When they first arrived in Wheeling in 1992, the then Thunderbirds could have gone any number of ways. ECHL and AHL teams don’t necessarily always have the same level of stability as their older brothers in the NHL. Plus, West Virginia is hardly known as a hockey hotbed. Eventually, the Thunderbirds of Winston-Salem gave way to the Wheeling Nailers.
Shortly thereafter, the Wheeling Nailers became the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. That 29-year partnership with the Penguins came to an end last week to the disappointment of many in Pittsburgh and West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle. The Pittsburgh Penguins, now owned by the Hoffmann Family of Companies, are set to partner with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. They are also under the umbrella of the new ownership group.
Whether there were any hard feelings or not, D.J. Abisalih wasn’t showing it. The long-time voice of the Nailers and recently promoted Vice President of Community Relations and Communications said the organization knew it was a possibility once the Pittsburgh Penguins’ sale process was finalized.
“People were able to connect the dots and notice that the [Hoffman Family] also owns the Florida Everblades in the ECHL,” he said.
In many respects, it was a fait accompli. David Hoffman, one of the new partners taking ownership of the Penguins from Fenway Sports Group, had been clear about his interest in partnering Pittsburgh with the Florida Everblades, who the Hoffman Family of Companies also owned.
“I think a lot of people heard David Hoffman,” Abisalih said. “He wanted the affiliation of the Penguins and Everblades to be together.”
The Penguins and Wheeling Nailers Divorce is Official
Penguins GM Kyle Dubas released a statement Thursday afternoon, throwing a wrench into the most successful hockey story in West Virginia history.
“The Penguins are grateful to the Wheeling Nailers for being a tremendous partner as our ECHL affiliate over the last 29 years. It is only because of very unique circumstances that we must say goodbye at this time. For nearly three decades, the Nailers have been an invaluable part of the organization’s player development process. The Nailers constant dedication to working with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and our player development staff have delivered countless players tha have impacted our organization.
The Penguins are also incredibly appreciative of everything the Nailers organization, its staff, and fans have meant to the development of our players. From Stanley Cup champions like Tom Kuhnhackl, to rising talents like Avery Hayes and Sergei Murashov, so many players started their professional career in Wheeling and went on to make an impact in Pittsburgh and throughout the NHL.
The Nailers have run a first-class operation for many years, and any organization would be fortunate to have them as an affiliate. 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.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you Wheeling.”
Functionally, the most notable change comes from the ability to receive complementary pieces from within the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. As noted in Dubas’s press release, the Wheeling Nailers aided in the development of important pro players in the past. The Nailers have also aided more recently in the Penguins’ development pipeline.
West Virginia is a state with deep roots in college athletics. It’s one of just three states in the U.S. that features no top-level professional team and just a single Power Four college. As a result, West Virginia University athletics is the pro sports team in West Virginia. It has also had a history of economic insecurity with challenging geography and an economy deeply rooted in the energy industry. It’s not an easy place for professional teams, but the Nailers found stability in Wheeling.
“You don’t necessarily look at West Virginia as that traditional hockey market,” Abisalih said. “But for a team to go ahead and capture the hearts right away was enormous. It really set the stage for what is now going into the 35th season going into the Fall.”
Hockey in West Virginia Remains a Novelty
Hockey hasn’t quite caught on in West Virginia, but it would be even less popular without the Wheeling Nailers.
Even in 2026, only a handful of high schools in the state have a team. Many schools actually work together to create regional teams. The West Virginia Bob Otten State Championship last year featured one team from Charleston, a unified Morgantown team and a unified team from Shenandoah Junction in the state’s eastern panhandle. Three schools — all from Wheeling — have their own teams, including Wheeling Park, Wheeling Central Catholic and Linsly. Even at that level, fans can see the impact of the Wheeling Nailers on the local popularity of the sport.
There is no Division I NCAA program despite West Virginia being a state known for its love of collegiate athletics. Penguins merchandise can be found throughout much of the state’s Northern Panhandle and in the northern sections of the I-79 corridor. The further south on I-79 or west on U.S. 50 you travel, the less likely you are to see hockey merchandise anywhere.
Before the Wheeling Nailers (then Thunderbirds) found a home in Wheeling, the IHL’s Huntington Hornets played one season at Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse. In 1957, after just a year in the same town as Marshall University, the Hornets moved to Louisville. They ceased operations in 1960.
