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Ortiz rejoins Nailers

Ortiz rejoins Nailers

Thursday, July 25th

Action photo of Chris Ortiz of the Wheeling Nailers

WHEELING, W.Va. - The Wheeling Nailers, ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, announced the team has signed defenseman Chris Ortiz to a contract for the 2024-25 season.

Ortiz, 23, is set to begin his second stint as a member of the Nailers, after he spent the entire 2023-24 season with the Trois-Rivières Lions. Ortiz has had success in the pro game as an offensive defenseman, as he has reached the 30-point plateau in each of his three seasons. Last year, he led the Lions with 33 assists, and finished fifth on the club overall with 37 points. Ortiz split his first two campaigns between Wheeling and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and had his best season as a rookie with the Nailers in 2021-22. That year, he racked up 12 goals, 38 points, and had a +11 rating. Ortiz has reached the postseason twice in his three seasons, and has 11 points in 17 playoff contests to go along with his 112 points in 190 career regular season games, counting both AHL and ECHL.

Prior to turning pro, the Boisbriand, Quebec native played four seasons of junior hockey with the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League's Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Ortiz finished either first or second on his team in scoring by defensemen in each of his last three seasons. His highest point total was 45 during the 2019-20 campaign, while his highest points-per-game average landed him just under one during the shortened 2020-21 season. He was an alternate captain during both of those years.