Rookie Talk: Wheeling Nailers: Atley Calvert

On a cold Sunday afternoon, Olde City Sports sat down with Wheeling Nailer rookie Atley Calvert. Calvert has come into this season after a sensational last season with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL. 

Calvert spent the better parts of five seasons in the WHL playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors. He played in 237 regular season games and tallied 105 goals and 115 assists. In his fourth season with the Warriors, he donned the “A” on his sweater. Calvert speaks on the transition from juniors to pro “I think just the consistency, I think every night you have to be ready to play, whether you feel good or not. You have to show up and play every night. There's been a lot of learning. I think, especially in this league, you play a lot of games in a short amount of time every weekend. You have to take advantage of your practice time when you get it. You have to be pretty dialed into the whole year.”

On January 22nd, 2025, Calvert was named ECHL All-Star along with teammates Sergei Murashov and Chris Ortiz. He speaks on what it is like to be named one of the All-Stars: “Yeah, it's pretty cool. There are a lot of guys in that room that could have been named. I think however, we have a really good team in there. Every night, someone new steps up. So, it's definitely cool, but at the end of the day, it's just a product of the team.” 

Hat tricks are not easy to come by for any player, but to have your first professional hat trick in your rookie season and within the first month of your rookie season, is a confidence booster. He speaks on what it was like playing against the goaltender he played in juniors. “That was pretty cool. The Fort Wayne goalie, I actually grew up with playing junior, so to do it against him was kind of it was kind of cool. It was definitely something that I'll remember forever.”

Signing the first professional contract is a big moment for any player, and Calvert signed his first AHL contract on June 3rd, 2024. “I think it's something you work for your whole life. You take it one step at a time, but you get the opportunity to sign with a great organization like Pittsburgh. It's been awesome so far, and I’m looking forward to keeping it going.”

Calvert was part of the first championship won for the Moose Jaw Warriors in their team history, and he did it against his brother, Rowan. ”That was pretty cool. I played against him quite a bit because we were in the same division, but to do it at the stakes, I don't think we talked for a couple of weeks while that series was going on. To look back at it, it's one of those experiences that, I mean, you grow up and you always want to play with, or against your brother, so it was something that I will definitely remember forever.” 

Learning how to bounce back from tough games is part of the learning process in a player’s rookie year and beyond. Calvert speaks on how he handles those games: “You try to take the positives from it and learn from your mistakes. You can turn a negative into a positive and learn from it, then a good experience to take something from.”

Having veterans on any team is crucial and plays a big role in a rookie’s development and what role they play moving forward. Calvert speaks on what veterans like David Drake, Chris Ortiz, and Matt Koopman have provided for him this year so far: “They've been awesome; I think it's all the young guys in the room. There are quite a few of us who are in our first year, so to have those guys in your corner, learning from them day by day, what they do, and they have been in the league, and they know how it is. They welcomed us with open arms that made us feel at home right away, so that also that also made it made the transition easier.”

Some players watch others and implement their style into their game. Calvert speaks on who he tends to model his own game after: “It was Joe Pavelski and Zach Hyman. I hang out around the nets and trying to make little plays in and around the o-zone and on my own wall. That’s where I score my goals, around the net. I try and take as much as I can from their games and transition it into mine.”

Calvert is currently on recall to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and has one assist during this call-up.

-Sam Wismer/ Olde City Sports Network

Photo Creds: Wheeling Nailers