2022 Worcester Railers vs Utah Grizzlies

With Railers, Hayhurst Fulfills Offseason Goals

With Railers, Hayhurst Fulfills Offseason Goals

After splitting last season, his first in pro hockey, with two teams, he set himself up for a make-or-break type year with his new team for 2021-22.

Feb 17, 2022 by Mike Ashmore
With Railers, Hayhurst Fulfills Offseason Goals

Jacob Hayhurst needed to make this year count.

After splitting last season, his first in pro hockey, with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Wheeling Nailers, he set himself up for a make-or-break type year with his new team for 2021-22, the Worcester Railers.

It’s been far more “make” than “break.” 

The 25-year-old showed flashes of what he could do last year, mostly with Wheeling, for whom he posted six assists in just nine games. It was this season where he finally showed some of the scoring touch that made him a threat at the NCAA level (first in the ECAC with RPI, and then with Michigan for his senior season.)

In his first 35 games this year, he’s posted eight goals while adding 22 assists, playing at a nearly point-per-game pace.

So, what clicked?

“We have a great group of guys here,” Hayhurst told FloHockey via cell phone in late January.

“Obviously, if you look at our record, we’ve struggled a little bit, but all in all, everyone continues to bring a positive attitude to the rink and work hard. The coaches have also been amazing; they’ve given everyone individually more support than they could ever ask for, and I think that’s a key to what you’re seeing start to happen, where we’re starting to win games and string stuff together.”

The Railers have remained at or near the bottom of the North Division standings for most of the year. But they’ve gotten hot as of late, winning seven of their last ten games to get them right back in the playoff picture. It was, Hayhurst says, something that the team could see coming. 

“I think you see we’ve been going through tough times, as have lots of teams, where you don’t have the same roster night in and night out, and it makes it difficult not having your core group,” he said. “But, things have started to settle down now, and you start to see our core and the group that’s going to be around, and all of those guys are great hockey players. I’d say with that going on, we’re definitely just scratching the surface. We’re primed to go off, and things are heading in the right direction.”

Hayhurst has been a big part of that—he potted a goal in their most recent win on Sunday. While he’s quick to credit everyone else around him for his strong sophomore season, ask around, and it seems a change he made in some of his offseason training has helped contribute to some of his individual successes.

“For me, one of my big assets is my skating. I need to be as fast as possible and I need to try to get out ahead of guys so I don’t have to get in that big, physical battle because I’m a smaller guy,” said the 5-foot-9, 170-pounder.

“I had a big emphasis on explosive workouts—whether it was doing jump squats, getting off the line fast, using weights as some resistance to build those quick-firing muscles to even have a greater edge with skating so I don’t have to put myself in tons of one-on-one, physical battles. So far, it’s worked out very well.”

Hayhurst has since earned the first two call-ups to the American Hockey League of his career, seeing separate stints with the Springfield Thunderbirds and Hartford Wolf Pack. It was a reinforcement that his hard work has paid off, and shows that he’s also firmly on the radar of teams at the next level who are looking to add some skill.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I came into the season with goals in mind, and I wanted to hopefully get a call-up and see at least a couple of games. We’re halfway through the year and I’ve already had the opportunity to play in seven with two different teams, and start to build that resume at that level and get the experience. It’s been amazing, and it’s more than I could have asked for. But, at the same time, that taste is in my mouth now, and I just want more.”