Curtiss Patrick - One of three returning defenders from last season.  He played 38 games in a Nailers uniform, registering 4 points 1G, 3A) and 129 PIMS.  He also played 10 games in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, registering 2 points (0G,2A) This marks Curtiss's 4th season with the team.  He'll provide plenty of physical play along the boards.

Paul Bissonnette -  Back for his third season in a Nailer uniform, Bissonnette will provide plenty of toughness along the blue line, as well as providing some scoring chances from there also.  Enjoyed career numbers with Wheeling last season playing 65    games and scoring 42 points (10G, 32A)

Chris Brooks - The Yale grad enters his second season with the Nailers. Last season he scored 3 points (0G,3A) in 49 games.

Lane Manson - 6'9" 250lbs, played last season with Dayton before being signed in the offseason by Pittsburgh (NHL). Known more for his size than his shot, Manson will provide the Nailers with plenty of strength.

Chris Snavely - A speedy, quick defenseman who added that dimension to the Michigan State Spartan defensive corps.  Snavely finished his college career with 43 points (7G, 36A) in 132 games.

Jeremy Swanson - Split time last season with Florida (ECHL) and Rochester (AHL).
Played 16 games with Florida scoring 3 points (0G, 3A) and 41 PIM. Played 47 games in Rochester adding 2 points (0G,2A) and 47 PIM.

Seamus Young - Played 72 games last season with Victoria (ECHL) scored 22 points (9G  ,13A)  Will provide the defense with some decent offensive numbers.

Todd Spencer - Rookie, invited to try out after playing for Sacred Heart.

Alright everyone, here's your chance to show the world who the best Nailer fan is...

This Friday when the Nailers take on the Reading Royals, we're holding a sign contest.  This is the last time we see Reading at Wes Banco Arena for a while so lets make them good!  

The winner will not only be the numero uno fano (yes that's spanish), but they'll have their sign be the "defult picture" on this site and be #1 on our top 24 friends list as well.  

The WBS Penguins recalled LW Joe Jensen and RW Tim Wallace from Wheeling. That's a hard pill to swallow. Both players have been pretty amazing this season. Jensen has been averaging at least a point per game. With WBS's lineup looking thin due to callups and injuries I'd expect to see them looking for a defenseman too. However we're pretty thin in that department too with the departure of Fernholm and the injury to Patrick.

Some well known facts about Mario Larocque.

If you have any more just add them below. There are just too many for me to cover at this time without Mario Larocque breating down my neck.

Mario Larocque is not hung like a horse... horses are hung like Mario Larocque.

Mario Larocque is ten feet tall, weighs two-tons, breathes fire, and could eat a hammer and take a shotgun blast standing.

Mario Larocque once served penalty minutes in a celebrity softball game.

Mario Larocque now drives an ice cream truck covered in the human skulls of the people who made fun of him for driving an ice cream truck.

A Mario Larocque slapshot brought down the Berlin Wall.

The quickest way to a man's heart is with Mario Larocques' fist.

Mario Larocque doesn't use a Mach3 razor... he uses a rusted pair of skate blades.

Police label anyone fighting Mario Larocque as a Code 45-11.... a suicide.

Mario Larocque won the 1994 & 1995 WWF Royal Rumble.

Mario Larocque doesn't churn butter. He punches the cows in the utter and the butter comes straight out.

Mario Larocque will attain statehood in 2011. His state flower will be Marc Andre Fluery.

Mario Larocque names his haymakers. His last one was named Katrina.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool Mario Larocque once and he will punch you in the face.

Mario Larocque can smoke two packs of cigarettes with one match.

Mario Larocque wears hockey skates to funerals.

If you spell Mario Larocque in Scrabble, you win. Forever.

Mario Larocque can speak braille.

One time, Mario Larocque hit a guy so hard that the guy went one week into the future...and Larocque was there to punch him when he got there.

Mario Larocque lost his virginity before his own father did.

It was Mario Larocque who invented the internet... not Al Gore.

Mario Larocque can curve the blade of his stick just by looking at it.

Bo Cheesman and Andy Franck win the Fav. Nailer poll with 7 votes a piece.
Sean Collins finished second with 6 votes.
Joe Jensen (5) Kurtis McLean (3) Jordan Cameron (2) & Ned Havern (1)

The Wheeling Nailers open up at home in two nights and today they were assigned a rookie forward from their AHL affiliate.

Joe Jensen played for St. Cloud State last season, where picked up 32 points in 38 games, with 14g and 18 asst.

The Wheeling Nailers home opener is this Friday night when we take on Johnstown. Tickets are still available. However, they're going fast.

In other news, it was announced today that defenseman Curtiss Patrick was signed to a PTO with the WBS Penguins.