Gibson & Vokoun Inducted into Wheeling Hockey Hall of Fame

Sports stats



Wheeling Nailers

Gibson & Vokoun Inducted into Wheeling Hockey Hall of Fame

November 30, 2024 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


WHEELING, WV- On Saturday night at WesBanco Arena, the Wheeling Nailers inducted Steve Gibson and Tomas Vokoun as the newest members of the Wheeling Hockey Hall of Fame.

Steve Gibson played four seasons in Wheeling from 1993-97, as he began his professional career. Gibson quickly showed that he was a dynamic offensive player, as he led all Thunderbirds rookies with 59 points in 55 games during the 1993-94 campaign. Steve continued to be a major part of the team's success during its 1994-95 Brabham Cup Champion season, then led the team in scoring with 42 goals and 95 points in 1995-96. The Listowel, Ontario native made his mark on the club's record books, as he ranks in the team's all-time top ten in seven different categories. Gibson finished his Wheeling career averaging over a point-per-game, as he recorded 126 goals, 126 assists, and 252 points in 191 games. Steve's 126 goals are the second most in team history, his 252 points are the third most in team history, and he holds the all-time record with a career +/- rating of +73. After finishing his career with the Nailers, Gibson played seven seasons with the Quad City Mallards, and had his number retired there, where he and his family live today.

Tomas Vokoun came to North America to begin his professional career with the Wheeling Thunderbirds in 1995. Despite only being 19 years old at the time, Vokoun proved that he was more than up for the challenge, as he posted a 20-10-2 regular season record, then backstopped Wheeling to an opening round playoff sweep against the Columbus Chill. Tomas quickly climbed the pro hockey ladder, as he made his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens the following year, then became a regular in the NHL with the Nashville Predators in 1998-99. The Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic native enjoyed tremendous success in the NHL, which included three seasons with at least 30 wins. His 14 full NHL seasons are the most for any former Wheeling player, and he is one of just 40 goaltenders in NHL history to earn 300 wins. In addition to Montreal and Nashville, Vokoun played for Florida and Washington, before finishing his NHL career in 2012-13 by helping the Pittsburgh Penguins reach the Eastern Conference Final.

Gibson and Vokoun become the 13th and 14th members of the Wheeling Hockey Hall of Fame, as they join Nick Bedway, Paul Bissonnette, Louis Dumont, Ross Felton, Peter Laviolette, Robert Otten, Dick Riley, Doug Sauter, Darren Schwartz, Tim Tisdale, Zack Torquato, and Brock Woods.

-Nailers-

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics

• Discuss this story on the ECHL message board...

ECHL Stories from November 30, 2024


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Wheeling Nailers Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central