


Sound familiar?

To learn another lesson from R.L. Stine.

Be careful what you wish for.

Puhalski spent his professional playing days with the now defunct, Toledo Storm.

New Year... New Coach... New Goalie

The clock hit midnight for Glenn Patrick as he is out as coach of the
Wheeling Nailers after spending three seasons behind the bench.
During his tenure Patrick compiled an 86-75-3-12 record.
Patrick will still remain with the Nailers organization but just not as a coach.

A replacement will be made at a press conference tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.
at the Nailers office on Main Street.

Although former Toledo Storm coach, Nick Vitucci seems to be a front-runner
at this time. Rumors also have Derek Clancey, who coached the Jackson Bandits
and the Reading Royals in the ECHL and was an assistant coach for the
Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. Clancey is now a scout in the
Pittsburgh Penguins organization. Also rumored is former UHL
(Fort Wayne and Chicago) coach Greg Puhalski.

More on this story as it develops.

The Nailers also made a trade with the Charlotte Checkers getting Goalie,
Curtis Darling. Darling spent time in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch
appearing in relief for one game making 4 saves on 4 shots.