ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers / Cyclones Game Day Snapshot

October 13, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Nailers vs Cincinnati Cyclones 7:35 PM

Opening Night 2012

WHEELING NAILERS

(2011-12: 37-26-4-5, 83 PTS, 2nd Atlantic, 6th East, lost 3-1 in first round vs. Kalamazoo)

(Preseason: 1-1-0-0)

2011-12 Statistics

F- Chris Barton (29 goals, 31 assists, 60 points in 69 games)

F- Paul Crowder (23 goals, 27 assists, 50 points in 57 games)

F- Zack Torquato (12 goals, 28 assists, 40 points in 60 games)

F- Cody Chupp (17 goals, 17 assists, 34 points in 43 games)

D- Adam Ross (2 goals, 13 assists, 15 points in 69 games)

D- Peter Merth (3 goals, 9 assists, 12 points in 50 games)

G- Patrick Killeen (19-12-4, 2.69 GAA, .893 Sv%, 3 SO in 36 games)

CINCINNATI CYCLONES

(2011-12: 35-28-2-7, 79 PTS, 3rd North, 10th East, missed playoffs)

(Preseason: 1-1-0-0)

2011-12 Statistics

F- Mathieu Aubin (30 goals, 38 assists, 68 points in 62 games)

F- Michael Pelech (16 goals, 49 assists, 65 points in 70 games)

F- Dan Eves (18 goals, 27 assists, 45 points in 54 games)

F- Garrett Wilson (17 goals, 18 assists, 35 points in 63 games)

D- Andrew Hotham (8 goals, 36 assists, 44 points in 52 games)

D- Maury Edwards (7 goals, 23 assists, 30 points in 62 games)

G- Brian Foster (16-11-2, 2.78 GAA, .902 Sv%, 3 SO in 29 games)

Head-to-Head

Season Series: First Game of Five

Season Series at US Bank Arena: First Game of Three

All-Time Series: Nailers 48, Cyclones 42

All-Time Series at US Bank Arena: Cyclones 23, Nailers 22

21st Season Begins

Saturday night marks the start of the 21st season of professional hockey in Wheeling, as the Nailers will make their way to Cincinnati for a battle with the Cyclones. To this point in their history, the Nailers/Thunderbirds have gone 711-581-28-94, which is good for 1,516 points in 1,414 regular season games. They have outscored their opponents 4,832-4,780 over the past 20 seasons, while watching 591 different players suit up for the team from the Ohio Valley. Wheeling has seen postseason hockey in 11 of 20 years, and will be looking for a third consecutive trip to the playoffs this spring.

Opening Night

For the second season in a row, the Nailers will begin the regular season on enemy ice, as they invade Cincinnati's US Bank Arena. Last season, Wheeling got off to a stellar start, as they took down the Greenville Road Warriors, 6-1 at BI-LO Center. The Nailers have won two straight road openers, and four of their last five. Wheeling and Cincinnati have played each other on opening night once before, when the Nailers posted a 7-5 victory on October 17, 2008 at WesBanco Arena. Andrew Lord and Jordan Morrison both had three-point nights for Wheeling, while Thomas Beauregard netted a hat trick for the Cyclones. Curtis Darling defeated Kyle Gajewski in goal.

These are the Same Teams?

Last weekend, the Nailers and Cyclones took to the ice for two preseason games, with the home team coming out on top in both contests. While the logos on the fronts of the jerseys will be the same, the names on the rosters will look significantly different. Ten of the 23 players on Wheeling's roster appeared in at least one of the games last weekend, while ten of the 21 players on Cincinnati's roster appeared in one of the games last weekend. For the sake of comparison, the Nailers' 2011-12 starting roster featured 18 players who played in at least one preseason game.

Home Has Been the Place to Be

Over the past year or so, the series between Wheeling and Cincinnati has had a decided edge for the team on home ice. Last year, the two teams battled each other twice during the preseason, with the home team winning both games (a feat they accomplished again in the 2012 preseason). That led to a regular season series that saw the home team skate away victorious on five of six occasions. Adding in two more games from the end of the 2010-11 season leaves the home team with an 11-1-0 record in the last 12 preseason and regular season clashes between the Nailers and Cyclones.

The Hawk Flew West for This Winter

After spending last season with the Nailers, defenseman Andrew Hotham will have a new address for the 2012-13 campaign, as he signed on with the Cincinnati Cyclones during the offseason. After playing both junior hockey in the OHL and college hockey at St. Mary's University in Halifax, NS, Hotham turned pro, joining Wheeling for his rookie year. In 52 games with the squad, Andrew finished with eight goals, 36 assists, and 44 points, while being named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team and All ECHL Second Team.

You Guys Go First

16 of the 23 teams in the ECHL began their 2012-13 campaigns on Friday night, including three of the four teams that are new to the league. Wheeling and Cincinnati will be joined by Evansville, Gwinnett, South Carolina, and Toledo as the teams that will drop the puck on their schedules on Saturday, before Las Vegas becomes the final team to play game one on Sunday. The eight teams that secured a victory on Friday were: Alaska, Bakersfield, Elmira, Florida, Kalamazoo, Ontario, Trenton, and Utah. Orlando was the lone losing team to earn a point, as well as the lone new team to earn a point, as they lost in overtime to defending champion Florida.

LISTEN LIVE: EAGLE 107.5

ONLINE : IHEARTRADIO

NEXT HOME GAME: Fri. Oct. 26th - 7:00PM

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics



ECHL Stories from October 13, 2012


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