The ECHL mourns the loss of former Wheeling Nailers' head coach David Gove, who passed away on Thursday.
"We are shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Coach Gove," said Brian Komorowski, Nailers Alternate Governor. "David was a bright, caring person that was admired. His positive contributions to the Nailer organization made the team and staff better. We extend our deepest sympathy to Katie, his young son Cullen, and the rest of his family and friends."
Gove played 54 games in the ECHL as a rookie with Johnstown in 2001-02, scoring 49 points (17g-32a) in 54 games. He spent the bulk of his playing career in the American Hockey League, and also played two games in the National Hockey League with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Gove joined the Nailers as an assistant coach at the start of the 2015-16 season. He was elevated to head coach in December 2015 when Clark Donatelli was promoted to lead the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He served as the Nailers' head coach for the remainder of the 2015-16 season.