ECHL: Wheeling Nailers Advance To North Division Finals

The Wheeling Nailers are headed to the North Division Finals after taking down the Reading Royals in five games. It wouldn’t be easy for the Nailers to finish off the Royals as Game 4 went into OT with Reading avoiding the sweep, and it took 87:53 for Wheeling to score the first and only goal in Game 5. Saturday Night’s game would be the third-longest game in the Nailers franchise history. Nolan Renwick, who scored the game-winner for Wheeling, also scored a double OT game while he was a member of the Maine Black Bears on March 20th, 2025 against Northeastern. Wheeling will face the winner of the Adirondack Thunder and Maine Mariners series.

Taylor Gauthier Leads The Way For Wheeling

Taylor Gauthier was lights out for the Nailers in their opening round series against the Reading Royals. The Calgary, Alberta, native went 4-0-1 with a .071 GAA, .974SV%, and three shutouts during the five-game series. Prior to this series, no Nailer goaltender had more than two career Kelly Cup Playoff shutouts. He allowed just five goals over the course of the five games, which ties the ECHL record for fewest goals allowed in a five-game series. During the regular season, he went 21-9-5 with a 2.09 GAA, 929SV%, and three shutouts in 36 games, while finishing third in voting for Goaltender of the Year.

Team Stats

The Nailers are only one of two teams so far in the Kelly Cup Playoffs to score first in every game during the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Florida scored first in all four games as they swept the Savannah Ghost Pirates in the North Division Finals. Wheeling is one of three teams, along with the Florida Everblades and Fort Wayne Komets, to allow just four goals so far during the Kelly Cup Playoffs.