WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, have announced three transactions, which all take effect immediately. Wheeling has received goaltender Doug Carr from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, as well as forward Garrett Meurs from the Milwaukee Admirals. The Nailers have also traded forward Milos Bubela to the Orlando Solar Bears in exchange for future considerations.
Carr, 27, returns to Wheeling after appearing in two games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. In his first outing, Doug played one period in relief, and held the Providence Bruins scoreless. In his second game, the Hanover, Massachusetts native got the starting nod, and made 33 saves in a 5-4 victory over the Binghamton Senators on January 7th. Prior to making the climb to the AHL, Carr was between the pipes in 17 games with the Nailers, posting an 8-7-1 record, a 3.31 goals against average, and an .889 save percentage. His season-high for saves is 45, which came in a 3-2 shootout triumph over Kalamazoo on October 28th. That performance was key in Doug receiving ECHL Goaltender of the Week honors. This is the netminder's third season of professional hockey, and he won 35 career games between the AHL and ECHL levels.
Meurs, 24, got the opportunity to play in one game for the Milwaukee Admirals, where he was teammates with fellow 2016-17 Nailer Derek Army. The final score was 5-1 in favor of the Charlotte Checkers, and Garrett recorded one shot on goal. Prior to his AHL stint, the Ripley, Ontario native was the leading goal scorer for Wheeling, as he racked up 13 in 31 games. He scored three goals in two games over the weekend, helping the Nailers earn three out of four possible points against the Toledo Walleye. This is Meurs' fourth season as a pro, and first outside of the Colorado Avalanche organization. Garrett played parts of three years with the Lake Erie Monsters, San Antonio Rampage, and Fort Wayne Komets, and is coming off of a career season in which he compiled 18 goals and 35 points with the Komets.
Bubela, 24, is playing his first full season of professional hockey, after completing a four-year collegiate career at RPI. Last spring, Milos made his pro debut, picking up one assist in eight games with the AHL's Utica Comets. This season, the Banska Bystrica, Slovakia native signed with the Nailers, and appeared in 16 games, accumulating one goal, three assists, and four points. The goal was scored on December 9th in Brampton, and was part of a three-game point streak for Bubela.
Doug Carr, Garrett Meurs, and the Wheeling Nailers will take the ice for three games in three days this weekend. First, Wheeling visits Toledo on Friday at 7:15. Then, on Saturday, it's Star Wars Night at WesBanco Arena, as the Nailers take the ice in Jedi jerseys against Kalamazoo at 7:05. The first 1,000 kids in attendance will receive a free backpack. Another fun promotion takes place later in the month on January 28th, when Pascal Dupuis is the star of Pittsburgh Penguins Night. To purchase tickets, or to get more information about season tickets, mini plans, group tickets, and more, call (304) 234-GOAL.