Wheeling has a proud hockey heritage that dates back to 1992, when the Wheeling Thunderbirds came to town.
Many players have passed through the team over the years, either on their way to the NHL or elsewhere.
Last Saturday, goaltender Brandon Halverson became the 69th former Nailer/Thunderbird to reach the National Hockey League after playing in Wheeling.
Halverson got the starting nod for the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night against the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center.
Halverson played in four games for the Nailers during the 2020-21 season, as he unfortunately had his season end prematurely due to injury. Wheeling was one of five ECHL teams he suited up for over the course of six seasons. The most recent of those was 2023-24, when he was a member of the Orlando Solar Bears.
The Traverse City, Michigan native played four games against the Nailers last season, as he won twice at Kia Center, while Wheeling got the upper hand in the two matches at WesBanco Arena.
The 28-year old has eclipsed the 100 games played mark in both the ECHL and the American Hockey League, as he has gone 46-55-11 in 118 ECHL contests and 41-41-15 in exactly 100 AHL games.
Halverson is currently enjoying the best season of his career, as he was named to the 2024-25 AHL All-Star Game, thanks to a 16-9-8 mark with the Syracuse Crunch. His 2.32 goals against average ranks eighth in the AHL, while his .913 save percentage is tied for 11th.
This was not the first NHL game for Halverson, who was drafted by the New York Rangers in the second round (59th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft. He made his debut on Feb. 17, 2018 with the Rangers in Ottawa. That makes him the fourth of the 69 former Nailers/Thunderbirds to make his NHL debut before coming to Wheeling and return to the NHL after playing for the Nailers. The previous three were Luca Caputi, Joaquin Gage, and Dany Sabourin.
Halverson made 19 saves on 25 shots Saturday night for Tampa Bay in a 6-4 defeat against Utah.
The Nailers will host the Cincinnati Cyclones for Frosty Friday at WesBanco Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:10 Pm ET.