400 players have used the ECHL as a springboard to reach their eventual goal of playing in the NHL. An incredible statistic when you stop to think about it. All those young, hopeful prospects facing tough odds to play hockey at the very highest level in the world yet over 400 had the talent and work ethic to make it to the top.

And it’s the Wheeling Nailers organization that sets the standard leading all ECHL teams with 38 of their players making it to the NHL. 25 of the NHL’s 30 teams have had a former Nailer skating for them.

Last year no fewer than five different Nailers products debuted in the NHL including three with the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Those five players included Paul Bissonette (PIT), John Curry (PIT), Kurtis McLean (NYI), Cam Paddock (STL) and Tim Wallace (PIT).

Last season’s run began with the popular Paul Bissonnette. He worked hard and improved his fighting abilities in Wheeling and then Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Following a solid pre-season Bissonnette was on the opening day roster for the Pittsburgh Penguins much to the delight of the Nailers fans who cheered for him at WesBanco Arena just a couple short seasons prior. “Biz-Nasty” wasn’t originally expected to make the Penguins but having turned himself from a defenseman to a fighting winger he was able to pull off the surprise of training-camp last year.

“I could do this for 20 years and it would never get old,” Bissonnette said of playing in the big-time. Eventually the dream ended and he was sent back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. But he impressed while he was there fighting toe-to-toe with some pretty tough NHL’ers and is in good shape to make a return trip.

“It’s just like you go day to day and hope you don’t get called into the office today,” Bissonnette said of his stretch in the NHL. “Sure enough it finally happened, but I told them, ‘Thank you for the opportunity.’”

And more players familiar to Nailers fans kept making their way to the NHL in 2008-09. Cam Paddock had played in 114 games for the Nailers from 2004-06. On November 14, 2008 he got a call from Peoria of the AHL and next thing he knew he was in the lineup for the St. Louis Blues against the Chicago Blackhawks. And on top of that he scored a goal in his very first NHL game!

Goalie John Curry made it to the NHL when Marc-Andre Fleury was sidelined with an injury. He appeared in his first NHL game on November 26 and later picked up his first NHL victory on December 11 against the Islanders with 24 saves on 26 shots.

Tim Wallace was next as the former Wheeling Nailer from 2006-07 would get called to the Penguins and make his NHL debut on December 10 at New Jersey while his parents were scrambling as best they could to get there in time to witness the occasion. But they were coming all the way from his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska and Wallace player the whole game not knowing if they would make it or not. They indeed did get there by the 3rd period to watch their son skate a couple shifts in his first NHL game. Wallace not only became the 37th former Nailer to make it to the NHL but also just the 13th native Alaskan to do so.

"I was just in shock really," Wallace told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review about getting the call. "I got some chills, and it's been a pretty exciting couple of days for me. I'm definitely having a great time.”

Then it was 28 year old Kurtis McLean who was called up to the New York Islanders. McLean played for Wheeling from 05-07. Not many Division Three college players make it to the NHL but for the former D-3 Player of the Year at Norwich University his determination made it possible.

“I take pride in the fact that I’ve worked my way up to this level,” McLean told the NY Islanders website. “With my background, I understand that a spot will not just be given to me so I have to work my way up and be ready to take advantage of the opportunities when they come up.”

In just his second game McLean scored his first NHL goal. And it turned out to be the game winner as the Islanders knocked off the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 on January 21st.

And those were just the Nailers making their NHL debuts last year. Several other Nailers have been around the NHL for awhile including goalies Tomas Vokoun and Dany Sabourin, David Koci, Michel Ouellet, Jason Jaffray, Daniel Carcillo and Francis Boullion.
Tomas Vokoun proved himself between the pipes with the Wheeling Thunderbirds in 1995-96 going 20-10-2, 3.67, .881 and since being called up to Nashville in 1998 has played in 512 NHL games over 10 stellar seasons. With 217 wins under his belt he sports an impressive career goals against average in the NHL of 2.56 while he has maintained a dazzling .915 saves percentage.

