Pittsburgh Penguins, Wheeling Nailers end 29-year affiliate agreement

The Pittsburgh Penguins are ending their ECHL affiliation agreement with the Wheeling Nailers, the team announced on Thursday.

The decision comes after the Penguins were bought by the Hoffmann Family of Companies, which already owns the ECHL's Florida Everblades. David Hoffmann has said they'd want the Everblades to be the Penguins' new affiliate. 

"It is only because of very unique circumstances that we must say goodbye at this time," Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement. "For nearly three decades, the Nailers have been an invaluable part of the organization's player development process."

While the Penguins are no longer affiliates with the Nailers, the team didn't say if it would replace the ECHL team with the Everblades. 

The Hoffmann Family Companies bought the Everblades in 2019, and since then, the team has won four championships. They won for three straight seasons from 2022 to 2024 and, most recently, won the 2026 Kelly Cup. 

The NHL's board of governors in June approved Fenway Sports Group selling the Penguins to the Hoffmann Family Companies.

"The Nailers have run a first-class operation for many years, and any organization would be fortunate to have them as an affiliate," Dubas said. "We would like to give Brian Komorowski, the entire Nailers staff, the great fans of Wheeling and the entire Wheeling community our deepest thanks for all that they have done for the Pittsburgh Penguins. We wish the city of Wheeling, the Nailers and all of their fans continued success as a great ECHL franchise."