WHEELING — The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are excited to announce their third player signing of the 2025 offseason. Wheeling has re-signed forward Cole Tymkin to an ECHL contract.

Tymkin, 26, joined the Nailers in February of this past season, after he completed his final USports season at Brock University. Cole brought a mixture of skill and physicality to the Wheeling lineup, as he tallied five goals, three assists, eight points, and 63 penalty minutes in 24 games. The rookie forward was the only player on the team to record a Gordie Howe Hat Trick (goal, assist, fight) in 2024-25, which he did in a 6-4 road win against Adirondack on March 8. Other key goals in wins for Tymkin came on March 21 at Toledo and April 11 at Trois-Rivieres, which led him to a three-game point streak to end the regular season. He threw down the gloves on five occasions, and stood toe-to-toe with some large competition, including 6-foot-5 Mike McKee of Tulsa and 6-foot-7 Jackson van de Leest of Adirondack.

The Rainy River, Ontario native played four seasons at Brock, where he accumulated 17 goals, 33 assists, 50 points, and 111 penalty minutes in 85 games. His most productive offensive season was 2023-24, when he had 19 points. His highest penalty minute total was 55, which he achieved in 2024-25. Prior to that, Tymkin played four seasons of junior hockey with the OHL’s London Knights.

He enjoyed a tremendous 2018-19 season, when he had 22 goals, 25 assists, and 47 points to help the Knights finish with the second best record in the league. He was London’s leader in penalty minutes during each of his last three seasons there, as he finished with 98, 95, and 73 respectively.

Tymkin and the Wheeling Nailers will begin the 2025-26 season in Cincinnati on Saturday, Oct. 18. The first home game is Saturday, Nov. 1 against the Norfolk Admirals.