Dear Coach:
We heard what Pens coach Mike Sullivan said about you. And he’s right; your players play for you. Not every coach can say that, but most coaches haven’t played the game like you did and there’s no way they’ve lived a hockey life like you’ve lived your life in hockey.
That’s because you experienced THAT moment as a child when it all clicked into a love affair and a way of life, and since you made your first trip to little ole Wheeling to play for the Nailers 11 years ago, you’ve become THE fan favorite, and you’re now the winningest coach in franchise history. After last night’s 6-3 win over Reading – your fourth consecutive victory – the team became only the sixth in Wheeling hockey history to record 40 or more wins in the regular season.
The success is the product of the “No Excuses” culture you nurture, and that’s because you didn’t make many excuses for yourself on the ice. You played the hardest of anyone and you won and you lost, but you were never defeated because of a lack of effort. As a player and a coach, you’ve always done everything possible on and off the ice, and you expect the same from your players.
That’s the “Nailer way,” and it’s you who made it that way.
We see you. Thank you. Now, let’s make a run.
Sincerely,
The Nailers Army
(Cover photo by Joe Lovell)
