📍 Wheeling, West Virginia
🏒 Home of the Wheeling Nailers

The oldest active hockey organization outside of the NHL and AHL, the Wheeling Nailers are one of the most fabled franchises in the minor leagues. Founded in 1977 as the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds, the team is one of the charter members of the ECHL and arrived in the city of Wheeling, West Virginia in 1992. As the only minor league team in the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area, the Nailers have been affiliated with the Penguins since 1998.

Nail City

Wheeling, located in the Northern Panhandle of the Mountain State, is situated along the Ohio River and served as a manufacturing and transportation hub until the time of World War II. Iron mills were prevalent in the area for a time in the 1800s, producing items such as nails, leading to the town’s nickname of the “Nail City.”

The city suffered severe population decline in the post-war era, but revitalization efforts are underway to restore glory to the city. Downtown is full of architecturally beautiful buildings – some dating to the 19th century – as well as the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, which opened in 1849 and was the longest suspension bridge in the world upon its completion. The bridge served as a vital link in the National Road and was an inspiration for the Brooklyn Bridge.

Wheeling Civic Center

With a population that continues to decline to this day – albeit a slower decline than in decades past – a local arena and civic center for the city of Wheeling was not an inherently popular idea when it was first proposed in 1973. However, its construction was pushed through and the Wheeling Civic Center was completed in 1977. The venue sits on the site of an old train depot and has been renovated many times over the years to keep up with modern day demands. Since 2003, the Civic Center has been called WesBanco Arena.

The arena is a blend of old and new, featuring vintage hallways and staircases alongside a sparkling glass and metal atrium. Windows overlooking the Ohio River and the iconic Suspension Bridge are located throughout the concourse. Also on display in each of the arena’s four corners are murals commemorating moments in Wheeling’s history, including the defense of Fort Henry during an attempted British takeover in 1782.

On the hockey front, WesBanco Arena has a smaller than regulation ice sheet due to size constraints caused by the layout of the seating bowl. Since the facility wasn’t initially built or designed for hockey, there are a few quirks; however, a lot of these have been eliminated or improved in recent renovations.

Some of the latest upgrades to the arena include brand new seats, the much-needed replacement of the ice system and a modern lobby area. Some snazzy loge boxes and suite areas have also been added in recent years.

Ohio Valley Athletic Conference

WesBanco Arena also has a dual function, serving as a museum for the nation’s largest high school athletic organization, the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference. A multitude of trophy and memorabilia cases are scattered around the concourses, highlighting pivotal moments and the crowning achievements of the region’s high school sports teams. There’s even a helmet wall that features every high school football team in the conference. The OVAC Sports Museum covers nearly every wall of the arena, leaving no empty spaces.

The walls are also covered with history from the city of Wheeling and the region at large, including the City of Wheeling Hall of Fame and the West Virginia Sports Writers Hall of Fame. Baseball Hall of Famers Phil Niekro and Bill Mazeroski, who were both born and raised in the Wheeling area, have their own dedicated showcases as well.

Of course, it all wouldn’t be complete without the Wheeling Nailers Hall of Fame, to which a few of the hockey greats who have played in Nail City are inducted, such as Peter Laviolette and Paul Bissonnette.

Gameday in Wheeling

Perhaps the Nailers’ biggest claim to fame is their ear-splitting goal horn. The loudest in the ECHL, the horn is a Kahlenberg T3 and is mounted to the wall in the south end of the arena. It’s played after every Nailers goal, of course, as well as after a home team win and during player introductions. It’s blasted throughout the seating bowl as the Nailers take to the ice through their inflatable Suspension Bridge in what might also be the best player entrance in the league.

See the horn and inflatable bridge in action below:

Keep your ears open throughout the game, as other unique noises will also be happening. The sound of a nail being struck is played periodically, and even the Zamboni that resurfaces the ice during intermissions is equipped with what appears to be a legitimate car horn. Oh, and you can’t miss the playing of John Denver’s “Country Roads” after every Nailers win.

And let’s not forget the food! An arena that is so incredible on every other front certainly isn’t bereft of amazing concession offerings. There are so many options – like kielbasa, steak hoagies and even a donut cart – but one stands out above the rest: Tito’s Sloppy Doggs. A Wheeling institution with a permanent location just a few blocks from the arena, Tito’s has over a dozen hot dog varieties to choose from, most of which include their famous chili sauce.

The Best Experience in the ECHL

Tucked away in unassuming Wheeling, West Virginia, you’ll find what is almost certainly the best experience in minor league hockey. Night after night, the Wheeling Nailers provide the best entertainment for the best price in the most unique building in the ECHL. The Nailers are proud to have called the city home for more than thirty years and are hopefully here to stay for a long time to come.

Info Invasion

Must Eat: Get a sloppy dog at Tito’s – and don’t forget the chili sauce!
Parking: $5 in the giant parking deck across the street
Nearby Venue(s): PPG Paints Arena, Wild Things Park
In the Area: Oglebay Institute Glass Museum
Other Notes: Stay at the Hampton Inn in Wheeling, which has a free shuttle that takes you to and from every Nailers home game