Wheeling Nailers | CollegeHockeyPlayers

09Mar

Ian Schultz(21) San Francisco Bulls

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Montreal Canadiens‘ 3rd year right wing prospect Ian Schultz(21) has been shuffled around a bit more than he likely planned this season.

After two campaigns with AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs (6 goals and 17 assists in 60 games last season, all career highs), he failed to make the team out of training camp and was reassigned to ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers (13 games, 2 assists). He wasn’t alone either; it was a pretty big group of names. From there though he was moved again within the league to join Utah Grizzlies.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward had better luck with that squad putting up 7 goals and 8 assists in 27 games but is better known for his fisticuffs than goal scoring strength.

He earned a short-lived recall to the Bulldogs that lasted only a couple of games before being returned.

Recently he was shuffled again in a minor league deal that the parent club allowed him to be traded to San Francisco Bulls for the remainder of the year.

The 23-year old was originally a St. Louis Blues‘ 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#87 overall) but was dished to the Canadiens as a minor piece of a bigger transaction before his skates ever hit officially hit the ice for the team.

His 3-year entry level deal expires at the end of the season and where he ends up from here is anyone’s guess.

17Dec

Ryan Schnell(38) St. John’s IceCaps

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Undrafted, 4th year left wing Ryan Schnell(38) is one of those players that has seemingly still yet to realize most of the potential he could bring to the table.

He spent his first three seasons in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins‘ system, playing the majority of his games in the ECHL with affiliate Wheeling Nailers. Through 114 contests he’s only managed a meager 5 goals and 10 assists.

On the other hand, the 6’3″ 225 lbs. forward has amassed over 400 penalty minutes, which gives more of an indication what style of a game he plays.

Going into the 2012/2013 the unrestricted free agent, the 23-year old signed a deal pretty quickly to change up his scenery, inking a one-year, two-way AHL deal with St. John’s IceCaps.

He was reassigned after the opening month on the sidelines to Colorado Eagles. Although he may be first in pims for the lower league, he’s on for career points, already scoring a career high 4 goals and 7 points through only 12 games, and he’s a +5 plus/minus.

With the right coaching to help direct his abilities, we see a burgeoning power forward in the making. He was recently recalled to the IceCaps and in a pair of games has zero points and one fighting major to his credit. Old habits are slow to fade.

14Dec

Peter Delmas(39) Wheeling Nailers

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Montreal Canadiens‘ goalie prospect Peter Delmas(39) started his third season in the AHL with Hamilton Bulldogs but only has a handful of games played to his credit with the team. He was signed to a three-year entry level deal after his rookie season, so he’s good until 2014.

He’s mostly been tending net for ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers, where he’s put up some strong numbers and took the team to the Eastern Conference Finals a couple of seasons ago.

The still very young 22-year old net minder was recently reassigned once again to rejoin the Nailers for what becomes a three-peat with West Virginia club. He has thus far sputtered in 3 Bulldogs‘ appearances in 2012/2013 going 0-2 with a 3.49 GAA and .865 SV%.

At 6’3″ 190 lbs. he’s the perfect size to tend and somewhat ironically he never had the best numbers in juniors but has shown those flashes and will have to display more of it in to play in the higher league, as there’s already two top goalies filling those spots this NHL lockout season.

06Nov

Keven Veilleux(44) Wheeling Nailers

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Few players have been bitten by the injury bug more than Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft (#51 overall), right wing Keven Vellieux(44).

He’s only skated almost one complete season over the course of a 3-year pro career in 2010/2011 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. But even then, skating in 66 games he missed over a dozen contests.

The 6’5″ 218 lbs. forward did put up some decently impressive numbers potting 12 goals and 24 assists, while going a +17 plus/minus on what was a very good team that year, and added another 4 points in the postseason.

2011/2012 however got scrapped entirely due to a blown out knee in preseason play that required surgery setting him back yet another full campaign, when he was diligently looking to continue to prove himself.

Penguins‘ brass still have hopes for the 23-year old though as they qualified him for another go in 2012/2013.

Still not full recovered from his injury 9 match-ups into the new season, he has been reassigned to ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers for the first time to get his game on. He should light the lamp and pound some fists consistently in the lower league quickly leading him back up to the AHL.

29Oct

Nick Petersen (8)

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Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#121 overall), right wing Nick Petersen(8) was bought out the final year of his 3-year entry level contract by the team.

He appeared in a career high 52 AHL games with their farm team, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins scoring a best 11 goals and 16 assists, 27 points with a +15 plus/minus.

The kind of lanky 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward started his pro career in the ECHL with Wheeling Nailers, where he lit the lamp with ease clocking in at just shy of a 1.5 points per game player and was reassigned and recalled from on a couple of occasions during his rookie season.

