Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Derek Laxdal of the Oshawa Generals is the recipient of the Matt Leyden Trophy awarded annually to the OHL’s Coach of the Year.
Completing his second season as Head Coach in Oshawa, Laxdal guided the Generals to an exciting finish to the regular season as they rode a 12-game winning streak to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, securing the first seed on the final weekend of the schedule. The Generals played to an Eastern Conference-leading 25-6-4-1 record following the turn of the calendar on January 1st, finishing the 68-game campaign with an overall record of 40-19-7-2.
“To be recognized by your peers is very rewarding not only for me but for the entire organization,” said Laxdal of the honour. “This is truly a reflection of the work of the coaching staff, Steve O’Rourke, Mike Farrugia, Austin Washkurak and the players.
“I would like to thank our Owner Rocco Tullio for the opportunity to coach a team with such a rich tradition, and I would also like to acknowledge General Manager Roger Hunt and the scouting staff for the countless hours spent assembling this talented group of players. The players have grown from day one last year, buying into the culture and playing for each other, day in and day out. It has been very rewarding watching these young men continue to develop on and off the ice daily.
“I’d also like to extend thanks to my wife Hali and daughters Jessica and Jaime for their incredible support.”
Oshawa surrendered an Eastern Conference-low 204 goals-against, backstopped by the goaltending tandem of Jacob Oster and Noah Bender along with reliable names on the blue line such as Dallas Stars prospect Connor Punnett, veteran Luca D’Amato and draft eligibles Luca Marrelli and Ben Danford.
The Generals have seen the rapid development of 6-foot-7 New York Rangers prospect Dylan Roobroeck under Laxdal’s guidance as he joins other prominent forwards in Colorado Avalanche first round pick Calum Ritchie, overage captain Stuart Rolofs and former OHL champion Connor Lockhart in leading the Oshawa attack.
“We are extremely happy for Derek and the entire coaching staff,” said Generals’ President and Governor Rocco Tullio. “They work extremely hard and put in long days so our players can have success both on and off the ice. The development of our players and the success of our team is a direct result of the passion Derek and our coaching staff have for the game of hockey. There is no one more deserving of this award and we could not be more proud and happy for Derek and our team for this prestigious award.”
Originally from Stonewall, Manitoba, Laxdal boasts a lengthy coaching resume that includes a pair of WHL championships as head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings from 2010-14, capping his tenure there by hoisting the Memorial Cup. He’s also served as an assistant coach of the NHL’s Dallas Stars from 2019-22 along with head coaching assignments with the AHL’s Texas Stars (2014-20), ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads (2005-10) where he won a Kelly Cup title in 2007, as well as with the CHL’s Wichita Thunder (2002-05). On the ice, Laxdal played 67 career NHL contests between the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders between 1984-91 as part of a lengthy professional career. A right-winger, his junior career was spent between the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, Brandon Wheat Kings and New Westminster Bruins as he was an eighth round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1984. Laxdal represented Canada’s National Junior Team in 1986.
Laxdal finished as the front-runner for this year’s award while colleague Jay McKee of the Brantford Bulldogs finished second in the voting process.
The Matt Leyden Trophy has been awarded annually to the OHL’s Coach of the Year as selected by his peers since 1972. The award is in recognition of the contributions of Matt Leyden, past president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1965-67, and former manager of the Oshawa Generals who spent more than 50 years with the team.
Laxdal joins other past Generals coaches in DJ Smith (2013-14), Paul Theriault (1986-87), Bill White (1977-78) and inaugural winner Gus Bodnar (1971-72) as the fifth coach in franchise history to win the Matt Leyden Trophy.
Laxdal will be the OHL’s nominee for the Brian Kilrea Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year Award which will be presented at the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Kia, set to take place in Saginaw, Michigan from May 24th through June 2nd. Laxdal will be formally presented with the Matt Leyden Trophy at the OHL’s Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, June 12th at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
For a complete OHL Awards history, click here.
OHL Writers 