Nailers Announce 2025 Playoff Roster

WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, have announced their roster for the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The roster consists of 19 players and five open spots for five of nine eligible players who are currently in the American Hockey League. The current roster consists of 10 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders.

In goal, Sergei Murashov will look to continue his outstanding rookie season that has seen him earn 29 victories between the Nailers and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Murashov posted double-digit winning streaks at both levels this year, as he set a new Wheeling record with 13 straight triumphs, as well as a new Wilkes-Barre/Scranton rookie record with ten straight wins. Joining Sergei will be Jaxon Castor, whose win on Saturday clinched home ice advantage for the Nailers in round one. Castor made his AHL debut in January and was the victorious goaltender for Wheeling in last season's first round triumph over Indy. As a whole, the Nailers allowed 194 goals, which is the fourth lowest total in the team's 33-year history.

Moving up to the blueline, four of the seven defensemen on the roster were members of the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoff roster. David Drake will be playing in his third postseason as a Nailer and fourth as a pro. Drake can always be counted on to play critical minutes against top offensive players from the opposition, as he finished with a positive +/- for the fifth year in a row. Team captain Louie Roehl was the only player to play in all 72 regular season games for Wheeling this year, and he enjoyed his best offensive season as a pro with five goals and 25 points. Isaac Belliveau played in 22 AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, before returning for his second season as a Nailer, which saw him register at least one point in 14 of 25 games, in addition to a +10 rating. Phip Waugh is the final defender from last year's postseason, and he netted two key goals during Wheeling's final homestand of this season, which saw the team go 5-1-0. Leading the charge among the rookies is Mats Lindgren, who earned ECHL Plus Performer of the Month honors in November. Lindgren led all Nailers blueliners with seven goals, and finished third among his club's defensemen with 21 points. 2024 Pittsburgh draft picks Chase Pietila and Finn Harding will get to experience pro playoff hockey early in their careers. Pietila has three assists and a +3 rating in nine games after concluding his collegiate season at Michigan Tech University, while Harding started his pro career over the weekend, after finishing eighth among OHL defensemen with 57 points.

Offensively, the Nailers got productivity up and down the lineup, as they turned on the red light 225 times. Kyle Jackson was at the top of that list, as he contributed 27 goals, in addition to 25 assists for 52 points. This will be Jackson's second postseason appearance, as he was a member of last year's Western Conference Champion Kansas City Mavericks. 2022 game seven hero Matthew Quercia had himself a career year, as he was one of three Wheeling players to reach the 20-goal plateau. He also chipped in with 13 assists and was the team leader with 188 penalty minutes. Jordan Martel received his first ever AHL callup to the Chicago Wolves, and proceeded to tally four goals in 11 games. He still had plenty of time to lead the Nailers in power play goals (10) and power play points (19), as well as finish third on the squad with 47 points. Jack Beck returns from his first callup to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and he will be a big addition, as he averaged exactly one point per game (36 in 36), and Wheeling was 28-6-2 with him in the lineup. If you're looking for consistency and a teammate willing to do anything, look no further than David Jankowski, who took home the club's Unsung Hero Award. Jankowski recorded 11 goals, 26 assists, and 37 points for the second straight season, and did so while spending most of the first half playing as a defenseman. Matt Koopman continues to be a valuable piece of the team's penalty kill, as he has seven shorthanded goals in the last two years. Koopman is also extremely durable, as he has played in 156 of 157 possible regular season games since turning pro. Cole Tymkin brings a mix of skill and physicality to the lineup, as he threw in five goals, while throwing down the gloves four times in 24 games. Peter Laviolette is also not afraid to mix things up, as he finished second on the team with 94 penalty minutes, while notching six points. Eli Lieffers scored in his second game as a pro, then added another in the home finale against Reading, while Jack Works is coming off of assists in two of three games against the Lions.

The Nailers placed nine players on their Playoff Eligible List, as these nine players are currently in the AHL. However, only five of them can be utilized to fill out the final open roster spots to bring the team to the maximum number of 24. Seven of the nine are with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Starting with the forwards, Matty De St. Phalle finished as Wheeling's leading scorer in both assists (35) and points (55) in his rookie campaign. All-Star Atley Calvert spent all but three games during the second half of the season in the AHL, after racking up 36 points in 38 games in a Nailers uniform. Gabe Klassen finished second among Wheeling rookies with 43 points, and earned his second callup of the season after winning ECHL Player of the Week honors. Logan Pietila got called up in the midst of a seven-game point streak, and had surged to record 12 of his 27 points in his last 11 contests. Zach Gallant made his presence known quickly with four points in three games before being promoted to the AHL. Despite now being a member of the Rochester Americans, Jagger Joshua is still eligible to return to Wheeling, where he had five points in eight December tilts. On the blueline, Chris Ortiz earned an AHL contract with the Providence Bruins, following an all-star start to the season that saw him produce 39 points and a team-best +19 rating with the Nailers. Coming from the Ohio State University, Brent Johnson tallied a goal and an assist in his pro debut on April 4th. In goal, Taylor Gauthier has been on a tremendous roll, as he has won five straight starts and eight of his last nine, while allowing three goals or less in 15 consecutive outings. Gauthier followed up his 2023-24 ECHL Goaltender of the Year performance with the third best goals against average (2.06) and third best save percentage (.928) in a single season in team history,

The 2025 North Division Semifinal Series between the Wheeling Nailers and Norfolk Admirals will begin at Norfolk Scope Arena with games one and two on Wednesday and Thursday, before switching to WesBanco Arena for games three through seven. All contests in Wheeling will begin at 7:10, and the game dates are April 23, 25, 26, 28, and 29. Games five, six, and seven on April 26, 28, and 29 are if necessary, depending on the results of the series to that point. Tickets for the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs are available by calling (304) 234-GOAL or visiting wheelingnailers.com. 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.

Roster
1 G Sergei Murashov
5 D David Drake
11 F Peter Laviolette
14 F David Jankowski
15 F Cole Tymkin
20 D Chase Pietila
22 F Matthew Quercia
23 D Finn Harding
24 F Eli Lieffers
27 F Jack Works
28 D Louie Roehl
37 F Kyle Jackson
39 F Matt Koopman
40 G Jaxon Castor
43 F Jack Beck
51 F Jordan Martel
57 D Phip Waugh
73 D Mats Lindgren
78 D Isaac Belliveau

Eligible Players in the AHL
7 D Brent Johnson
12 F Zach Gallant
18 D Chris Ortiz
23 F Jagger Joshua
33 G Taylor Gauthier
49 F Logan Pietila
54 F Matty De St. Phalle
64 F Gabe Klassen
84 F Atley Calvert

North Division Semifinal Series
Game 1 - Wed. Apr. 16 at Norfolk, 7:05
Game 2 - Thu. Apr. 17 at Norfolk, 7:05
Game 3 - Wed. Apr. 23 AT WHEELING, 7:10
Game 4 - Fri. Apr. 25 AT WHEELING, 7:10
Game 5 - Sat. Apr. 26 AT WHEELING, 7:10 (if necessary)
Game 6 - Mon. Apr. 28 AT WHEELING, 7:10 (if necessary)
Game 7 - Tue. Apr. 29 AT WHEELING, 7:10 (if necessary)