The Durham RoadRunners are excited to announce the hiring of new General Manager & Head Coach Derrick Smith for the upcoming 2021/22 season.
A former OHL graduate of the Peterborough Petes and 43rd overall pick of the Philadelphia Flyers. Smith brings a proven track record at all levels of the game including 10 seasons in the NHL and playing in 2 Stanley Cup finals. After retiring he has focused on coaching for the past 20 years in the OHL, OJHL, ACH and most recently Oshawa Minor Midget AAA. In his last season, Smith took his Minor Midget AAA team to the 2020 OMHA Cup final game and earned a berth in the OHL Cup prior to being cancelled due to COVID-19.
Last summer Smith was able to proudly watch as 7 of his players from this team were selected in the OHL draft including his own son selected by the Oshawa Generals.
Derrick had this to say on his appointment: “I am very excited to accept this position and looking forward to instilling a winning culture here in Oshawa with the Roadrunners. Developing and advancing players is high on my list as is building a championship team. I look forward to putting COVID behind our game and getting to work this summer as we prepare for the upcoming season.”
