Derek Laxdal Explained

Position:Right Wing
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lb:230
Birth Date:February 21, 1966
Birth Place:Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada
Career Start:1984
Career End:2001
Draft:151st overall
Draft Year:1984
Team Coach:Coachella Valley Firebirds
League Coach:AHL
Coached For:Idaho Steelheads
Edmonton Oil Kings
Texas Stars
Oshawa Generals
Draft Team:Toronto Maple Leafs
Played For:Toronto Maple Leafs
New York Islanders

Derek Laxdal (born February 21, 1966) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional right winger. On July 5, 2024, he departed from serving as Head Coach of the Oshawa Generals, where he had served since 2022, and joined the Coachella Valley Firebirds as head coach.[1] [2]

Playing career

Born and raised in Stonewall, Manitoba, Laxdal was drafted in the eighth round, 151st overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played 67 games in the National Hockey League: 51 over four seasons with the Maple Leafs and 16 more over two seasons with the New York Islanders. In an almost 20-year career, he scored points at every level, including a successful four-year stint in the UK between 1995/96 and 1998/99, where he played for the Humberside Hawks, Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers.

Coaching career

From December 10, 2019, until May 20, 2022, Laxdal was an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. From 2014 to 2019, he was the head coach of the American Hockey League affiliate of the Dallas Stars, the Texas Stars.[3] [4] Previously, he served as head coach of the WHL Edmonton Oil Kings and the ECHL Idaho Steelheads. In 2007, he was the ECHL John Brophy recipient of Coach of the Year. Laxdal led the Steelheads to the Kelly Cup championship in the 2006–07 season,[5] and led the Edmonton Oil Kings to WHL titles in 2012 and 2014, winning the 2014 Memorial Cup with the Oil Kings. He is the first coach in the history of the WHL to have three 50 win seasons in a row.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
1982–83Portland Winter HawksWHL39 4 9 13 2714 0 2 2 2
1983–84Brandon Wheat KingsWHL70 23 20 43 8612 0 4 4 10
1984–85Brandon Wheat KingsWHL69 61 41 102 74
1984–85Toronto Maple LeafsNHL3 0 0 0 6
1984–85St. Catharines SaintsAHL5 3 2 5 2
1985–86Brandon Wheat KingsWHL42 34 35 69 62
1985–86New Westminster BruinsWHL18 9 6 15 14
1985–86St. Catharines SaintsAHL7 0 1 1 15
1986–87Toronto Maple LeafsNHL2 0 0 0 7
1986–87Newmarket SaintsAHL78 24 20 44 69
1987–88Toronto Maple LeafsNHL5 0 0 0 6
1987–88Newmarket SaintsAHL67 18 25 43 81
1988–89Toronto Maple LeafsNHL41 9 6 15 65
1988–89Newmarket SaintsAHL34 22 22 44 532 0 2 2 5
1989–90Newmarket SaintsAHL23 7 8 15 52
1989–90New York IslandersNHL12 3 1 4 41 0 2 2 2
1989–90Springfield IndiansAHL28 13 12 25 4213 8 6 14 47
1990–91New York IslandersNHL4 0 0 0 0
1990–91Capital District IslandersAHL65 14 25 39 75
1991–92Capital District IslandersAHL49 7 7 14 614 1 1 2 10
1993–94IlvesSM-l17 6 5 11 203 1 0 1 4
1994–95Roanoke ExpressECHL66 32 24 56 1448 2 4 6 25
1995–96Humberside HawksBHL33 29 29 58 1637 9 4 13 16
1996–97Nottingham PanthersBISL31 14 14 28 548 1 3 4 27
1997–98Nottingham PanthersBISL44 24 23 47 1036 1 3 4 10
1998–99Sheffield SteelersBISL29 9 13 22 32
1999–00Sheffield SteelersBISL18 3 3 6 20
1999–00Odessa JackalopesWPHL46 28 25 53 532 0 4 4 4
2000–01Odessa JackalopesWPHL65 21 23 44 10311 5 3 8 31
AHL totals356 108 122 230 45031 10 10 20 86
NHL totals67 12 7 19 881 0 2 2 2

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Generals name Derek Laxdal 35th head coach in team history – Ontario Hockey League . 2022-10-19 . en-CA.
  2. Web site: DEREK LAXDAL NAMED FIREBIRDS’ HEAD COACH . 2024-07-05 . en-US.
  3. Heika, Mike. "Stars name Derek Laxdal as head coach of Texas Stars", The Dallas Morning News, July 3, 2014. (accessed 8 July 2014)
  4. Web site: December 10, 2019 . DALLAS STARS APPOINT NEIL GRAHAM AS TEXAS STARS HEAD COACH . texas Stars.
  5. Web site: Derek Laxdal: Steelheads Staff . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080203095524/http://www.idahosteelheads.com/team-stats/staff-contact.aspx?contactid=110 . 2008-02-03 . 2007-10-25.