Today in Wheeling History: April 21—Derek Army named interim head coach of the Wheeling Nailers after Mark French's resignation (2021).
Derek Army, born April 10, 1991, in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, became one of the most beloved and successful figures in Wheeling Nailers history as both a player and coach. The son of Tim Army, a veteran professional hockey coach, Derek played college hockey at Providence College, where he set the school record for consecutive games played (149). He first came to Wheeling in April 2014, scoring three goals in his initial four games and helping the Nailers reach the second playoff round.
In 2014–15, Army led the Nailers with 29 goals and ranked second on the club with 66 points. The following season he was a key contributor on the 2015–16 Eastern Conference championship team, posting 10 postseason points in 19 playoff games. He served as team captain during his final two player seasons, compiling 59 goals, 71 assists, and 130 points in 159 career games.
After coaching stints with the Worcester Railers, Army returned to Wheeling as assistant coach under Mark French for the 2020–21 season. When French resigned on April 21, 2021, to return to his family in Prince Edward Island, Canada, Army was elevated to interim head coach, a role made permanent on June 4, 2021. He became the Nailers' all-time winningest head coach, going 153–137–19 in 309 games. In July 2025, he departed to join the AHL's Colorado Eagles as an assistant coach.
To learn more: Wheeling News-Register - Mark French Resigns as Nailers Head Coach (https://tinyurl.com/5bnu7fbp); Wheeling Nailers — "Derek Army Named Assistant Coach of Colorado Eagles" (https://tinyurl.com/y9dfyphw); HockeyDB — "Derek Army" Statistics Page (https://tinyurl.com/cz46b4f6); QuantHockey — "Derek Army" Career Statistics (https://tinyurl.com/5c5ufnpn); Providence College Athletics — "Derek Army" Biography (https://tinyurl.com/mvf7wx37); Wheeling Nailers - Nailers Name Derek Army as Assistant Coach (https://tinyurl.com/43kdhyzb); Wikipedia - Wheeling Nailers (https://tinyurl.com/56xyp8vf); Our Sports Central (https://tinyurl.com/mrxmcjyh); Wheeling Nailers (https://tinyurl.com/5dhha6tb); WTOV9 - French steps down as Nailers coach; Army elevated to interim head coach (https://tinyurl.com/3s88e69a); WTRF - Derek Army leaves the Ohio Valley and takes a job as Assistant Coach with Colorado Eagles (https://tinyurl.com/ydzf2n2r); ECHL - Army departs Wheeling for position with Colorado Eagles (https://tinyurl.com/mszft2vu); HockeyDB.com - Wheeling Nailers Statistics and History (https://tinyurl.com/p8ah3am8)
Photo caption and credit: Derek Army (HockeyDB.com)
Derek Army, born April 10, 1991, in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, became one of the most beloved and successful figures in Wheeling Nailers history as both a player and coach. The son of Tim Army, a veteran professional hockey coach, Derek played college hockey at Providence College, where he set the school record for consecutive games played (149). He first came to Wheeling in April 2014, scoring three goals in his initial four games and helping the Nailers reach the second playoff round.
In 2014–15, Army led the Nailers with 29 goals and ranked second on the club with 66 points. The following season he was a key contributor on the 2015–16 Eastern Conference championship team, posting 10 postseason points in 19 playoff games. He served as team captain during his final two player seasons, compiling 59 goals, 71 assists, and 130 points in 159 career games.
After coaching stints with the Worcester Railers, Army returned to Wheeling as assistant coach under Mark French for the 2020–21 season. When French resigned on April 21, 2021, to return to his family in Prince Edward Island, Canada, Army was elevated to interim head coach, a role made permanent on June 4, 2021. He became the Nailers' all-time winningest head coach, going 153–137–19 in 309 games. In July 2025, he departed to join the AHL's Colorado Eagles as an assistant coach.
To learn more: Wheeling News-Register - Mark French Resigns as Nailers Head Coach (https://tinyurl.com/5bnu7fbp); Wheeling Nailers — "Derek Army Named Assistant Coach of Colorado Eagles" (https://tinyurl.com/y9dfyphw); HockeyDB — "Derek Army" Statistics Page (https://tinyurl.com/cz46b4f6); QuantHockey — "Derek Army" Career Statistics (https://tinyurl.com/5c5ufnpn); Providence College Athletics — "Derek Army" Biography (https://tinyurl.com/mvf7wx37); Wheeling Nailers - Nailers Name Derek Army as Assistant Coach (https://tinyurl.com/43kdhyzb); Wikipedia - Wheeling Nailers (https://tinyurl.com/56xyp8vf); Our Sports Central (https://tinyurl.com/mrxmcjyh); Wheeling Nailers (https://tinyurl.com/5dhha6tb); WTOV9 - French steps down as Nailers coach; Army elevated to interim head coach (https://tinyurl.com/3s88e69a); WTRF - Derek Army leaves the Ohio Valley and takes a job as Assistant Coach with Colorado Eagles (https://tinyurl.com/ydzf2n2r); ECHL - Army departs Wheeling for position with Colorado Eagles (https://tinyurl.com/mszft2vu); HockeyDB.com - Wheeling Nailers Statistics and History (https://tinyurl.com/p8ah3am8)
Photo caption and credit: Derek Army (HockeyDB.com)
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