Wheeling Nailers Rookie Talk: Gabe Klassen
On an early March night after a game against the Belleville Senators, while on a recall to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Gabe Klassen sat down with Olde City Sports Network to talk about juniors, signing the first pro contract, and more.
Klassen hails from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, in Canada. Growing up, he fell in love with the game from watching it on TV to playing for Prince Albert Raiders U15 AA and Prince Albert Mintos U18AAA. Ultimately, playing from a young age was just the driving force to get him where he is today: “I think just growing up in Saskatchewan, in a smaller city, I think every single kid we all just watched hockey growing up. We had a junior team in the city. My dad played a little bit, but nothing too serious. I had a backyard rink. I just fell in love with the game at a young age and kept going all the way.”
Before turning to the pro ranks of hockey, Klassen spent five seasons in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks. During his time there, he dressed in 248 games and notched 118 goals and 147 assists during the regular season. Klassen touches on going from juniors to professional and the transition. “There's a big difference, going from junior to pro. I think just the size and speed of everyone out there. It’s obviously a big step up, so it took a little bit to adjust, but I think I've done a good job, and I am starting to get more comfortable.” In the post-season with the Winterhawks, Klassen suited up for 38 games and tallied 12 goals with 19 assists. He learned what to take with him from those post-season games to apply to the professional post-season. “Just that you don’t want to have any regrets. I think the biggest thing is just making sure you leave everything on the line every day and make sure that you come to the rink, do your work, and put your best foot forward every day.”
During the course of the 2021-2022 season, Klassen donned the “A”, and during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons, He wore the “C” for the Winterhawks. “It was an honor and a great organization I played for. To be able to wear a letter and lead that team. It was an honor each year I had it.”
In the early days of Klassen’s WHL career, he played with players like Seth Jarvis, Carolina Hurricanes Forward, and Nick Cicek, former AHL player for the San Jose Barracuda. Klassen touches on what playing with them was like and what it meant to have them in terms of guidance. “I think a lot. You name those two guys, but there are so many others that I could just watch and follow in their footsteps. I learned from them every single day. Just seeing how much work they put in to get to where they are now is something that I think motivates everyone on the team to kind of chase after them.”
Klassen was signed to an AHL contract in June of 2024 by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and earned his first recall to the club on February 27th, 2025. Klassen touches on what it was like to sign his first professional contract. “Yeah, it was pretty cool. Last year we had a couple of guys on the team that were kind of waiting to see if something would happen at the end of the year and then there were a couple of guys that were fortunate enough to be able to sign and uh it was a pretty cool moment just to realize that I'm gonna have a chance to play hockey for a job.”
All players play to their strengths that they have on and off of the ice. Klassen touches on what he thinks is his biggest strength: “I think my hockey IQ has been something I've seen as my biggest strength. Going from junior to now. I think it's obvious when the speed of the game moves up; I think having a good understanding and high IQ helps you move forward. I think I'll just keep continuing to grow with that area and see where it takes me.”
Communication on a team is the biggest factor in team cohesion. Players have to be able to communicate on and off the ice. Klassen, being a forward, touches on communication with his linemates, especially while on the ice during the games. “I think it's huge. Communication is obviously one of the biggest things. Just knowing, obviously, you gotta try to have your head up as much as you can, but lots of times you can't. If your linemates are talking and let you know if you have pressure not where they are, can sometimes, a lot of the time, be a difference in having a good chance or not.”
Klassen has dressed in 66 games for the Wheeling Nailers thus far this season. He has tallied 19 goals with 24 assists. During his recent recall to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he played in two games with no points accumulated. Klassen talks on what his favorite aspect of being a forward is “I think scoring goals is obviously the biggest thing, and then helping your team win your kind of the two areas that if you can score & contribute, any way you can, that ultimately leads to a team win at the end of the day.”
Klassen’s shooting, ability to support down low, and ability to see the passing lanes have made him an asset to the Wheeling Nailers this season. It is possible that he will serve in the AHL next season.
-Samantha Wismer/ Olde City Sports Network
-Photo Credit: Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins & Samantha Wismer/ OCSN