Prospects Of The Week

Taylor Gauthier Among Top ECHL Goaltenders With .929 Save Percentage After Strong Week For Wheeling

A week after re-signing at the NHL level with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, Taylor Gauthier stopped 91 of 94 shots in three games for the Wheeling Nailers. The undrafted goaltender stopped 31 of 32 shots in a 1-0 loss to the Reading Royals on Wednesday, 29 of 29 shots in a 4-0 shutout win over the Adirondack Thunder on Friday, and 31 of 33 shots in a 4-2 win over Adirondack on Saturday.

Gauthier leads ECHL goaltenders with at least 20 games played with a .929 save percentage and ranks second with a 1.98 goals against average. On pace for the best statistical season since joining the Penguins organization in the 2022-23 season, Gauthier hopes to stay hot down the stretch as the Nailers look to hold on to first place in the North Division of the Eastern Conference.

Ryan Miller Extends Point Streak To Eight Games As Winterhawks Push For WHL Playoff Spot

Ryan Miller continued a steady season for the Portland Winterhawks with seven points in four games last week and extended a point streak to eight games. The 2025 fifth round pick recorded one assist in a 3-2 loss to the Spokane Chiefs to open the week, added another helper in a 3-2 win over the Tri-City Americans on Friday, scored to force overtime in a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday, and finished with four points–two goals and two assists–in a back-and-forth 8-5 loss to the Everett Silvertips on Sunday.

Miller ranks second on Portland with 72 points in 63 games as the Winterhawks compete with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Victoria Royals for one of the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference in the WHL.

Jordan Charron Scores First Goal Since January As Greyhounds Prepare For OHL Playoffs

Jordan Charron scored for the first time since January 24 in a 5-2 loss to the Flint Firebirds on Friday night. The 2025 fifth round pick started the season hot, leading the OHL in goals for several weeks before leveling off, but still ranks second on the Greyhounds with 24 goals and fifth with 45 points in 63 games.

Committed to St. Lawrence University next season, the Greyhounds locked up a playoff spot and almost certainly play the London Knights in the first round of the OHL playoffs as either the fourth or fifth seed. Charron re-finding a scoring touch down the stretch gives the Greyhounds the chance to surprise some of the higher seeds.

Down On The Farm

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Drop Two Of Three In Weekend Series

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fell behind 3-0 to the Hershey Bears on Friday night and, despite two goals in the third period, lost 4-2. Aidan McDonough and Rafael Harvey-Pinard scored. Melvin Fernstrom recorded a pair of assists. Aaron Huglen and Rutger McGroarty finished with helpers. Sergei Murashov surrendered three goals on 24 shots in the loss.

The Penguins let a 3-1 lead slip away in the third period of a 4-3 overtime loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday night. Joona Koppanen scored and added a helper. Ryan Graves and Finn Harding scored the other Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goals. Tanner Howe recorded two assists. Harvey-Pinard, Jack St. Ivany, and Zach Urdahl all finished with helpers.

The Penguins flipped the script on Sunday afternoon in a 3-1 win over Lehigh Valley. Gabe Klassen scored and added a helper. McGroarty and Owen Pickering scored the other Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goals. Sebastian Aho and Harvey-Pinard both recorded one assist. Murashov stopped 16 of 17 shots in the win.

Wheeling Nailers Split Weekend With Adirondack Behind Strong Goaltending

Despite 31 saves from Taylor Gauthier, the Wheeling Nailers lost 1-0 to the Reading Royals in a Wednesday morning game. Connor Lockhart led the team with three shots in the loss.

Gauthier stopped 29 shots in a 4-0 shutout win over the Adirondack Thunder on Friday night. Max Graham and Raivis Ansons both scored and recorded assists. Tommy Budnick and Ryan McAllister scored the other Wheeling goals. Brent Johnson, Matthew Quercia, Tristan Thompson, and Tanner Andrew all finished with helpers.

The Nailers beat Adirondack again, 4-2 on Saturday night. Mathieu De St. Phalle scored and recorded a helper. Quercia, Jack Works, and Ansons scored the other Wheeling goals. Logan Pietila recorded a pair of assists. David Breazeale, Mike Posma, Daniel Laatsch, Craig Armstrong, and Budnick all finished with helpers. Gauthier stopped 31 shots in the win.