Nailers re-sign four

WHEELING, W.Va. - The Wheeling Nailers, ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, announced four more player signings for the 2022-23 season. Wheeling has re-signed defenseman Adam Smith, as well as forwards Bobby Hampton, Félix Paré and Tyler Drevitch. Smith, 25, has played two seasons with the Nailers and three in the ECHL, and is a very reliable player on the blueline. He led Wheeling with a +17 rating in a team-high 66 games, and nearly doubled his offensive production from the previous season, as he accumulated 23 points (5g-18a). The Sharon, Ontario native also appeared in two American Hockey League games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Prior to turning pro, Smith attended Bowling Green State University for four years.Hampton, 24, is coming off of his first pro season, which saw him amass 17 points (7g-10a) in 50 games with the Nailers. He made his debut on Nov. 7 against Indy, recorded his first career point with an assist on Dec. 4 at Toledo, then netted his first professional goal on Dec. 17 at Norfolk, which came during his season-best five-game point streak. The Middletown, New Jersey native played three seasons of college hockey - two at Northeastern University and one at Penn State University.Paré, 22, is also coming off of his first season as a pro, as he compiled 14 points (7g-7a) and 72 penalty minutes in 54 games with Wheeling. After making his debut on Oct. 30 at Wichita, his season got rolling quickly, as he dished out an assist in the home opener against Fort Wayne on Nov. 6th for his first point, then tallied a pair of goals against the Komets in a 5-4 overtime win on Nov. 14. Prior to turning pro, Paré played five seasons of junior hockey in the Québec Major Junior Hockey League with the Victoriaville Tigres and Cape Breton Eagles.Drevitch, 26, has played in two seasons with the Nailers, and all of his numbers increased from year one to year two, as he finished the 2021-22 campaign with nine points (5g-4a) and 112 penalty minutes in 45 games. Prior to turning pro, Drevitch attended Merrimack University for four years.