ECHL Wheeling Nailers

2006 Season in Review

May 4, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


The Wheeling Nailers completed one of the most successful seasons ever in 2005-06. The Nailers began the year with a new bench boss in Glenn Patrick who would lead Wheeling to the best seven game and ten game start in the organization's history. Wheeling after falling on opening night would win the next six and eight of their first ten games. Wheeling never fell below third place in the North Division and spent the majority of the season in either the top spot or second place. The regular season came down to the final period with a chance to win the North Division but Wheeling came up a point short compiling a 45-21-6 record. Wheeling's point total, 96, was the third most since the team moved to Wheeling in 1992-93. Wheeling eliminated Reading in four games in the North Division semi-finals to advance past the first round for the first time since 1998 also avenging a series loss to Reading in 2004. Wheeling battled Toledo in five hard fought North Division Final games before falling in Game 5 in Toledo. The trip to the Kelly Cup Playoffs was the third since 1998 and second in three seasons.

Little did anyone know that at the beginning of the season a goalie by the name of Andy Franck would have such a large impact. Franck, who left Mercyhurst before his senior season, joined the Nailers in training camp and won a spot on the roster. Franck would set single season marks for wins (33), appearances (58), minutes (3,214), saves (1378), and tie the mark for shutouts with 5. The 2.28 goals against average posted by the Lakewood, Ohio native was second best in the ECHL. Frank was honored with a spot on the ECHL All-Rookie team. He also found his name among the top three in balloting for ECHL Rookie of the Year, and ECHL Goalie of the Year.

Sometimes players in their first professional season have troubles adjusting to the next level but not in Wheeling. With Andy Franck working as a strong backstop in net the duo of Sean Collins and Kurtis McLean would keep ECHL scoreboard operators busy. Collins finished his college career at the University of New Hampshire as one of the most prolific scorers and the trend continued with the Nailers. Collins led Wheeling with 76 points in only 62 games. It was the first time a rookie held the top scoring spot since Zenon Konopka in 2002-03. The Reading, Massachusetts native was named to the ECHL All-Star team, ECHL All-Rookie team, and played eight games in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL). Collins continued his torrid regular season pace in the playoffs chipping in a team high 16 points.

Kurtis McLean joined the Nailers as a relatively unknown scoring powerhouse out of Division III Norwich University. McLean racked up 212 points in 115 games at the collegiate level and didn't stop in his first full professional season. McLean's hot start led to a spot on the ECHL All-Star team and an eventual call-up to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton where he would play 32 games. In his brief 41 games in Wheeling, McLean posted a team high 31 goals along with 56 points.

The Nailers were captained this season by third year Nailer, Brendon Hodge. Hodge had his best season offensively with 68 points and has accumulated 58 career goals as a Nailer. Hodge also got some revenge winning a playoff series against Reading after being apart of the 2004 squad with Alex Rouleau that fell in the playoffs to the Royals.

There was a host of players that set career individual marks. Defenseman Luis Tremblay scored 14 goals eclipsing the 2 he tallied last year in Bakersfield. Tremblay's total was among the best for ECHL defenseman. Forward Jordan Cameron was one of five Nailers to score 20 or more goals with his career high 25. Fellow Alberta native Eric Sonnenberg racked up 18 goals including his first professional hat trick on January 20th in Reading. Rookie forward Bo Cheesman would explode on the scene with 20 goals and 46 points. The Peoria, Illinois resident also got his first call-up to the AHL with Binghamton playing in one game. Arpad Mihaly began the year in Wheeling then was re-assigned to the Nailers late in the year and finished the season with a career high 31 points in only 18 games.

There was more than just one hat trick in Wheeling this season. How about three at one time? Glenn Patrick had his most successful season as a head coach with 45 regular season victories while coaching his son for the first time since Curtiss was 12. The younger Patrick posted a career high three goals while leading Wheeling in penalty minutes with 160. Glenn's nephew, Ryan, would move from a desk job to assistant coach late in the year following the long line of Patrick's that have paced behind the bench calling the shots.

The 2004-05 season saw 51 players wear a Wheeling Nailers sweater. 2005-06 was much different with only 34 players appearing in a game. Mike Doyle and Cliff Loya were the only players to appear in all 72 regular season games. There were fourteen players that appeared in a Wheeling Nailer game and an American Hockey League game as well representing 40% of all players. The Nailers also made history when Goaltender Andy Chiodo was summoned to Pittsburgh prior to the Pittsburgh Penguins home opener to dress as a backup in October. It was the first time a player had gone from Wheeling straight to the NHL. Wheeling continued to lead the way with former players making the jump to the NHL now with 29 after Goalie Dany Sabourin (Pittsburgh), Forward Michele Oulette (Pittsburgh) and Zenon Konopka (Anaheim) all made the trip to the show. The NHL took an Olympic break in February and Wheeling was represented in Torino, Italy as well. Peter Laviolette who coached Wheeling in 1997-98 was the head coach of Team USA while Goalies David Aebischer (Switzerland) and Tomas Voukon (Czech Republic) also skated in the international showcase.

Other highlights from the season included: a perfect 12-0 mark against Dayton, with one of the wins featuring zero Wheeling shots on net in the third period and still winning on February 10, 2006. The Nailers also started a goalie with the first name of Andy for the first 49 games. Andy Chiodo or Andy Franck started every game until Kevin Schieve was given the nod on February 19, 2006. March 3rd was an odd night in Wheeling when the Nailers and Greenville battled to a 0-0 tie thru 65 minutes. Tim Verbeek was a perfect five for five in shootouts and Wheeling was 34-0-0 in the regular season when scoring four or more goals.

It didn't matter where Wheeling played in 2005-06. The Nailers were one of the best road teams in the ECHL with a record of 23-11-2. The highlight of the road season occurred on March 28th in Reading. Cam Paddock went the length of the ice to score with 1.8 seconds left to pull out a win in the Sovereign Center. The Nailers for the first time since 1993 won a playoff series on the road when they captured Game 4 in Reading. WesBanco Arena has been the friendly confines for the Nailers and this year was no different. Wheeling went 22-10-4 on home ice and are 73-26-9 over the last three years at home.

Year number fourteen of professional hockey in the Upper Ohio Valley area is in the books and another successful one on and off the ice as well. The team has won at least 30 games and accumulated 70 points for at least the last three seasons making the Kelly Cup Playoffs in two of those three seasons. Fans enjoyed the winning ways as well averaging 3, 007 patrons per home game which was an increase of 2% from the year before and the highest average since 2001-02. It also marked the third straight year that average attendance went up.

The fifteenth anniversary of professional hockey in Wheeling is right around the corner. The Nailers will be back to make another spirited run at the elusive Kelly Cup doing battle in the rugged North Division with the same old rivalries and the return of Cincinnati.

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics



ECHL Stories from May 4, 2006


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