Jack Works: A Promising Rookie Season With The Nailers
Jack Works is a gritty forward whom is currently playing for the Wheeling Nailers in the 2025-2026 season. He sat down with Olde City Sports Network in November to reflect on his college playing days, getting the call to come to Wheeling, and what his favorite part of the game is.
Before hitting the ranks into the professional world of hockey, Works played four seasons in the collegiate level. He played 15 games at the University of Denver and tallied one assist during that time span. In the 2022-2023 season, Works went to Michigan Tech and dressed in 105 games during three seasons and tallied 23 goals with 29 assists. Transitioning out of juniors or the college level teaches players on how to adjust to professional level. “Getting in the gym, getting bigger, and stronger. Just learning the game, college is a lot more systems than Junior, I thought, so it kind of compared to pro better than junior”
During Works final college season, he wore the “C” on his sweater. Becoming a Captain of a team holds more responsibility and a sense of accomplishment for players that have earned that honor. “It was an honor. Kind of a lot of my good friends left my senior year, so it was a lot a new team, a young team. So I was happy to take on that responsibility. It's an honor to be voted by your teammates and chosen to be Captain. So I took that every day. I didn't take it for granted.”
Photo Credit: Stacey Gramlich/Olde City Sports Network
You, the reader, may have heard, “Hockey is a small world”, and it truly is. Players play with each other in juniors and college and often cross paths with each other at the professional level. For Works, he played with Milwaukee Admirals Goalie Magnus Chrona, Forward Tristan Ashbrook, Jacksonville Icemen Forward David Jankowski, and current teammate forward Logan Pietila, throughout his time on the collegiate level. “It was great to play with those guys. I played on a line with Ashbrook and Pietila. Coming here with Tills [Logan Pietila] and [David] Jankowski last season helped to adjust here.”
For Works, getting the call to come to Wheeling happened at the end of his senior season at Michigan Tech. Works hopped in the car and took the 16 hour drive from Michigan to Wheeling, West Virginia to start his professional career in the 2024-2025 season. “It was super exciting. I was just kind of day after college season ended, and it was pretty much just got in my car and drove here. It was kind of a whirlwind, but, it was great and happy I was here because it's been great so far.” During his time at the end of the season, he dressed in 14 regular season games and tallied three assists. He went on to the post-season with the Nailers and played in three games during the playoffs.
Every player has different views on what their favorite part of the game is to play, whether it be winning games, scoring goals, but Works answer came easy to him. “Easy answer, scoring goals. I think my favorite parts are probably being with the guys and whether that's in the room or on the ice. That's the best part is going to war together..”
All players have strengths and weaknesses, and they all work on both of the simultaneously to get better off and on the ice, and for the game. “I feel like my biggest strengths are down low behind the net. Kind of able to use my edges and make space from the opponents and find my teammates and get to the net hard and just play a hard game. I'll wheel them around the other side, and then we can get them.”
Summer training is essential for professional athletes as it allows them to get stronger, rehab from injuries, and work on skills for the upcoming season. It helps to build power and endurance without the pressure of the season. “I guess it's a bit different each summer, but the summer I specifically focus a lot of my power and my legs. I had some injuries on my shoulders, so I was kind of doing a lot of shoulder rehab, and they feel really good. So,just mostly power and strength and my shoulders, just getting them back to good.”
The motivation for players to keep continuing to play in the professional world is different for each of them, and sometimes the answers change over the years, but for Works, it’s what he has wanted to do since he was child, is his biggest motivator. “Doing it since you're a kid and still chasing the dream. So just trying to move up and not let your teammates down too.”
So far this season, Works has played in 35 games and has tallied seven goals and three assists for the Wheeling Nailers.
- Samantha Wismer/Olde City Sports Network
- Photo Credit: Stacey Gramlich/Olde City Sports Network
