Kelowna Rockets name Derrick Martin Interim Head Coach

Kelowna, B.C. – Kelowna Rockets President and General Manager Bruce Hamilton announced today that the team has named Derrick Martin as the Rockets interim Head Coach. Additionally, the Rockets have hired Liam McOnie as an Assistant Coach.

Head Coach Kris Mallette has been relieved of his coaching duties, effective immediately.

“I’d say it’s been a tough week. We moved some of our best players and acquired some solid, good young people that are joining our organization. I just felt that with the new players here, if we were going to make a coaching change that now would be appropriate time,” said Rockets President and General Manager Bruce Hamilton.

“I think that it’ll give Derrick an opportunity as he’ll be the interim head coach and will give us an opportunity to get these players a new voice.”

“I can’t thank Kris enough for what he’s done for our organization. He’s been with us longer than anybody has been in the organization, maybe other than Scott Hoyer. He was all class when I met him today and he’s a really good person. He’s going to land on his feet and get another hockey job in a hurry. He’s had tremendous success at the international level, and we wish him nothing but the best.”

“I think it was just time for a change. It’s a tough day, but it’s a fresh start.”

Martin is in his first season as a member of the Rockets coaching staff, he was hired as an assistant coach during the summer of 2024. Prior to his time in the Western Hockey League, Martin spent the 2023-24 season as the General Manager and Head Coach of the Camrose Kodiaks. He also spent time as the Head Coach of the Okanagan Hockey Academy Edmonton U15 Prep, as well as an Assistant Coach with the Spruce Grove Saints and OHA Edmonton.

Martin also led Team Alberta, which featured Rockets prospects Owen Hayden and Nathan Cole, to a gold medal at the 2024 WHL Cup in Red Deer.

McOnie has spent the past eight seasons coaching, starting off as a goaltending coach for the North Okanagan Knights, while also becoming a goaltending consultant for the Tri-City Americans. McOnie joined the Rockets as a consultant in 2021-22 while also holding the title of General Manager and Head Coach of North Okanagan. This season, he was named the General Manager and Head Coach of the Sicamous Eagles of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, guiding the team to a 19-8-5 record through 32 games.

“Firstly, we would like to thank the Sicamous Eagles board for allowing Liam to leave the team at this time in the season to become an assistant coach to Derrick Martin,” Hamilton said. “Liam has had success at the Junior level both in coaching and management and came highly recommended. We are familiar with him as he has been a goaltending consultant for the Kelowna Rockets in the past and we welcome him into our organization.”

Mallette was promoted from Assistant Coach to Head Coach of the Rockets in February of 2020 and was officially named Kelowna’s Head Coach in March of that same year. With Mallette behind the bench, the team had a record of 121-107-19.

Kelowna will now prepare for a pair of games this weekend when they host the Prince George Cougars on January 10^th before travelling to Vancouver the following evening to take on the Vancouver Giants. Puck drop for Friday’s home game will go at 7:05 PM.

Tickets can be purchased online at selectyourtickets.com, by calling Select Your Tickets at 250-762-5050 or by visiting the Select Your Tickets box office at the Prospera Place box office. The box office is open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and opens at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday home game days.