ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers Extend Qualifying Offers

Published on July 2, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Wheeling, WV - The Wheeling Nailers, the AA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, have announced that they have extended qualifying offers to five players for the upcoming 2010-2011 season.

The players receiving qualifying offers include:

Kyle Bushee

Chris Davis

Andrew Lord

Billy Ryan

Kevin Schmidt

Bushee was acquired in a trade with Johnstown early in the season and played 58 games for the Nailers finishing the season as an assistant captain. The Otsego, Mich. native out of Canisius College had 5 goals and 9 assists.

Davis played 50 games for the Nailers in his rookie season scoring 11 goals and registering 9 assists. The U-Mass Amherst product hails from Simsbury, Conn.

Lord was the Nailers captain last season and has played the most games of any player for Wheeling over the last two seasons with 138. Last year the big center from West Vancouver, BC finished with 17 goals and 19 assists as well as 185 penalty minutes. Lord finished 2nd in the ECHL in major penalties with 21 and was honored as the team's Most Valuable Player.

Ryan, out of the University of Maine, scored 3 goals and 3 assists in 12 games in his 2nd season with Wheeling.

Schmidt was honored as the Nailers Rookie of the Year last season. The 23 year old D-Man out of Bowling Green State University played in 50 games registering 7 goals and 23 assists.

Each team was entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four could be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2010-11 season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded.

The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until Aug. 1 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.

A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player will retain the rights to that veteran until Aug. 1. After Aug. 1, if the veteran player is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player's rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player's rights and the Professional Hockey Players' Association. The member with the player's rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.

If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by Aug. 31, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.

Come see future Pittsburgh Penguins start their careers in Wheeling! The Nailers will open training camp in early October for the 19th season of professional hockey in the Friendly City. The season opener at WesBanco Arena is Friday, October 15th against the Toledo Walleye. Season tickets on sale now providing all the same great benefits Nailers fans are accustomed to receiving. Call the Wheeling Nailers at 304-234-GOAL (304-234-4625) or toll-free at 1-877-NAIL-TIX. For more information log on to wheelingnailers. com.

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ECHL Stories from July 2, 2010


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