A Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltending prospect has broken a pair of records for the Wheeling Nailers with a shutout win on Friday.
If there is one position the Pittsburgh Penguins have plenty of depth at, it's the goaltending position.
And one of their prospects set a franchise record on Friday.
Taylor Gauthier - starting goaltender for the Wheeling Nailers, Pittsburgh's ECHL affiliate - led the Nailers to a 4-0 win on Friday night against the Worcester Railers, which brings Wheeling's number to clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup playoffs down to one. With the win, Gauthier, 25, broke Wheeling's all-time franchise record for wins (67) and shutouts (10).
Wheeling will play Worcester again on Saturday, getting a chance to clinch with a win.
Gauthier began the 2025-26 season on injured reserve, but ever since his return to the lineup, he's been lights-out. In 29 games this season, he is 17-7-5 with a 1.94 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. So far, this is Gauthier's third-consecutive ECHL season of boasting a save percentage of at least .923 - and he posted that save percentage in 2023-24, when he won ECHL Goaltender of the Year.
The 6-foot-2, 209-pound netminder signed a one-year, NHL entry-level contract with the Penguins on Mar. 7, which runs through the end of the 2025-26 season. The move shored up goaltending depth for the Penguins should they qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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