Francis Boullion leads the way among Nailers position players with 485 NHL games over 10 seasons almost entirely with Montreal. His Wheeling roots can be traced back to 1996-97 when he had 10 goals and 32 assists in 69 games with the Nailers.

Which of the Wheeling Nailers will be next? Only time will tell. But it seems a safe bet that at least one of the players you are watching today will be wearing the uniform of the parent club Pittsburgh Penguins at some point in the future or perhaps that of another organization. Today’s Nailers don’t need to look far for inspiration that the NHL dream really can happen. All they have to do is check out the list of 38 players who preceded them in Wheeling who kept working to get all the way to the top.

George Maneluk (89-90) NY Islanders (90-91)
Kevin Dahl (90-91) Calgary (92-96), Phoenix (97-98), Toronto (98-99), Columbus (00-01)
Frederic Chabot (91-92) Montreal, Philadelphia (93-94), Los Angeles (97-98)
Craig Ferguson (92-93) Montreal (93-96), Phoenix (95-96), Carolina (96-97), Florida (96-97, 99-00)
Wayne Cowley (92-93) Edmonton (93-94)
Darcy Martini (92-93) Edmonton (93-94)
Marc Rodgers (92-93) Chicago (97-98), Detroit (99-00)
Yves Sarault (92-93) Montreal (94-96) Calgary (95-96) Colorado(96-98) OTT (98-00) ATL (00-01) NSH (01-02)
Terry Virtue (92-94, 05-06) Boston (98-99), NY Rangers (99-00),
Marquis Mathieu (93-94, 97-98) Boston (98-01)
Scott Ferguson (94-95) Edmonton (97-98, 00-04), Anaheim (98-99), Minnesota (05-06)
Scott Fraser (94-95) Montreal (95-96), Carolina (96-97), Edmonton (97-98), NY Rangers (98-99)
Patrick Labrecque (94-95) Montreal (95-96)
Marc Lamothe (94-95) Chicago (99-00)
Martin Brochu (95-96, 03-04) Washington (98-99), Vancouver (01-02), Pittsburgh (03-04)
Mark Visheau (95-96) Los Angeles (98-99)
Tomas Vokoun (95-96) Montreal (96-97), Nashville (98-07), Florida (08-09)
Francis Bouillon (96-97) Montreal (99-09)
Jeff Daw (96-97) Colorado (01-02)
Joaquin Gage (96-97) Edmonton (94-96, 00-01)
Mike Minard (96-97) Edmonton (99-00)
David Aebischer (97-98) Colorado (00-06), Montreal (05-07), Phoenix (07-08)
Darcy Verot (99-00) Washington (03-04)
David Koci (01-03) Chicago (06-08), Tampa Bay (08-09), St. Louis (08-09)
Zenon Konopka (02-03) Anaheim (05-06), Columbus (06-08), Tampa Bay (08-09)
Michel Ouellet (02-03) Pittsburgh (05-07), Tampa Bay (07-08), Vancouver (08-09)
Andy Chiodo (03-06) Pittsburgh (03-04),
Drew Fata (03-06) NY Islanders (06-08)
Jason Jaffray (03-05) Vancouver (07-09)
Dany Sabourin (04-05) Calgary (03-04), Pittsburgh (05-06, 07-09), Vancouver (06-07)
Cam Paddock (04-06) St. Louis (08-09)
Pail Bissonnette (05-07) Pittsburgh (08-09)
Daniel Carcillo (05-06) Phoenix (06-08), Philadelphia (08-09)
Kurtis McLean (05-07) New York Islanders (08-09)
Joe Jensen (06-08) Carolina (07-08)
Danny Taylor (06-07) Los Angeles (07-08)
Tim Wallace (06-07) Pittsburgh (08-09)
John Curry (07-08) Pittsburgh (08-09)

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