The Huntington Blizzard, an ECHL team that came to West Virginia one year after the Nailers’ founding, gave it a better run than their forerunners. Like the Hornets, they saw attendance drop quickly, ultimately disbanding in 2000 after just seven years.
Why It’s Worked for Wheeling Nailers
Abisalih is a student of Nailers history, all part of the territory when you’re the long-running play-by-play voice. He said multiple factors have led to the Nailers’ becoming the critical driver of hockey in West Virginia.
First, the team was immediately successful. The Nailers went on a deep playoff run in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, losing in six games to the Toledo Storm in 1993. They were still the Thunderbirds at the time.
“That was a team that made the fans and the community fall in love with them right from the get-go,” Abisalih said.
The Nailers have had a good run in attracting coaching talent, too. Most famously, Peter Laviolette began his career with the Wheeling Nailers. In his one season as head coach, the Nailers went 37-24-9 and won two playoff rounds. He fast-tracked up the ranks, next to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, where he won a Calder Cup and AHL Coach of the Year. Laviolette broke through shortly after with the New York Islanders. He ultimately won the Stanley Cup later in his career with the Carolina Hurricanes. Ironically, that was the state where the Nailers played originally as the Thunderbirds in Winston-Salem.
Most recently, the Wheeling Nailers went on their deepest playoff run in a decade. The Nailers went to the Conference Finals in the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. That success led to head coach Ryan Papaioannou jumping to AHL Abbotsford, the affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.
It’s obviously not always easy for the Wheeling Nailers. HockeyDB indicates they are one of the lowest-attended ECHL teams. Simultaneously, they’ve seen a significant rebound in attendance since a low-water mark during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to publicly available data.
Penguins and Everblades Unite
Not much will likely change for Pittsburgh. The Penguins’ new ECHL affiliate in Florida could eventually house a goaltender or depth player with NHL potential. Rolling out a new affiliate can be fun for fans in both locations.
Ultimately, the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton may be more impacted than anyone else. ECHL players have climbed the ladder plenty of times to make the AHL, even if they lacked long-term NHL potential. Abisalih noted that Florida, historically, has preferred to run a more veteran-laden operation on the ice.
“Florida does tend to be one of the older teams in the ECHL,” he said. “Always has the full complement of veterans on the team or players who are very close to being veteran status. I’ll be curious to see what that identity looks like.”
The ECHL-NHL Relationship
The initial news that an end to the 29-year marriage was even being hinted at drew a strong reaction on social media and even in some traditional media circles. The Nailers have long offered an affordable, professional-quality hockey experience. Occasionally, you may even see the type of top prospect you’d usually only see in the AHL or NCAA.
“We are the Double-A version of hockey,” Abisalih said. “It’s similar but not completely exact where you see, in baseball, a lot of your top prospects are coming up through the system.”
You won’t see the hockey equivalent of Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Andrew McCutchen or Gerrit Cole. Abisalih remembered seeing many of those guys when he worked in Minor League Baseball before finding his home in Wheeling.
Most of the time, fans are seeing players who probably won’t play in the NHL, though it’s not impossible. In particular, goaltenders tend to have the easiest path. Abisalih noted Sergei Murashov as a prime example. The 2022 fourth-round draft pick out of Russia needed playing time to keep developing in North America. He excelled in Wheeling, finishing 17-7-1 with a .922 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average in 2024-25.
Brief stint with Pittsburgh aside, he excelled in the AHL last season for Wilkes-Barre. Abisalih believes he’s now a favorite to open the season in tandem with Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs in 2026-27. That’s why an NHL partnership can be important, and it’s one the Nailers could potentially announce later this month.
“You’re going to have a great spot to develop your players here in Wheeling, and we do want to see your players shine at the next level,” Abisalih said.
What’s Next for Wheeling Nailers?
Abisalih confirmed the Nailers have had talks with different NHL teams since the Penguins’ sale was finalized.
“I do anticipate that we’ll have answers in a very quick period of time here,” Abisalih said. “We had an idea that Pittsburgh could very well go with the Everblades. It wasn’t like we were just sitting back and waiting to see what happens. We were working on what was going to be the new plan.”
What the next rendition of the Nailers will ultimately look like is anyone’s guess, but Abisalih felt confident about the direction.
“We do our best to put on a product that can entertain whether you love sports or you don’t,” he said.
Pittsburgh Penguins End 29-Year Partnership, Wheeling Voice Weighs In: Exclusive