Columbus Blue Jackets Announce Affiliation With ECHL's Wheeling Nailers

Columbus Blue Jackets Announce Affiliation With ECHL's Wheeling Nailers

The Columbus Blue Jackets have a new ECHL affiliate. The club announced Thursday that it has reached a two-year agreement with the Wheeling Nailers, making them the ECHL affiliate for both the Blue Jackets and the AHL's Cleveland Monsters through the 2027-28 season. This is the first time since 2023 that the Blue Jackets have had an ECHL affiliate. It's the sixth in franchise history, starting with the Dayton Bombers from 2000 until 2008 and …

Wheeling Nailers announce new NHL Affiliate

(Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include direct quotes from a representative of the Wheeling Nailers.) WHEELING WV (WTRF) - The Wheeling Nailers announce the Columbus Blue Jackets as the team's third NHL affiliate. It is a 2-year agreement that begins at the start of the 2026-27 season. On July 16, the Pittsburgh [...]

Blue Jackets Announce Affiliation With ECHL Nailers

The Wheeling Nailers will not move far after their 28-year affiliation with the Pittsburgh Penguins came to an end earlier this summer. The Metropolitan Division rival Columbus Blue Jackets have announced a two-year affiliation with Wheeling after operating without an ECHL affiliate in the 2025-26 season. The agreement completes Columbus’ minor-league hierarchy, with the ECHL club sitting beneath the Blue Jackets’ long-standing AHL affiliate, th…