ECHL All-Rookie Team selection Schulze re-signs with Nailers

WHEELING, W.Va - The Wheeling Nailers, ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, announced the team has re-signed defenseman Kevin Schulze to a contract for the 2017-18 season.

Schulze, 24, is coming off of the most productive season for a rookie defenseman in team history, as he piled up 13 goals, 47 assists and 60 points in 68 games. He accumulated multiple points in 17 games, including a career-high four points on Education Day against Brampton, which followed up a three-point performance in the previous contest.

The White Bear Lake, Minn. native received league recognition for his phenomenal first season, as he was selected to represent the Nailers at the ECHL All-Star Classic, in addition to being named to the All-ECHL Second Team and ECHL All-Rookie Team. He is the fourth player in team history to earn two end-of-season honors from the league. Schulze's 60-point season ranks third in team history for a defenseman. The rookie blueliner also appeared in one AHL game with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

One of eight players on the 2016-17 roster who also played for the 2016 Eastern Conference Champion squad, Schulze got his first taste of professional hockey at the end of the 2015-16 campaign, when he suited up in three regular season games and eight postseason contests. Prior to turning pro, he attended the University of Wisconsin for four years. Over the course of his college career, the reliable defenseman appeared in 148 games, totaling 46 points (10g-36a). He scored four goals in a season twice, while his 16-point campaign as a sophomore was his most productive overall.