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It was Oct. 18, 1992, when the Wheeling Thunderbirds, recently relocated from Winston-Salem, N.C., played its inaugural East Coast Hockey League matchup at what was then known as the Wheeling Civic Center. The game featured the Thunderbirds versus the Dayton Bombers, with the Thunderbirds winning, 9-3. Tim Roberts scored the franchise's first goal. Marc Rodgers had its first hat trick.
That first season turned into a magical one for the Thunderbirds, as the team made it to the Riley Cup Finals, falling in six games to the Toledo Storm.
Much took place in the ensuing 29 years for the franchise, including adoption of a new name -- the Wheeling Nailers; a rebranding of the league to the ECHL; and a two-decades long affiliation with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Local fans during that time have had the opportunity to watch 59 future NHL players skate in Wheeling. Professional hockey has become an integral part of our community.
Tonight, the Nailers kick off their 30th season in Wheeling when they face off against longtime rival the Fort Wayne Komets. If you're free and looking for a fun and affordable night out, it's well worth your time.
Our story on today's front page highlights many of the franchise's memorable moments, along with the players and coaches who have skated at what now is WesBanco Arena. What we believe also is important to highlight are the efforts of many people and groups over the years to keep hockey viable in Wheeling. Over 29 years, the team has hosted more than 3 million fans for Nailers hockey. Those are people who have parked and possibly had dinner downtown.
That's money that was put into the local economy that otherwise may have been spent elsewhere.
The owners have been Ed Broyhill, 1992-96; the investment group Slapshot, 1996-2003; Rob and Jim Brooks, 2003-12; and The Hockey Club of the Ohio Valley, 2012-present. The Hockey Club of the Ohio Valley is jointly managed by the Regional Economic Development Partnership and the Wheeling Area Hockey Association. Both groups saved the team from leaving Wheeling at the end of the 2012 season.
So get ready for slapshots, fistfights, hat tricks and saves as the Nailers take the ice tonight.
We hope you'll join us in thanking the team -- its owners, coaches, players, staff members and especially its fans -- for 29 memorable years in the books and the start of year 30 of Hockey Night in Wheeling.