The Wheeling Nailers have announced the signing of forward Justin Taylor to a contract for the 2026-27 season. This marks the beginning of Taylor's 17th professional season.

Taylor, 37, recently set the ECHL record for most career games played, reaching his 885th game on December 13th against the Nailers. He now has 935 ECHL games and 25 AHL games to his name, totaling 960 professional appearances. Last season, he scored 20 or more goals for the 11th time in his career, recording 39 points (20 goals, 19 assists) in 68 games for the Adirondack Thunder. Wheeling will be Taylor's seventh ECHL team, having previously played for Kalamazoo, Trenton, Idaho, Tulsa, Fort Wayne, and Adirondack.

A native of Mindemoya, Ontario, Taylor spent most of his career with the Kalamazoo Wings, serving as captain in 2021-22. His most prolific seasons include a career-high 61 points in 2016-17 and a career-best 35 goals in 2017-18.

Taylor's teams have made the playoffs in 11 of his 17 professional seasons. He reached the Kelly Cup Finals in his rookie season with Kalamazoo in 2010-11 and has also made appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals and Western Conference Final. Last spring, he led Adirondack with four goals and seven points in the North Division Semifinals, including scoring an overtime winner.

Upon his debut with the Nailers, Taylor will become the fourth player in the ECHL's top-six all-time games played to have played for Wheeling. He joins Michael Pelech (2nd - 884 games), Garet Hunt (5th - 776 games), and Louis Dumont (6th - 771 games).

Justin Taylor Signs Contract with Wheeling Nailers

The Wheeling Nailers have announced that the team has signed forward Justin Taylor to a contract for the 2026-27 season.

Taylor, 37, is set to embark on his 17th professional season. He is coming off a year where he established the ECHL record for most career games played. He played his 885th career contest to claim the top spot on December 13th against the Nailers. He enters this season with 935 ECHL games played, along with 25 AHL matches, for a grand total of 960 professional games. Last season marked the 11th time Taylor scored 20 or more goals in a season, as he finished the campaign fourth in scoring for the Adirondack Thunder with 39 points (20 goals, 19 assists) in 68 games. Wheeling will be Taylor’s seventh ECHL team, as he has also suited up with Kalamazoo, Trenton, Idaho, Tulsa, Fort Wayne, and Adirondack.

The native of Mindemoya, Ontario, has spent the majority of his playing career with the Kalamazoo Wings, as he played for them during 13 of his first 14 pro seasons, and served as the team’s captain in 2021-22. Taylor’s most productive seasons came in consecutive years, as he set a career high with 61 points in 2016-17, then set a career high in goals one year later, when he scored 35 times in 2017-18.

Taylor’s teams have qualified for the postseason in 11 of his 17 years as a pro. Fifty-six of his 80 career playoff games were played with Kalamazoo, which included a trip to the Kelly Cup Finals in his rookie season of 2010-11. The K-Wings reached the Eastern Conference Finals again the following year, then Taylor reached the Western Conference Final in 2012-13 as a member of the Idaho Steelheads. This past spring, he led Adirondack with four goals and seven points in the North Division Semifinals against Maine, which included scoring the overtime goal in game five to force the series back to Portland.

When Taylor makes his debut with the Nailers, he will become the fourth player in the ECHL’s top-six in career games played to have suited up for Wheeling. The other three are Michael Pelech (2nd – 884), Garet Hunt (5th – 776), and Louis Dumont (6th – 771).