The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, have announced their 2021 Protected List.
Teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided the players protected meet the guidelines as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association which state that teams shall retain the rights to each player that:
1. Signed an SPC in 2020-21 with the Member, and has not been traded or released, OR
2. Signed an SPC in 2020-21, and was recalled to the NHL/AHL or IIHF team, and has not been traded or released, OR
3. Had received a Qualifying Offer last summer for the current Season, DID NOT sign an SPC, and has not been traded or released, OR
4. Has been suspended by the Member or League, and has not been traded or released, OR
5. Signed an SPC on or after the first day of the 2020-21 Regular Season, then subsequently signed an NHL/AHL contract, and has not been traded or released, OR
6. Has executed the ECHL Retirement Form, and has not been traded or released.
Any Player who had originally signed with one of the 12 Teams not participating in the 2020-21 Season, and went on to sign with one of the 2020-21 Active Teams, shall have his Player Rights revert back to the original Member Team’s Protected List. Any Player who was issued a Qualifying Offer by a Member that elected Pandemic Voluntary Suspension, but never signed the Qualifying Offer, shall be declared a Free Agent for the 2021-22 Season. Any Player signed as an Amateur prior to the 2020-21 Season (i.e. straight out of college or juniors with zero pro experience) whose Member Team elected to take Pandemic Voluntary Suspension, and who subsequently did not play in the ECHL during the 2020-21 Season, may be voluntarily omitted from his Member’s Protected List without penalty.
The Wheeling Nailers Protected List consists of the following 30 players:
F Matt Alfaro
F Cam Brown
F Jared Cockrell
F Lawton Courtnall
F Tim Doherty
F Tyler Drevitch
F Brad Drobot
D Chad Duchesne
D Matt Foley
F Austin Fyten
G Louis-Philip Guindon
F Brendan Harris
F Garet Hunt
D Steve Johnson
F Sean Josling
F Jackson Keane
G Taran Kozun
D Shane Kuzmeski
D Jesse Lees
D Dylan MacPherson
D Patrick McNally
D Matt Miller
D Michael Prapavessis
F Jacob Pritchard
F Ryan Roth
D Adam Smith
D Aaron Thow
F Brady Tomlak
F Patrick Watling
F Joshua Winquist
This is the first key date for ECHL teams in June. The next two key dates are July 5th, when all future considerations trades must be completed, then July 8th, when Season Ending Rosters are due.
