Sher-wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week: Wheeling Nailers Riley Brace

(photo: Wheeling Nailers)

The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens, are excited to announce that forward Riley Brace has been named Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week for the week of October 17-19.

Riley Brace, 22, spent the majority of his time with the AHL Worcester Sharks and Iowa Wild last season, recording five points in 48 games played between the two clubs. He also spent time at the ECHL level with the San Francisco Bulls and then moved to the Ontario Reign once the Bulls folded mid-season, playing in 13 games and registering nine points.

Starting his second professional season, Brace made an impact with the Nailers during Opening weekend, scoring three goals in his first ever game with the team on Saturday night against the Reading Royals.  The points were recorded on four consecutive Wheeling tallies, starting with the goal that gave the Nailers a 3-2 lead at the 12:24 mark of the second period. Seven minutes later, Riley banged in his second goal of the period, putting the home team ahead by a pair. After assisting on Ben Shutron’s first professional goal, the Ottawa, ON native completed his first pro hat trick with 1:08 left in the game. The hat trick was Brace’s first since February 10, 2012, when he completed that feat as a member of the OHL’s Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.

On behalf of Riley, a case of pucks will be donated to the Wheeling Amateur Hockey Association (WAHA) by Sher-Wood Hockey, the exclusive puck supplier of the ECHL. Since beginning its sponsorship of the award in 2000-01, Sher-Wood Hockey has donated more than 31,000 pucks to youth hockey organizations in ECHL cities.

Brace becomes the first Nailer to win Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week in 2014-15, after Cody Sylvester (2) and Zack Torquato won the honor last season.