Former Penn State hockey player Tyler Paquette signed for the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) side the Wheeling Nailers, the team announced on Tuesday.

Paquette played five seasons with the Nittany Lions from 2020-2025. The forward played in 143 games over that period, recording 27 goals and 21 points for 48 career points; he also had 51 blocked shots. Paquette is the first player to sign for the Nailers this summer.

The ECHL team hails from Wheeling, West Virginia, and joined the ECHL, then known as the East Coast Hockey League, in 1988 under the name the Virginia Thunderbirds. Since then, the Nailers have won two regular-season championships and three division titles. They also became an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins during that period.

Paquette and the Wheeling Nailers will begin the 2025-26 season in Cincinnati on Saturday, October 18, when they take on the Cyclones.