Generals relieve O’Rourke, name Brad Malone Interim Head Coach

The Oshawa Generals relieved Steve O’Rourke of his head coaching duties on Monday afternoon, naming current assistant Brad Malone as the club’s interim head coach.

The Generals come off a weekend road trip that included a 5-3 win in London on Friday, snapping the Knights’ 19-game winning streak before dropping a 6-1 decision to the Saginaw Spirit on Saturday. Oshawa currently sits atop the East Division with a record of 18-10-1-1.

“We want to extend our sincere gratitude to Steve O’Rourke for his dedication and commitment to our organization and wish him well in the next steps of his coaching career,” said the Generals organization in a team statement.

O’Rourke assumed the club’s head coaching role this past offseason after reigning OHL Coach of the Year Derek Laxdal took a job with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, top affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. O’Rourke had been with the Generals organization since 2022-23 after a lengthy tenure in the Western Hockey League.

Malone, 35, recently retired following a lengthy pro career that wrapped up with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors in 2023-24. The product of Miramichi, New Brunswick played in 217 career regular season NHL contests between Colorado, Carolina and Edmonton.

The Generals return to action on Thursday night in Peterborough before hosting the North Bay Battalion on Friday.