There were some minor rumors floating that he was a difficult player in the system.

He signed a training camp tryout agreement with Houston Aeros to start the third campaign of his pro career and although he failed to make the opening night roster, he was kept on and sent to their affiliate Orlando Solar Bears.

In 6 ECHL games he has 6 goals and 8 assists with a +4 rating and has been quickly called-up to Houston.

Turns out he was a healthy scratch for one game and sent back.

When he gets his chance, you can pretty much bet he’ll produced on the scoresheet.

Nice black eye in the pic, right?

12Oct

Bobby Farnham (37)

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Undrafted left wing Bobby Farnham(37) has been on a little trip in search of a contract.

Upon completing his college career with Brown University Bears last season he signed on with the team down the street, Providence Bruins.

He skated in three games with the “hometown” team before being released and inked another ato with another local team just up the highway, Worcester Sharks.

He also lasted a few contests with them, concluding the regular season registering no points on the scoresheet.

The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward was offered a training camp tryout look by Hamilton Bulldogs but was cut a week before the start of 2012/2013.

From their he made the 6 hour drive to West Virginia and has agreed to a contract with the ECHL Wheeling Nailers and is on the opening night roster ready to officially start his pro career.

07Oct

Paul Crowder(11) Wheeling Nailers

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4th year undrafted center Paul Crowder(11) started the season in Austria’s Erste Band Eishockey Liga with Znojmo Ovli HC but got injured half a dozen games into the season and was put on waivers.

No problem as the 27-year old returns for a third ECHL season with Wheeling Nailers, where he has found a home and a good deal of success in addition to being named team captain last season.

In 94 regular and postseason games, he struck for 31 goals and 50 assists and had just joined the team when they made their Kelly Cup run that took them to the Eastern Conference Final.

The 6’3″ 203 lbs. forward started his career signed to a one-year entry level deal with New York Rangers but played his entire rookie season in the AHL with Hartford Wolf Pack.

He failed to get a call-up in his sophomore year but was recalled by Manchester Monarchs for 5 games in last season.

He definitely has size to his advantage but even if he’s playing on an energy line should show more of a flare for scoring like he does in the lower league.

01Oct

Alec Kirschner(17) Elmira Jackals

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Undrafted 5th year center Alec Kirschner(17) has worked his way through the ranks from low double A in the former IHL, a few games in Central Hockey League and 36 games over the last couple of seasons in the single A, Federal Hockey League with Danbury Whalers to scoring another contract with Elmira Jackals of the ECHL for 2012/2013.

The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward has easily proven he’s far too skilled for FHL with 46 goals and 38 assists or a pair of points per game player with a combined +47 plus/minus rating. The soon-to-be 26 year old is deserving of a shot in the higher league despite only posting a pair of assists in 32 games with Wheeling Nailers and the Jackals.

But still it’s an interesting team re-signing of a player on the cusp for what will be a more competitive season than usual.

24Sep

Chris Cloud(39) Ontario Reign

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Undrafted 4th season right wing Chris Cloud(39) re-signs with Ontario Reign to return to the ECHL team for a second straight season, a first in his pro career that’s taken him in on what continues to be an interesting journey.

He began with Wheeling Nailers but after only three appearances was released and quickly jumped to join Central Hockey League‘s Amarillo Gorillas for the remainder of his rookie campaign.

The feisty 5’11” 186 lbs. forward started his sophomore year inking a deal with Tulsa Oilers but was again waived by the team he started the season with only to be quickly picked up by another suitor, Bloomington Prairie Thunder (r.i.p.).

It wasn’t until 2011/2012 that he found a more permanent hockey residence, signing a one-year contract with the Reign, where he arguably enjoyed his best season matching career highs in goals, assists and points; and eclipsed his former penalty minute high mark by 50.

The then 23-soon-to-be 24 year old also earned a pair of AHL call-up with Manchester Monarchs that he put to good use in 10 games and 19 pims in a limited fourth line role.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see him in the Monarchs‘ forthcoming training camp.

30Aug

Alex Grant(20) Pittsburgh Penguins

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Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#114 overall) defenseman Alex Grant(20) re-signs his qualifying offer to return for another season in the team’s prospect system.

He had an amazing 2011/2012 setting career highs in games played, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes (61-10-27-37-73) with their AHL affiliate WBS Penguins after a disastrous 2nd year, when he shattered his wrist and suffered whiplash in a rookie tournament leading up to training camp pretty much shelving the entire campaign.

The blue liner has sizable presence standing at 6’3″ 190 lbs. and could definitely add some bulk to his frame, making him tougher to play against.

At 23-years old, he looks to be developing pretty much on schedule. He started his pro career in the ECHL with Wheeling Nailers and has played in 71 games in double A, including 17 on their way to the Kelly Cup Eastern Conference Finals.