The Wheeling Nailers announced earlier today they have signed Nick Hutchison for the 2024-25 ECHL season. He previously spent time with the Nailers during the 2021-22 season, where he played 31 games. The 29-year-old enters his fifth season as a professional, having played with the Nailers, Adirondack Thunder, Indy Fuel, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Manitoba Moose, Utica Comets, and Vasteras IK “A” in Sweden.
The Hicksville, NY native made his junior hockey debut with the Tri-City Storm in the United States Hockey League during the 2012-13 season. He played five games in the midst of playing in the USHS-Prep with Avon Old Farms School and in the United States Elite Hockey League with the Connecticut Jr. Rangers. In his USHL debut season, he played five games and registered his first goal in the league. The following season, he returned to Tri-City, playing 32 games, but struggled in the point-production department as he tallied just two goals and two assists. The following season, he went to the British Columbia Hockey League, where he played two seasons for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. In those two seasons, he found his goal-scoring touch as he tallied 23 goals and 29 assists in 63 games played during the regular season. In the postseason, he played six games, notching one goal and three assists.
After three full seasons of junior hockey, Hutchison went on to play at Canisius College. In four seasons with the Golden Griffins, he played 140 games, collecting 60 goals and 53 assists. He had a successful college career, and in the 2016-17 season, he was named to the NCAA (AHA) All-Rookie Team and helped the Golden Griffins win the NCAA (AHA) Regular Season Championship. The following season, he was named NCAA (AHA) Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 17 for his three-goal weekend against Robert Morris University. A season later, he was again named Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 16 for his three goals and one assist weekend against Holy Cross. In his senior season, Hutchison was named NCAA (AHA) Player of the Month for December as he collected four goals and three assists in four games, two against American International College and two against Holy Cross.
At the end of his senior season, he signed a contract to begin his professional career with the Thunder. He played just one game for them but notched one goal and one assist. He went on to sign for the Fuel for the 2020-21 season, playing 47 games. He tallied six goals and 13 assists during the regular season. During the 2021 Kelly Cup Playoffs, he was inserted into the lineup for four games, tallying one assist. In the 2021-22 season, which saw him wearing the Nailers crest for the first time, he impressed majorly. He played 31 games in the black and gold, tallying 16 goals and 26 assists while having a +13 goal differential rating. He would be loaned to the Penguins and Moose that season, playing a combined 33 games. His three goals and four assists in the American Hockey League all came with the Moose, as he played 27 games with them.
In the 2022-23 season, he moved on to the New Jersey Devils organization, playing for the Comets and Thunder. With the Comets, where he spent most of his time, he played 31 games, totaling nine points in 31 games. With the Thunder, he played three games, tallying five points. Just last season, he played in Sweden with Vasteras IK “A” and AIK in HockeyAllsvenskan. In 30 games (27 with Vasteras), he tallied 13 goals and four assists.
In a return to Wheeling, Hutchison will look to impress again. Now a “grizzled” veteran, he can bring a ton of experience to this already solid-looking offensive group. At 6-foot-3, he is a big center that plays a physical two-way game as a center. Though he is a bit taller, his skating is still one of his strengths, as he can get around defenders by smartly going to the outside to pull them out of position.
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