Seven Nailers Earn Promotions to the AHL

WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, have announced that seven players have joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to close out the 2017-18 season. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton recalled forwards Reid Gardiner, Troy Josephs, and Cody Wydo, and defensemen Kevin Spinozzi and Dylan Zink, while signing forward Cam Brown and Kevin Schulze to professional tryout agreements.

Gardiner was Wheeling's leading goal scorer, as he lit the lamp 30 times, helping him earn a spot on the ECHL All-Rookie Team. Reid has appeared in ten games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this year, tallying one goal and two assists.Josephs netted his first career hat trick as part of a 16-goal, 36-point campaign with the Nailers, and will now look to build on his AHL career, which has seen him accumulate two points in 16 contests.Wydo posted his third consecutive 50-point season with Wheeling, amassing 26 goals and 30 assists. Cody has found the back of the net at the AHL level in back-to-back seasons.Spinozzi registered five points in his first 12 games as a Nailer, and will return to the Penguins, where he started his rookie year.Zink produced 22 points in 46 ECHL games, after beginning the season by playing in seven games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.Brown enjoyed a fantastic rookie campaign with Wheeling, collecting 53 points in 55 games. The Penguins will be Cam's second AHL team of the year, after he appeared in 13 tilts with the Springfield Thunderbirds.Schulze was the leading defensive scorer for the Nailers for the second straight season, as he has produced 91 career points at the ECHL level. Kevin suited up in 11 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earlier this season.

This season, the Nailers had 17 players earn a promotion to the AHL at some point during the year. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have 13 players on their current roster who have spent time in Wheeling during their careers, as Jarrett Burton, Jean-Sebastien Dea, Patrick McGrath, Ethan Prow, Gage Quinney, and Jeff Taylor are joined by the seven players highlighted earlier. The AHL regular season will conclude this weekend, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has already punched its ticket to the playoffs. The Penguins will open their quest for the Calder Cup against Charlotte, Lehigh Valley, or Providence.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin in the NHL, and there are five former Nailers who have the chance to be crowned a champion. The Pittsburgh Penguins lead the way with three former Nailers - Casey DeSmith, Tom Kuhnhackl, and Carter Rowney. Mark Letestu hopes to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to their first ever playoff series win, while Peter Laviolette takes aim at a second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as he coaches the Nashville Predators. In the ECHL, the Kelly Cup Playoffs will get under way on Thursday, with 19 former Nailers hoping to capture a championship.

Season ticket information is now available for the 2018-19 season of Wheeling Nailers Hockey. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley. For more information, call (304) 234-GOAL.