WHEELING, W.Va. – The Wheeling Nailers announced the team has signed forward Chris Dodero to a contract for the 2026-27 season.
Dodero, 30, is set to begin his fifth professional season and third in the ECHL. He began his professional career in 2022-23 in the ICE Hockey League with HK Olimpija Ljubljana. There, he racked up 30 points in 39 games and won a Slovenian Championship. Dodero spent one more season in Europe, as he played for the ICE Hockey League’s Graz 99ers and DEL2’s Starsbulls Rosenheim during the 2023-24 campaign.
Dodero began his ECHL career in 2024-25, when he signed with the Tahoe Knight Monsters. In December of that season, he was traded to the Cincinnati Cyclones, where he tallied 18 points in 39 games with the Cyclones. Last summer, Dodero was traded to the Idaho Steelheads, where he went on to have an even better season. He produced 27 points and a +11 rating in 52 games.
Prior to turning pro, the Bloomingdale, Illinois native played five seasons of college hockey at American International College from 2017-22. Dodero accumulated 71 points (26g-45a) in 134 career games at AIC, and his best season came in 2021-22, when he finished tied for third on the Yellow Jackets in scoring with 29 points.
