The Pittsburgh Penguins staff, including Head Coach Dan Muse, traveled to West Virginia on May 28 to watch the Wheeling Nailers host the Florida Everblades in Game 3 of the ECHL Eastern Conference Finals. The trip was organized by Kyle Dubas, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, as part of an ongoing effort to support player development within the organization.
Dubas outlined in an email that developing ECHL players is important for future contributions at the NHL level. The Penguins have maintained a 29-year partnership with Wheeling, which is currently the longest active agreement between ECHL and NHL teams. Players such as Tom Kuhnhackl, Carter Rowney, and Josh Archibald have previously advanced from Wheeling to contribute to Stanley Cup victories. Jason Spezza, Assistant General Manager and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton GM, along with Amanda Kessel, Director of Minor League Operations and WBS Assistant GM, have recently focused on building a competitive Nailers team while emphasizing player development.
“Kyle’s had a lot of success with bringing up guys from the ECHL to the AHL to the NHL. He really believes in the East Coast as part of our organization and a team that can help the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Kessel said. “So, that’s something that I definitely learned from him, and that’s how we view them. We want guys there that we think can, at some point, help the Pittsburgh Penguins. So, we spend a lot of time investing in them and those players. We believe in all of them.”
Before departing for WesBanco Arena in Wheeling—about 60 miles from Pittsburgh—the staff held a tailgate outside PPG Paints Arena organized by Jason Seidling, Director of Team Services. The group then traveled together by bus while listening to music requested by staff members.
Goaltender Taylor Gauthier described life as “a really fun environment” in Wheeling due to close proximity among teammates off-ice: “We all live in the same apartment complex right across the street from the rink… It’s always such a tight-knit team.” Inside WesBanco Arena—which features memorabilia celebrating former Nailers who reached higher leagues—the group watched Florida defeat Wheeling 5-2.
Despite not achieving their desired result on ice—Florida now leads 3-0 in their best-of-seven series—the outing highlighted organizational camaraderie encouraged by Dubas: “Everyone in the room has worked at a place that they thoroughly enjoy and worked at [places where] some days you don’t… It changes your life when you go into a place and you thoroughly enjoy it.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins are recognized for Hall of Fame players and coaches who contributed significantly over time; they regularly compete for playoff spots while maintaining strong fan traditions within city culture; home games are played at PPG Paints Arena under ownership managed by Fenway Sports Group, according to the official website.
