Nailers agree to terms with Stevens

WHEELING, W.Va. - The Wheeling Nailers, ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, announced the team has signed defenseman Alex Stevens to a contract for the 2021-22 season.Stevens, 24, is set to begin his professional career, after playing four seasons of college hockey at Penn State University. He began to make his mark with the Nittany Lions as a sophomore, as he appeared in 35 of the team's 39 games and recorded 11 points, including his first collegiate goal. During his junior year, Penn State was the Big Ten regular-season champion. Stevens also excelled in the classroom, as he was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree three years in a row.Prior to his time with the Nittany Lions, the Plymouth, Minnesota native played parts of three seasons of junior hockey in the United States Hockey League with the Green Bay Gamblers, Sioux Falls Stampede and Dubuque Fighting Saints. His best season of juniors came in 2016-17, when he amassed 25 points during the regular season, then tacked on three points in eight playoff contests, as the Fighting Saints reached the league's semifinals.