The ECHL has announced that Wheeling Nailers forward Cédric Desruisseaux has been named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Player of the Month for October.
Desruisseaux, 23, got his third professional season started with a phenomenal road trip, as he collected multiple points in all three of Wheeling’s contests to help the club to a 2-1-0 record. On Opening Night, Cédric snapped a 1-1 tie in the first period, then added another goal as well as an assist, as the Nailers defeated the Cincinnati Cyclones, 4-1. Then, on October 27th, the Warwick, Québec native posted a four-point game with one goal and three assists, as Wheeling cruised past the Kalamazoo Wings, 7-2 on orange ice. His goal tied the contest at two, following a successful 1:57 penalty kill of a 5-on-3. Finally, Desruisseaux dished out two assists on October 28th against the Fort Wayne Komets. Cédric concluded October with three goals, six assists, and nine points in three games.
This is Desruisseaux’s third season with the Nailers, as he was originally acquired in a trade with the Trois-Rivières Lions in March of 2022. Cédric recorded seven points in 11 regular season games at the end of that year, then added a pair of assists in seven playoff clashes. Last season, Desruisseaux led Wheeling in all offensive categories with 30 goals 29 assists, and 59 points, and was one of three players to appear in all 72 regular season games. His second point on Saturday was the 100th of his 128-game professional career between Wheeling, Trois-Rivières, and the AHL’s Laval Rocket.
The ECHL Player of the Month first got awarded during the 1996-97 season, and Desruisseaux is the sixth Wheeling player to win the award. The previous five winners were Steve Gibson (March, 1997), Brendon Hodge (April, 2006), Tommy Goebel (October, 2008), Ben Street (December, 2010), and Cam Brown (December, 2018).
Cédric Desruisseaux and the Wheeling Nailers will begin their home season on Saturday night at 7:10, when they play the first of two games this weekend against the Reading Royals. Opening Night will feature Mad Chad Taylor – the chainsaw juggler, as well as a magnetic schedule giveaway, and the debut of Nail Ale by Big Timber Brewing. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2023-24 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
