News release
18 October 2013
WHEELING, W. Va. - The Elmira Jackals open their seventh season of ECHL play, and 14th season of professional hockey in the Twin Tiers, tonight by visiting the Wheeling Nailers. This is the first time since joining the ECHL that the Jackals have begun a season away from First Arena.
WHO: Elmira Jackals - Ottawa and New Jersey/NHL & Binghamton and Albany/AHL (0-0-0) at Wheeling Nailers - Pittsburgh and Montreal /NHL & Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hamilton/AHL (0-0-0).
The Jackals are facing the Nailers tonight for the first of 15 meetings this season and first of seven at WesBanco Arena. The Jackals went 6-4-0 against the Nailers last season and ran their all-time record to 34-16-5 against Wheeling. Last year's head-to-head record included a 2-3-0 record for Elmira at WesBanco against a Wheeling team that went 21-8-7 on its home ice. The Jackals and Nailers played an exhibition game in Wheeling on October 5 and Elmira skated away with a 5-4 OT win after trailing 4-0 heading into the third period. Both teams fielded rosters mainly comprised of tryout players that night and only ten players combined between the teams made opening day rosters after skating in that game.
This year's Jackals team features 11 players on the opening-day roster who suited up for the 2012-13 team. That number is only one less than the 2013-13 team that, over the course of the entire season, used 12 players who also played on the 2011-12 squad. Jean Bourbeau, Rob Bellamy, Jordan Pietrus, and Artem Demkov are all back for their third season in Elmira and have helped the Jackals to 85 regular season wins over the last two years.