Assistant Coach Derrick Martin Adjusting To Life In Kelowna

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WHL Kelowna Rockets

Assistant Coach Derrick Martin Adjusting To Life In Kelowna

August 31, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


There will be a new face joining Head Coach Kris Mallette behind the Rockets bench this season, as newly named Assistant Coach Derrick Martin has assumed the duties left by Josh MacNevin who took a job with the American Hockey League's Rockford Icehogs in early July.

Martin comes to Kelowna from the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Camrose Kodiaks where he spent last season as the team's head coach and general manager. The Vermilion, AB native said he and his family are excited for the new opportunity in Kelowna with the Rockets.

"Yeah, it's been great," Martin told kelownarockets.com midway through Day 3 of Rockets Training Camp. "Honestly, everyone in the organization, the Hamilton family, the Mallette family, they've been super welcoming. It's been fun to get to know the staff around here ... everyone's been kind and helpful. My family just got in two nights ago so it's nice to be able to start putting some roots down in Kelowna."

"You never do anything on your own. I tell everybody I've got the best support system in the world at home. My wife (Kari) believes in me and believes in what we're doing as a family. When this opportunity came, she was on board even before I was. And my kids, it's tough to pull your kids out of the only home they've ever known but they've been really open minded and really embracing it. Like anything else there's little bumps in the road but we're happy to be here."

What was it about Kelowna that was so attractive to Martin and his family?

"I've always said that you want to be where people care and there's nowhere like this in the league. It's a logo that is recognized across North America. It's a franchise that has a legacy and a proud one at that," Martin said. "You can hear that passion when I talked with Bruce and Curtis (Hamilton), and when I talk with Kris (Mallette) so to be a part of an organization like that, it means so much as to what you do on a daily basis."

"To get to come and work with players like we do in this organization and to have a coach mentor like Kris that I get to work with on a daily basis, learn from, share ideas with and challenge each other, it's a place where I know I'm going to grow a ton as a person as well as a coach. All those things are exciting. Then from a family standpoint, there's not many better places than Kelowna to live in Western Canada so to have that opportunity to now be here as a family, I'm looking forward to that aspect as well."

Martin got his coaching start in his hometown of Vermilion before moving onto coaching the Southside Athletic Club in Edmonton, the AJHL's Spruce Grove Saints, OHA Edmonton, various opportunities with Hockey Alberta and Camrose before finding his new home in Kelowna.

"I'm firm but fair," Martin said when asked about what Rockets fans can expect from him behind the bench. "There's an expectation that we all have to abide by. But at the same time, I think I'm a people person as well. Relationships are important for me as we're going through camp right now."

"I enjoy that part. I think that it's a huge piece and being able to trust each other is having that relationship. So, I put an immense amount of value on that. I don't think I'm old school, I don't think I'm new school, I think I'm somewhere in the middle ... a hybrid of the two where I believe in having expectations and high expectations and showing up every day and putting in the work to achieve them."

Kelowna will kick off the 2024-25 preseason on the road against the Kamloops Blazers at the Sandman Centre on Friday, September 6. Fans will get their first opportunity to see Martin behind the Rockets bench when they host the Blazers the next night on September 7.

The Rockets will then wrap up their preseason schedule with a home-and-home with the Vancouver Giants. The Rockets will host Vancouver on Saturday, September 14 before travelling to Ladner to wrap up the preseason against the Giants on Sunday, September 15.

Kelowna will open the regular season on Saturday, September 21 against the Portland Winterhawks at Prospera Place.

Tickets can be purchased online through www.selectyourtickets.com, at the Prospera Place box office, or by phone at 250-762-5050.

Check out the Kelowna Rockets Statistics

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