Wheeling Nailers last season?

[K2]

I saw an article last week on another website that said that the owner of the Nailers just purchased the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL. They are looking to relocate the Phantoms to another market, possibly Reading or somewhere in New Jersey. The purchase of the Phantoms just might spell the end of the Nailers. Would he relocate the Phantoms to Wheeling or Youngstown?

No. Those two markets could never support an AHL team. Furthermore, the Brookses have expressed a desire to place the team in Allentown pending the completion of a proposed new arena

[whgnailer10]

The Phantoms are moving to Lehigh Valley.

[pens#1]

The Phantoms are moving to Lehigh Valley.

the Lehigh Valley just opened a baseball park for the Iron pigs which so far has been a success, there has been a lot of talk about the Phantoms coming here. Last i heard its either Atlantic city or Lehigh Valley for the Phantoms

[K2]

One buddy at work who is a season ticket holder said a few weeks ago word is the Nailers are going to fold soon.

Sorry. That's BS. I'm a season ticket holder also. Nailers are committed to playing the 09-10 season in Wheeling and have already reserved arena dates for next season. Beyond that though, is anyone's guess.

Two ECHL teams folded mid-season this year. If they can't make payments, they can't play. There's no such thing as a "commitment" per se, only acting in good faith that they hope to remain afloat and in Wheeling

[Nailers]

The purchase of the AHL team by the Nailers owners just solidifies the Nailers in Wheeling. They are going to run both teams under 1 entity. The Nailers attendance has improved. They are now averaging about 2800. Last Saturday, they had 5400 at the game. Wheeling is a proven market where they know that they will get at least 2500/game. There is a reason that there is no hockey in Youngstown. My guess is that it is because of he administration in Youngstown. The mayor seems like a scheyster. When word got out that the Nailers may move to Youngstown, the GM of the arena in Wheeling got 10 calls from people that were interested in putting a team here. With or without the Nailers, there will be hockey in Wheeling.

[Bathgate]

There is no arena in Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton metro area). I don't think they could have one ready until 2011 at the earliest. I'm guessing that the Philadelphia Phantoms will move to Reading, PA permanently. It has an AHL-sized arena and AHL-sized population and would be a great rival to Hershey, Wilkes-Barre, and Binghamton. The current Reading Royals of the ECHL might very well end up in Youngstown (once again my guess; no inside knowledge). If that happens, Wheeling would gain another close natural rival next year. Toledo returns next year in a new arena. They will also be a good rival to Wheeling, as they were before. So, with the Nailers gaining two new rivals and assuming Johnstown stays in the league, three nearby rivals (instead of one) could help save the Nailers. The close rivals might also help Youngstown be successful. Having home games against Wheeling, Toledo, and Johnstown would surely be more interesting than having Shreveport and Rio Grande Valley as visitors.

[K2]

Ah Brooks Brothers...they have fine suits

No need to get so heated, my friend

[DelPen]

The intent is for the Phantoms to move to Allentown eventually when they build an arena but Allentown has been trying to build a sport arena for what seems like a decade now and they never got it going.

I thought I read they were going to go to upstate NY until they sorted everything out. Baltimore would make sense, then try to negotiate with the Caps to bring their team back there then the Flyers could take over Hershey.

[Gage18]

Ah Brooks Brothers...they have fine suits

No need to get so heated, my friend

They are good people. They are always smiling and would go out of their way to help me out!

[jimjom]

I defintiely think the Nailers are going to move within the next 2 seasons.

[K2]

Yesterday the Dayton Bombers and Mississippi Seawolves suspended operations and the Phoenix Roadrunners folded. Tough times in the E

[JS©]

The Chiefs are also very close to folding/moving..

and the sad thing is it's because of the people who run the arena and not ownership.

[K2]

Last time I talked to my buddy at work, he said that he would be shocked if their was a Nailer season next year, he did say at best they would re-locate.

The time window isn't big enough for them to relocate. They'd have to suspend operations for a season and resurface the following season.

The Chiefs are also very close to folding/moving..

Sounds like a movie I know...who own da Chiefs?

[K2]

I'm certainly not suggesting anything but I came across something that piqued my interest a little bit. Here's the jerseys for the new ECHL team in Toledo, the Walleye. Check out their "throwback" jersey...perhaps we've found a candidate for an ECHL affiliate if the Nailers were to go under? http://toledomudhens.stores.yahoo.net/adwaje.html

I'm sure there's nothing to be surmised from this, just thought it was a little interesting. That's a cool name for a team and slick logo though

[jimjom]

I hope for Wheeling's sake the Nailers survive. To have the Wesbanco Arena sit empty for 50 dates a year that hockey could be played is even more depressing to that area.

[Bathgate]

The Nailers just hosted three playoff games against the Cincinnati Cyclones. Each one drew less than 2,000 fans.

[Jim]

How do you win 6-0 one game then lose the next? Darn! I was going to go to a game if they made it tothe next round. For some reason I thought that they did NOT make the playoffs so I did not realize that they had a couple home games last week.

[K2]

How do you win 6-0 one game then lose the next?

See "Pirates, Pittsburgh. 2009"

[jimjom]

I was hoping to get to go to a playoff game but I guess that's not going to happen.

Maybe I'll just go to Wheeling now in order to ge Tim Hortons.

And to visit the inlaws but the Tim Hortons mostly.

[K2]

There's a Tim Horton's in Wheeling? I thought the nearest two were Columbus and Erie. Oh well...I'll settle for Dunkin' Donuts here

[jimjom]

There's a Tim Horton's in Wheeling? I thought the nearest two were Columbus and Erie. Oh well...I'll settle for Dunkin' Donuts here

Yep, it's right near the Hardee's, Arby's, Sheetz, and that sports bar with the Nailers logo all lit up on it. I'm not sure which road, but it's fairly close to the city.

[Nailer_Fan]

Im a season ticket holder for the Nailers.. Glad to see some Pens fans from the 'Burgh came down to a few games this season. Im new to the board here.. so about the Nailers losing that 1st rd.. I was in Cincy for Games 6 and 7.. and After they destroyed the Cyclones in Game 6.. I had hopes for Game 7, but it came down to poor defense.. and Darling could only stop so many re-bounds by the 3rd rebound Syroczyski had an open net and scored.. Ah well still an ok year.

Hope u see some more Pens fans down there next season

[Bathgate]

It's apparently official that the Phila Phantoms are moving to Glens Falls and that Youngstown is getting a USHL junior team. I still think the logical action would have been the Phantoms to Reading with the ECHL Reading Royals moving to Youngstown. My guess is that people in Reading did not want to change leagues. There's going to be problems with all of that. Youngstown did not support their current junior team (NAHL) and they will have a hard time building rivalries, with all the other USHL teams being too far away. Glens Falls is too small for AHL and the arena is too old with no luxury boxes or club seats. It's also practically a suburb of Albany which already has an AHL team.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

I think the Phantoms are only moving to Glens Falls temporarily until an arena is built in Allentown or Bethlehem, and then the team will move there.

[Bathgate]

I think the Phantoms are only moving to Glens Falls temporarily until an arena is built in Allentown or Bethlehem, and then the team will move there.

Gov Rendall recently said there is no State money available for an arena in the Allentown area. It will probably be years before they get one. Heck, the population of the area has always been plenty large enough to support a moderately big arena, yet they were never able to get one built. Looks like that will continue.