WHEELING — This season, the Wheeling Nailers will accomplish something no other team in the ECHL has ever done. It will have nothing to do with how the team plays on the ice, how many games they win, how many goals they score or anything like that.

What the Nailers will accomplish this season has to do with longevity, as the franchise celebrates its 30 year in Wheeling.

“It hasn’t been seen anywhere else,” said Nailers’ COO John Davis. “It sure is surprising, the smallest market in the league is the one that refuses to give up its team. I think it’s a testament to the way this community has always embraced this team, both from a corporate standpoint and from season ticket holders. It’s amazing.”

Davis, a Wheeling Park graduate, is uniquely qualified when it comes to the Nailer’s longevity as he was there for the teams’ first two seasons in 1992 and 93 and now he is back for their 30th after being named COO in March.

“I was with this organization the first two seasons it was here, I was the team’s mascot when I was in high school,” Davis said. “I was here for the very first magic carpet ride when this team came to this community. They hadn’t had a minor league team since the ’60s when it was the Wheeling Ironmen. So this city was ready. Not even this city, it was this region. I think that was a serendipitous way to start something that was going to last this long and be this impactful.”

Davis, as well as Nailers coach Derek Army and play-by-play announcer DJ Abisalih, spoke to season ticket holders at an event at WesBanco Arena Wednesday night to kick off the 30th year celebration.

They made several announcements for the upcoming season, including an in-house documentary on the team’s 30 years in Wheeling, a special 30th season logo and new 30th season alternate jerseys.

“It’s gray, which has never been worn in Wheeling before,” Abisalih said of the new jerseys. “They have the traditional red Nailers logo in the middle, the 30th season logo on the left shoulder and the original Wheeling Thunderbirds logo on the right shoulder.”

The re-signings of Tyler Drevitch and Matt Foley were also announced.

The theme of the evening was a celebration of the three-decade long relationship between the franchise and community.

“We’re going to be leaning on and reaching out to you folks this year,” Davis said to season members. “There is going to be a very intentional focus on our season ticket holders as the backbone of this organization. If you do not have people in the seats, you do not have anything else that goes on.”

Davis said the Nailers have lasted so long in Wheeling because the team’s original fans from 1992 are still here and news fans have constantly been added along the way.

“I was taking a look at our base and roughly 28-30% have been here for the entire 30 years,” Davis explained. “But then the next biggest piece, that’s roughly the same, are people that have been here for 5-7 years. That just shows you that our fanbase is really diverse and that it has staying power no matter when you come in.”

Army talked about the team on the ice, making clear his desire to return the team to where it was in 2016 when the Nailers were Kelly Cup runners-up.

“In order to win in Wheeling, you’ve got to get that core,” said Army, a forward on that 2016 team. “You’ve got to find that core of guys who just love being here, guys that want to be Nailers, that love the city, that love the community and that just take pride in being here.”

Despite a 22-39-6 record last season, Army said he thinks the Nailers found some of those players who will make up the team’s next great core.

“For our identity, we want to mimic the city,” Army said. “We want to be hardworking, we want to compete, we want to be in your face. It’s our goal that whatever style of game you want to play, we’re going to beat you at.”

The 30th season of Nailers hockey will begin on Oct. 23 on the road at Fort Wayne. They will play four road games to begin the year prior to their home-opener against Fort Wayne on Nov. 6.