Wheeling Nailers: 2024-2025 Season Review
Season Record:
The Wheeling Nailers started the 2024-2025 season off strong and ended the same way, despite being eliminated in Game 5 of Round 1 against the Norfolk Admirals of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Nailers ended the 2024-2025 season with a 43-25-3-1 record. This was the sixth time in Wheeling’s history that they have reached 40 + wins in a season. The team ended the year with a 0.625 percent and was 11th in the ECHL for PIMS with 961.
Season Storylines:
It’s Raining Teddies:
On November 30th, 2024, Kyle Jackson netted a goal at 4:12 of the first period to score his seventh goal on the season, which in turn let the teddy bears fly. This was a record-breaking year for Wheeling as they had 2,327 teddy bears collected. The Nailers donate the stuffed animals and teddy bears to the Salvation Army of Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel, and Tyler Counties in West Virginia.
Voice Of The Games:
DJ Abisalih has been the voice of the Wheeling Nailers since October of 2011. He has seen the league change, been at the helm of the broadcast booth, and has developed many relationships with many players and still remembers most, if not all, of them to this day. On November 30th, 2024, DJ called his 1000th game when the team faced off against the Cincinnati Cyclones at WesBanco Arena. DJ holds and wears many hats for the Nailers during the year.13 Game Winning Streak
The Nailers started on a 13-game winning streak on November 9th, 2024, with a win against the Trois-Riveres Lions, 4-3, and ended with a 4-0 shutout on December 20th against the Toledo Walleye. This win streak was the longest in Wheeling Nailers history. Goaltender Sergei Murashov was between the pipes for eight of the 13 games, leading to the longest win streak for a rookie goaltender in ECHL history.Derek Army- History Setting Coach
After becoming Head Coach of the Wheeling Nailers in 2021, Head Coach Derek Army earned his 148th win this season on March 29th, 2025. Army stated the following on becoming the Winningest Head Coach in Nailers History: “I knew going into the year, I was aware of everything, and to be honest, I was trying to put it at the back of my mind and just worry about everything going on. It was always there, always thinking about it, and DJ would always remind me; my wife reminds me of it. It was something that in this organization, with the history that it has, it's not a five-year organization. This is a long time organization. You go through the list of coaches that have been here; it's a special list. So, as it came about, it was very special thinking about just how much I love this organization. Now it is one that I'll kind of probably more digest after the season ends, but for right now, all I can say is how much I love this sort of organization to be a top of that is pretty significant and special.” Army moved into first place, pushing ahead of Clark Donatelli for Most Wins.
Notable Players:
MVP:
Jordan Martel:
Martel came to the Nailers in the way of a trade from the Utah Grizzlies in the 2023-2024 season. Martel has proven himself to be a valuable player on and off the ice. Martel earned a call-up to the AHL Chicago Wolves and played in 11 games for the Wolves, amassing four goals. During his time with the Nailers this season, Martel played in 56 games, totaling 16 goals with 31 assists. Five of those goals were game-winning goals, and one of those goals was an overtime goal.
Matt Koopman:
Koopman returned to Wheeling for his third professional season and made it known that he is a valuable asset to the team. Koopman is known for his innate ability to come in clutch when the team needed him most, with one of those game winners coming in his hometown area when playing the Worcester Railers in January 2025. Four goals came as game winners, and two goals were overtime goals.
Season To Remember:
Chris Ortiz:
Chris Ortiz had a season to remember for a lifetime. Ortiz suited up in 45 games for Wheeling, amassing five goals and 34 assists. He earned multiple call-ups to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, playing in one game and then earning a call-up and AHL contract for the remainder of the 2024-2025 season with the Providence Bruins. He has played in 23 regular-season games with the Bruins, totaling seven assists. Ortiz has suited up in five postseason appearances for the Bruins, thus far, in the 2024-2025 season. Ortiz earned the ECHL Mid-Season Defenseman All-Star award for the Nailers.
Most Improved:
Louie Roehl:
Louie Roehl returned for his third season of professional hockey in Wheeling. In the previous season, 2023-2024, Roehl played in 54 games and tallied one goal with eight assists. Roehl exploded defensively this year and is one of the only players to play in all 72 games, plus five postseason games, totaling five goals and 20 assists in the regular season, and one assist in the postseason. Roehl earned the title of Captain on February 28th, 2025.
Record-Breaking Season:
Kyle Jackson:
Kyle Jackson is one player on the Nailers squad who had a breakout season in the 2024-2025 season. Jackson is on an AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but spent the majority of the season in Wheeling. Jackson played for the Kansas City Mavericks in the 2023-2024 season, where he dressed in 53 games and tallied 14 goals and 30 assists. Coming to Wheeling, he dressed in 67 games this season and amassed 27 goals and 25 assists, which is a career year for Jackson. Jackson dressed in all five post-season games for the Nailers, tallying two assists. He earned a call-up to Wilkes-Barre and dressed in two games.
Tough As A Nailer:
Matt Quercia
Matt Quercia is known for his toughness on the ice. Quercia placed third in the ECHL for PIMS with 188, coming in behind Kelly Bent of the Orlando Solar Bears and Nico Blachman of the Iowa Heartlanders. Quercia dressed in 68 games and notched 20 goals with 13 assists. Quercia also dressed in all five post-season games, notching two assists. Physicality and skating are Quercia’s biggest attributes that have bode him well with Wheeling: “It's the biggest thing for me, I think, creating that space, mentally and physically. I think just laying the body on guys early and making sure they know I'm coming after them on the forecheck, and I think that's the biggest thing. If I’m not being physical, I’m not doing my job.”
Best Rookie:
Atley Calvert
Atley Calvert came to Wheeling after being reassigned by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after training camp. Calvert played in 38 games for Wheeling before receiving a call-up to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in January. During the 38-game span, Calvert collected 13 goals and 23 assists. When recalled, Calvert played in 26 games and totaled nine goals and five assists. He also dressed in the two playoff games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Reflecting back on this past season and post-season, it had it’s shares of ups and downs, milestones achieved, and it was a season for the history books.
-Samantha Wismer/ Olde City Sports Network
- Photo Credit: Wheeling Nailers
- Photo Credit: Stacey Grubich/Olde City Sports Network