On Tuesday August 4th, the Wheeling Nailers announced the signing of American right-winger Andrew Gaus. Gaus, 25-years-old, becomes the second consecutive rookie signed by Wheeling. Gaus makes the jump to pro hockey after finishing his career at college between Yale University and Colorado College.
Between the two, he played in 113 games and scored 14 goals along with 18 assists. This. made for a total of 32 points. During his five seasons of college hockey, he also attended development camp with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2018.
In a statement from head coach Mark French upon locking up Gaus for the upcoming season, he said, “Andrew played for two strong NCAA programs, where he played under two good coaches. He was recommended by his coach as a hard working player, who plays a strong two-way game and is an excellent teammate.”
Gaus is excited to play in Wheeling, hence sticking around in the Penguins organization. Speaking of the experience, the native of Pittsburgh said in a statement, “I went to Penguins Development Camp and saw how professional the organization was, as well as how much they prioritize development. This is also close to where I grew up and it will be fun to have my relatives around. I see myself as a two-way forward, and I take a lot of pride in playing both ends of the ice.”
The Nailers have inked Alec Butcher, Brad Drobot, Luke Lynch and Andrew Gaus as forwards. Alongside them, the Nailers signed a pair of defensemen in Jeremy Beaudry and Marc-Olivier Duquette.