War Memorial hockey deal finalized

JOHNSTOWN — Hockey night in Johnstown is back for another season.

The Wheeling Nailers — a Pittsburgh Penguins ECHL affiliate — will showcase their team for 10 home games at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena this year.

Team officials, local politicians and businessmen officially cut the ribbon on the deal during a press conference on Wednesday that brought out more than 50 people.

“When we heard that the (Johnstown) Chiefs were leaving, we were sad,” Nailers co-owner Rob Brooks said. “We said there's got to be something we can do.”

So Brooks sat down with his brother and fellow owner Jim Brooks in order to see if hockey could be kept alive in the wake of the February announcement that the Chiefs were headed to South Carolina.

The result was a time-share of Nailers home games for Wheeling and Johnstown that will feature, among other things, a special uniform for the t...