OHL Sudbury Wolves

Wolves Announce MacKenzie as Head Coach

Published on November 9, 2022 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Sudbury Wolves News Release


(Greater Sudbury, ON) The Sudbury Wolves are very pleased to announce that alumnus Derek MacKenzie has been named the 31st Head Coach of the Sudbury Wolves.

"I'd like to thank Dario, Rob, and the whole Sudbury Wolves organization for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to take this Wolves team to the next level," said MacKenzie. "I'd like to thank Ken, Rick and Gary for doing an outstanding job to this point. My family and I are very excited to be coming back home. Although we have challenges ahead of us, I'm very excited and optimistic that this team will have great success in the future and I'm looking forward to getting home as soon as possible."

"Being able to bring Derek home to the Wolves is outstanding for our players, fans and our program," said Sudbury Wolves VP and General Manager Rob Papineau. "He has the highest integrity and is one of the best people you will meet in the game. He also possesses a tremendous work ethic and knowledge of the game. Last season he helped guide an NHL team to the Presidents Trophy and 1st place overall.

Our players will learn a lot from him and are very fortunate to be able to have Derek as their new Head Coach. He comes from a tremendous family that has very deep roots and passion for the Sudbury Wolves and he understands what it takes to be successful in this game," added Papineau.

"I assure Sudbury Wolves fans that I will do whatever it takes to bring a championship team to Sudbury, and I believe Derek will help us take that next step in achieving that," said Sudbury Wolves Owner and CEO Dario Zulich. "I have worked hard with the organization this past year to provide a new experience for Wolves fans and I want to continue to do that in every aspect of the organization and bring playoff hockey back to Sudbury."

"The Sudbury Wolves are very fortunate to have brought in someone of Derek Mackenzie's stature," said Andrew Brunette, Associate Coach of the New Jersey Devils and finalist for the 2021-22 NHL Coach of the Year Jack Adams award. "The Wolves have always been in his heart and soul, he has always been proud of the history and culture that hockey has brought to the City of Greater Sudbury. Having been around Derek for the last 25 plus years, the Wolves are getting one of the most passionate, dedicated and hardest working people I have been around. To have been able to watch him grow as a player, where he showed incredible resiliency in not only making the NHL, but becoming a valuable leader and then a Captain, speaks volumes of the commitment he has shown, of always trying to be the best he can be. He has brought same passion to coaching, where he was fortunate enough to work for the best coach of all time Joel Quenneville, and like his playing career he has shown the same passion and dedication to be the best coach he can be. The Sudbury Wolves players are getting a coach who will help drive them to be the best of versions of themselves and if they keep their eyes and ears open, they will learn not only how to win, but how much hard work, resiliency and dedication to their craft is needed, that they will carry with them in their journey in hockey, or more importantly in life."

MacKenzie played 257 games through four seasons for the Sudbury Wolves between 1997 and 2001 accumulating 95 goals and 158 assists for 253 points. In 1999, MacKenzie was drafted in the 5th round of the NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers. He had an 18-year professional hockey career spanning across the AHL and NHL including time with the Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers. Through 550 AHL games, MacKenzie had 147 goals and 185 assists for 332 points and 567 penalty minutes. During his 611 NHL games, the 41-year-old Sudbury native scored 51 goals and added 74 assists for 125 points and 337 penalty minutes. MacKenzie helped Canada win a bronze medal at the 2001 World Junior Hockey Championship. He also won the Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves in 2012.

Derek served as an alternate captain of the Florida Panthers from 2014-16 and captain from 2016-18.

After suffering an injury in 2018 and retiring, MacKenzie assisted the Panthers coaching staff in an unofficial capacity before he was officially named an assistant coach with the Panthers in 2019.

MacKenzie coached along side Sudbury native Andrew Brunette in Florida from 2019-2022 where they helped lead the Panthers to the best record in the NHL last season.

Derek is also the son of Sudbury Wolves Assistant General Manager and Interim Head Coach Ken MacKenzie.

Coach MacKenzie is expected to take over the reigns behind the bench beginning November 18th as he works through some logistics of moving back to Sudbury, however, will begin to work virtually with the coaching staff and players immediately. The Wolves are currently coming off a big 8-4 win over the Mississauga Steelheads this past Sunday and will return to home ice this weekend for double-header action on Friday November 11th against the Guelph Storm and Saturday November 12th against the Kitchener Rangers. Both games are set for 7:05pm puck drops. Tickets are on sale now at the Sudbury Arena Box Office and online at greatersudbury.ca/tickets.

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