Wheeling Nailers Reach 700 Win Milestone
Published on December 6, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
With their 5-2 victory at the Dayton Bombers on December 5th the Wheeling Nailers have become the first ECHL organization to reach the 700 win milestone.
It's appropriate that the Nailers accomplished the regular season victory feat against the Dayton Bombers as Wheeling has recorded more victories against them than any other team with 84. Wheeling has defeated Johnstown 80 times which is their 2nd highest total.
The Nailers are one of the original five organizations in the ECHL from the 1988-89 season when they operated as the Carolina Thunderbirds. The team changed its name to the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds in 1989-90. In 1992 the team moved north and became the Wheeling Thunderbirds later changing their name to the Wheeling Nailers in the 1996-97 season.
Wheeling picked up their most wins in the 2003-04 season in which they won a team record 51 games en route to the Northern Division and Eastern Conference title.
The team's first 121 victories were with Carolina and Winston-Salem. 579 of the team's 700 wins have come with Wheeling. 166 of the team's wins came as the Wheeling Thunderbirds while 413 have come under the Wheeling Nailers name.
The team has won 333 of their 700 games at WesBanco Arena. The Nailers have 405 home wins all-time in organizational history (including Winston-Salem) which is also the most in the ECHL.
Wheeling has 295 wins on the road which is also the most of all ECHL organizations and are en route to becoming the first team to win 300 road victories.
The original five ECHL organizations include the Carolina Thunderbirds (now the Wheeling Nailers), Johnstown Chiefs, Virginia Lancers (now the Utah Grizzlies), Erie Panthers (now Victoria Salmon Kings) and the Knoxville Cherokees (became the Pensacola Ice Pilots).
ECHL Most Regular Season Wins
1. Wheeling Nailers 700 (includes Winston-Salem totals 1989-93)
2. Johnstown Chiefs 630
3. Toledo Storm 610
4. South Carolina Stingrays 604
5. Pensacola Ice Pilots 596 (includes Nashville totals 1989-96)
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