Pittsburgh Penguins end agreement with Wheeling Nailers

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins are ending their agreement with the Wheeling Nailers.

A statement from General Manager Kyle Dubas shared by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday afternoon said the organization is ending its partnership with the ECHL affiliate.

“It is only because of very unique circumstances that we must say goodbye at this time,” Dubas said.

The Nailers have worked to develop Penguins players for the past 29 years and have worked closely with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins organization.

The Penguins said stars like Avery Hayes, Sergei Murashov and Stanley Cup champion Tom Kuhnacki started their careers in Wheeling.

“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,” Dubas said.

The exact conditions for the agreement’s end have not been disclosed at this time.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW