Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Chwedoruk Signs AHL Deal

Former Wheeling Nailer, Justin Chwedoruk, has signed with the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League.

Last season, Chwedoruk had 30 points (17G-13A) and 109 penalty minutes in 66 games between the Nailers and the Bakersfield Condors. He was called up at the end of the ECHL season by the Falcons.

In his three regular season games with Springfield, Chewy scored one goal and had two penalty minutes.

Friday, July 25, 2008

It's still July!

With hockey news being slower than Mark Recchi and Derian Hatcher, we need something to help pass the time by.

I revamped the site about 4 times this summer with new color schemes and new logos. After a while, it gets boring seeing the same look day in and day out.

For a while now, I've kicked around the idea of coming up with some alternative ideas for Wheeling Nailer jerseys. I really wanted to see what the jersey would look like with some different designs, so with some free time today I came up with the following. Started by making a simple blank template of a hockey jersey, and started designing all kinds of different lines and such. Plenty more will follow throughout the summer. Here is my first round of jerseys.

This is my first time ever trying to make anything like this. The following are not the greatest, qualitywise, but I hope you like 'em.

Jersey 1


Jersey 2


Jersey 3


Jersey 4


Jersey 5


Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Joe Jensen Signs Two-Way With Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes announced that they have signed former Wheeling Nailer, Joe Jensen to a one-year two-way contract.

Jensen, 25, made his NHL debut on February 18th 2008, against New Jersey. He scored one goal in six games with the Hurricanes last season.

Carolina acquired the Jensen from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 31, 2008, in exchange for forward David Gove.

Jensen was drafted by the Penguins in the eighth round, 232nd overall, in 2004. His new contract will pay him $522,500 at the NHL level, and $50,000 at the minor-league level.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Bissonnette Inks One-Year; Two-Way deal.

Last year at this time, the much talked about feud between the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and defensemen Paul Bissonnette hit at a boiling point. So much so that the Penguins had told Bissonnette to stay home and not report to training camp because it was inevitable that he would be traded. Both parties at the time agreed, the honeymoon was over. The once 19-year-old who almost made the NHL in his first training camp was all-but-gone.

What a long strange trip it has been. Today Bissonnette has signed a two-way deal, for 1 year with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bissonnette was an RFA after the 2007-2008 season.

Bissonnette patched up his reputation with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coaches after being called up from Wheeling last season. After his call-up to WBS last season, Bissonnette was asked to play left wing, which he did. Bissonnette put up 8 points with the Baby Pens (3G, 5A) in 46 games this past season. He also compiled 26 fighting majors for the Baby Pens.



Congrats "Champ"

Commissioner Francios Leroux: From Laying the smack down, to laying the law down.

Former Wheeling Nailer and NHL toughman Francois Leroux will be the new commissioner of the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League. Leroux, famous for his being a toughguy in the NHL by bashing faces in with his fist will now be the man who puts his fist down when it comes to hockey operations.

Leroux was named commissioner of the recently formed league at a conference held earlier today.

According to the league press release, "Leroux will be responsible for refining the MAHL’s efforts to develop young talent and move players and coaches from the “A” level to higher levels of hockey including the ECHL, Central Hockey League and International Hockey League."

For those of you who don't know, the MAHL is a lower-level developmental league for former college and junior players looking to move up the ranks in the hockey world. Former Nailer Justin Depretis tore up this league last season by scoring 93 points in 29 games. That says a lot about the skill level of the league.

Leroux will have his hands full as commissioner mainly because of the financial situation of most of the teams throughout the league. The league canceled the remainder of the 2007-08 season and suspended operations on February 12, 2008 and the Indiana Ice Minors were declared champions.

Two teams folded (Mon Valley Thunder and Valley Forge Freedom) and two others have relocated since. The Wooster Warriors relocated to Trenton, Michigan for the upcoming season and the Jamestown Vikings have moved to Auburn Township, Ohio. Currently, the league has seven teams ready to play for the upcoming season.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Former Nailers Inking Deals Elsewhere

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed former Wheeling Nailers defenseman Drew Fata.

Fata, younger brother of former NHLer, Rico Fata, was selected in the third round (86th overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, the 23 year old played for Wheeling in each of his first three seasons tallying 35 points (16G-19A) and 261 penalty minutes in 84 regular season games.

He has played with limited NHL experience over the past two seasons with the New York Islanders. Fata has two points in his NHL career, (1g-1a) and nine penalty minutes in eight regular games while also appearing in one Stanley Cup Playoff game.


Fata will join former Nailer Daniel Carcillo in Phoenix. The Coyotes won't have to worry about team toughness this season as they have signed Brian McGrattan, Todd Fedoruk, Daniel Carcillo, Drew Fata, Francis Lessard. I'd love to check out that training camp. Those could be some blood baths.

Adam Henrich is back in Nailers' organizations, kind of, as he signed a one year deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

In 12 games with the Nailers last season, Henrich tallied 20 points (10G, 10A). He was called up to Norfolk of the AHL and put up good numbers in 43 games with 31 points (14G, 17A)

WBS GM Chuck Fletcher believes that Henrich has the ability to play on any line in the AHL, weather it be a top-line power forward or a fourth-line grinder.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Nailers Ink First Two Players For 2008-2009 Season

The Wheeling Nailers have signed its first two players of the season as both forward Aaron Clarke and defenseman Mike Gooch resigned with the team today.

Clarke, 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, Peterborough, Ontario Navive dressed for 60 games for the Nailers scoring 19 goals, 17 assists for 36 points while accumulating 49 penalty minutes as a rookie.

Gooch, 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, played for the Nailers after finishing up his senior season at Neumann College near Philadelphia. Gooch dressed for 9 games with the Nailers last season, mostly on weekends because he was still enrolled in classes. During those 9 games, Gooch has one point and 8 penalty minutes.

Other Nailer tidbits.

Former captian Sean Collins will be playing in Finland next season and Curtiss Patrick will be playing for the Basingstoke Bisonof the Elite League.