WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are excited to announce that at 65th former Nailer/Thunderbird has made his National Hockey League debut. Gage Quinney reached the NHL on Saturday night for the Vegas Golden Knights, who faced the Florida Panthers at T-Mobile Arena.
Quinney was nearly a point-per-game player for the Nailers during the 2016-17 season, as he racked up 18 goals, 26 assists, and 44 points in 45 games as a rookie out of the Western Hockey League. Gage scored his first professional goal with Wheeling on October 28th of that season in a 3-2 win at Kalamazoo - a game which was decided in a shootout by fellow Las Vegas, Nevada native Ross McMullan. A couple of other highlights for Quinney in a Nailers uniform include a pair of four-point games in a six-day span, in addition to his first career hat trick, which was achieved in Elmira.
The 24-year old forward spent the entire 2017-18 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and proceeded to finish eighth on the club in scoring with 14 goals, 19 assists, and 33 points in 57 games. Prior to the start of the 2018-19 campaign, the former Nailer signed on with his hometown Golden Knights, which led him to the AHL's Chicago Wolves. Quinney amassed 43 points in his first season with the Wolves, which saw the team reach the Calder Cup Final. This season, Gage has tallied 14 goals, 18 assists, and 32 points, leading to his recall to Vegas.
On Saturday, Quinney was on the ice for 9:09, as he recorded one shot on goal and drew two penalties. The Golden Knights were victorious, 5-3.
Gage Quinney becomes the 65th Nailer/Thunderbird to reach the NHL and the 59th in the players category. Earlier this season, his 2016-17 teammate Kyle Flemington became the 64th to reach the NHL, when he made his debut as a linesman for a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks on October 18th.
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