Nailers re-sign Daniels

WHEELING, W.Va.- The Wheeling Nailers, ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, announced the team has signed forward Johnny Daniels for the 2017-18 season.

Daniels, 24, came to the Nailers in February last season, and was involved in one of the most memorable moments of the campaign, when he scored a natural hat trick in a span of 57 seconds in a 6-4 victory against the Quad City Mallards on March 11. He totaled 10 points (6g-4a) in 25 games with Wheeling. Prior to his time in Wheeling, Daniels got a brief taste of the ECHL in December, when he suited up in three games with the Atlanta Gladiators.

The Andover, Mass. native has two seasons of professional experience, which includes a significant amount of success in the Southern Professional Hockey League. Daniels posted 66 points (34g-32a) in 80 games over the course of those two years. Before turning pro, Daniels attended St. Anselm College, where he majored in Engineering, while playing four years of college hockey. While with the Hawks, the forward appeared in 91 games, 85 points (38g-47a). His freshman year was his most productive in points, as he had 28, while he lit the lamp 11 times each as a junior and senior.