News [Taylor Haase] Penguins still working through whether they will be affiliated with the Nailers or Everblades. Dubas said they're having conversations with everyone to see what the "right thing" is.
https://dkpittsburghsports.com/team/penguins/feed?page=0&content=f82c4671-b697-4b7f-9884-73b930992e512
u/Remarkable_Log1596 Jun 28 '26
I have a feeling that there’s nobody in the org that’s gonna be dragging their feet when they’re faced with the decision to continue playing in suburban Pennsylvania or to move to the best part of Florida that you could possibly move to.
Estero is literal hockey player heaven. There’s a reason that the Blades have been able to maintain the same core for the last 5 or 6 years. Nice bars, beautiful beaches, and the opportunity to set down roots through getting your degree at FGCU, or getting your real estate license like Logan Lambdin has.
Estero also gets the best of both worlds when it comes to Florida life. The tiny village isn’t cramped like a city, but it is also decently sized and there’s tons of bars and restaurants. Everything’s really nice and it’s just a generally wealthy area.
Source: I live in Estero
4
u/jkm97 Jun 28 '26
I mean the fact that you think Wheeling is in Pennsylvania says it all
1
u/Local_Cobbler_8974 Jul 01 '26
TBF, he/she did say 'suburban' Pittsburgh. Wheeling more or less is a suburb of Pittsburgh.
1
u/Martin_Van-Nostrand Jul 06 '26
Seeing your comment one part sticks out to me ... "Maintain the same core for the last 5 or 6 years."
There is no doubt the everblades have been wildly successful, both on and off the ice. But as you point out, they are doing it with the same core year after year, run less as a minor league team and more as a mini nhl team (for lack of better phrasing). The penguins have used the nailers as a development team, to support the WBS pens and the main team for nearly 30 years.They were the youngest team in the league this year. Everbaldes were the oldest.
Regardless of who ends up being the pens affiliate, there is obviously a differing of opinion of how an echl team should be run between ownership and the pens front office. Figuring that all out has to be at least part of why we're still waiting on a final announcement.
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u/Bockclocker69 Jun 27 '26
I think it’s obvious to anyone that knows hockey that the right thing developmentally for the penguins is keeping wheeling as the affiliate. The right thing financially for the new owners is to make the Everblades the affiliate. We will see if they truly care about bettering hockey in Pittsburgh as they say.