The sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins has pushed an old minor-league question back into view: if the Penguins move on from Wheeling, should Columbus try to step in?
The Penguins were sold by Fenway Sports Group, which had controlled the franchise for the past four years, to the Hoffmann Family of Companies, a private equity firm based in Naples, Florida. For hockey fans in Central Ohio who keep an eye on the ECHL, that name matters. The Hoffmann Family also owns the Florida Everblades, the league’s most successful franchise.
That connection has already sparked speculation about the Penguins’ ECHL future, especially their long-running relationship with the Wheeling Nailers. David Hoffman made it pretty clear where he thinks this is headed.
"I think they would run me out of Naples if they’re not. We already have people wearing Penguins jerseys at our games, so I think the high expectation level is that’s going to happen. And we want to do that."
If the Penguins do shift away from Wheeling, it would close the book on the ECHL’s longest affiliation. The partnership has lasted 29 years as of the end of the 2025-26 campaign, and the Wheeling News-Register noted that Columbus’ pending arrival into the NHL was part of what pushed Pittsburgh to lock down the Ohio Valley market in the first place. It has been a durable arrangement for both sides, and one that would be hard to see disappear.
That’s where the Blue Jackets enter the conversation.
Columbus has gone years without a long-term ECHL home. After the Dayton Bombers folded in 2009, ending the Jackets’ affiliation with the team they had used since their inaugural season, the organization has never stayed with an ECHL partner for longer than two years. The most recent example came in 2023 with the Kalamazoo Wings.
Since then, the Jackets’ ECHL moves have mostly been on a case-by-case basis, with players sent to Toledo, Cincinnati and Kalamazoo. Fans have long pointed to the Cincinnati Cyclones as the cleanest fit, but Columbus has never shown interest in that route. The Cyclones are now affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs and are not seeking an NHL partner at the moment.
If Wheeling suddenly needs a new NHL home, Columbus at least fits the geography better than it might first appear. Nationwide Arena to Wesbanco Arena is 129 miles, which is farther than the old Pittsburgh-to-Wheeling setup, but still closer than the 141 miles between Rocket Arena in Cleveland and Columbus.
There’s a reasonable argument for the Jackets to look harder at the Ohio Valley. The Nailers, officially the Hockey Club of the Ohio Valley, could make sense as a regional fit.
Still, the timing doesn’t feel right for Columbus to rush into anything. The Blue Jackets have had a strong AHL partnership with the Cleveland Monsters for more than a decade, and that relationship was recently extended long term. Unless the need for another minor-league affiliate becomes more concrete, an ECHL addition doesn’t look imminent.
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