Wheeling Nailers: A Talk With Rookie Defenseman Phip Waugh
Before a second game against the Cincinnati Cyclones on the weekend, Wheeling Nailers Defenseman Phip Waugh sat down with Olde City Sports Network to talk college, NHL Camp, and more!
The Virginia native defenseman played his collegiate career at Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA, where he majored in Competitive Intelligence with a minor in Cybersecurity. He played three seasons there, dressing in 76 games. He amassed 11 goals and eight assists. “Playing at Mercyhurst was good. I mean, you get that team feel that you also get here. Everything is tight-knit and structured. The main difference to me is just the amount of gameplay that you get compared to Mercyhurst to here. Playing double the amount of games in the same time span is kind of hard, so having to adjust to that, Mercyhurst got me ready to play in pro through structure and team camaraderie. You play Friday and Saturday in college, it's a lot different. Your weeks look a lot different; you're in the weight room more than you are here. A lot more structure in the days, you're going to class. So being a pro is learning to take care of your body on and off the ice cause you have a lot more free time and just having to deal with the travel and the extra games, so just finding a balance.”
Coming out of college and earning an AHL contract is the hope for any player aspiring to turn professional in hockey. Waugh is on a two-year AHL deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He touches on what it was like to sign the first professional contract. “Oh, it was great. Going into my senior year, I just told myself I was gonna have as much fun as I could, and whatever happens happens because I didn't know if it was gonna be my last year playing or if I was gonna pursue pro. So being able to prove to myself that I could go earn an AHL contract was something that I always dreamed of as a kid, as playing pro at a high level, and especially earning a contract that degree with a program like Pittsburgh, was something that I'll always keep with me and I'll always remember.”
Waugh had the incredible opportunity to attend the Pittsburgh Penguins' NHL training camp before being sent to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' training camp, and he soaked in everything from both camps. “Learning from the best there. I mean, that's what it boils down to, being able to talk with Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby, hockey players that will be remembered by everybody in this sport. Being able to ask them questions and seeing what they do on and off the ice. Learning from the coaches, being able to carry that from there to here, helps me every day, whether it be in practice or a game. You can just always fall back on good details like that.”
Going from the AHL to the ECHL, and vice versa, players don’t notice many differences, but they try to take pieces of advice, areas worked on, and continue working on and strengthening them in whichever league they are assigned to. “The ECHL is a great league. I think it gets overlooked a little bit. Obviously, the American League is good. There are a lot of guys who have NHL games in that league, and it's not always easy to just slide in and play a couple of games. It was challenging, but rewarding, and then coming back here, you always wanna take what you learn there and just try and improve every day. You're not gonna just make drastic changes overnight, so just chipping away at the little things. I think that's what they encourage you to do after coming back down. Here I am in the final stretch, I feel really good about my game and just trying to carry that over in the playoffs.”
Most players begin playing, or at least learning, hockey at a young age. Oftentimes, hockey runs in the family, and Waugh is no different when it comes to the family factor. “My brother played, this is about 20 years ago now. It's crazy to think about that, but back when I was like four or five, my brother was just playing, learning to skate, and I would go to the rink and watch him, and next thing I know, I had a pair of skates on as well, and I was out there. Ever since then, I've been at the rink nine, ten months out of the year for the best 20 years.” Every player has their favorite and least favorite aspects of the position they play. Waugh is different because he is listed as a defenseman and a centerman. Waugh enjoys playing both positions.“I'll start with my favorite. My favorite is just being able to control play. I think it all starts with defense. Defense, obviously, you hear, wins championships. So the puck can start in the defensive zone, and if you can play good defense, it leads to good offense, and you can always be a contributor up there, too. Being on defense is great because you can always dictate how the other team is gonna be playing against you. Whether that be being physical, having good tendencies, or moving the puck well, it all starts with defense. I think that's where offense comes from; it starts with defense. My least favorite thing about defense is being told to limit my offensive time or being too aggressive. I play a little bit of forward here and there. I used to play forward back when I was in high school. Here in Wheeling, I play a little forward this year. I just get tossed in the mix up there. He [Head Coach Derek Army] knows I love it, and he knows I love just being able to contribute offensively and not having to worry about defense. So that's my biggest thing about defense is you're the last line of defense, and if you're a liability, nobody can count on you to beat a good defensive player.”
Most players have an off-season training routine, and this past off-season was the first time Waugh took it seriously to prepare for the upcoming season. “This year was actually my first year. I spent the summer in Pittsburgh training with the Penguins' guys and staff. I stayed in Cranberry at one of my buddies' houses and was able to train with the coaches in Pittsburgh. Off ice, on ice, Monday through Friday, five times a week. Watching video, just really taking my off-season seriously for the first time. I don't have much where I'm from in Virginia. There aren't many rinks and stuff. It's mainly just driveway workouts, going to the high school, running the turf, and this year was the first year I really got to hone in on my off-season training, and I think it's paid dividends.”
Being physical is a key part of a defenseman’s game and an attribute that teams look for when recruiting in the AHL and ECHL. “It's huge, especially in this league, if you watch this league, you know how physical it is, there's fights every game, if not every other game. This league is getting bigger and bigger. Same with the American League and the NHL. Teams are looking for size, and with size comes physicality, and if you can be physical, good stick, reliable, you can make a lot of money playing pro hockey. So, really trying to focus on being physical, you don't have to blow guys up, but staying physical and being reliable is a coach's dream.”
Shutting the mind off from the rink and getting away from the game is crucial, especially during the dog days of the season and as the postseason approaches. Waugh touches on what has helped him turn his mind away from the rink during his rookie season. “We got a great group here, so being able to live with all the guys over across the street has been great. Being able to bounce around into rooms, there's not a teammate on this team that isn't my friend, so being able to talk to everybody, really disconnecting your mind from hockey, is huge for me, and it helps that we have a coach that understands that. He played the game. He knows the grind, and he can give us time, like a Monday or a little bit of a lighter day, where we can kind of get to the rink, be here for a short amount of time, and get out, really just disconnect from the game. Helps mentally a lot.”
Waugh joined the Nailers at the tail end of the 2023-2024 season and played in 12 games. During the course of those 12 games, he tallied two assists. He played in a total of four postseason games for the Nailers last year. Waugh has dressed in 34 games for the Wheeling Nailers and tallied three goals and five assists during the season. He played in three games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and tallied one assist. Waugh possesses the tenacity on the ice that is noticeable even when he isn’t, and provides the duality of offense and defense that is not often seen in many players.
-Samantha Wismer/Olde City Sports Network
-Photo Credit/Stacey Grubich/Olde City Sports Network