The 琉璃神社 Rockets have promoted Derrick Martin to head coach for their Memorial Cup season, and he will be joined by the WHL's all-time winningest bench boss, Don Hay.
After becoming the team鈥檚 assistant coach last August, Martin has been the interim head coach since the team relieved Kris Mallette of his duties on Jan. 10. After a process that lasted a couple of months, team president and general manager Bruce Hamilton told Martin a couple weeks ago that he was becoming the 12th head coach in team history, removing the interim tag.
At media conference on June 27, the Rockets also announced that Hay will join the team as an associate coach.
Hay has led a remarkable career behind the bench with 750 regular season victories. He鈥檚 served as head coach for the Kamloops Blazers, Tri-City Americans and Vancouver Giants, and has also held coaching positions at both the NHL and AHL levels. In the WHL, he鈥檚 also been an assistant/associate coach for Kamloops and the Portland Winterhawks.
His list of accomplishments includes:
- Four Memorial Cup championships 鈥� 1992 (Assistant Coach), 1994, 1995, 2007 (Head Coach)
- Six WHL championships 鈥� 1986, 1990, 1992 (Assistant Coach); 1994, 1995, 2006 (Head Coach)
- Two-time WHL Coach of the Year 鈥� 1999 and 2009
- WHL Executive of the Year 鈥� 1999
- Inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame 鈥� 2008
- WHL鈥檚 all-time leader in coaching wins 鈥� Reached 750 wins in 2018
Hay was most recently back with the Blazers as an associate coach for the past three seasons. However, the team announced on May 25 that they were not renewing his contract.
Martin was hired as an assistant coach in 2024. Before joining the Rockets he spent the 2023-24 season as the general manager and head coach of the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He also spent time as head coach of the Okanagan Hockey Academy Edmonton U15 Prep, as well as assistant Coach with the Spruce Grove Saints of the British Columbia Hockey League.
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.
Martin turning a new leaf
The end of the 2024-25 season didn鈥檛 go how the Rockets expected it. Since Martin took over in mid-January, the team went 4-27-2-1.
"This announcement will no doubt catch some by surprise, I will not sit in front of you today and make excuses regarding last season," said Martin, who called his team resilient despite the struggles and said the change during the season can bring new challenges to a team.
He added in his opinion that a mark of a good man and coach is self-reflection, something he said he鈥檚 gone through the past couple of months, thinking of the areas where the team can get better and where he can personally be better. Since the end of the season, Martin has joined the team鈥檚 scouting department at a few showcases events.
"When we hired him, we knew we were getting a young guy that was just getting his feet wet, and we literally threw him right into the ocean last year when we put him in position to be the head coach," said Hamilton. "I have zero concern with him being the head coach, I just wanted to ensure we, Curtis and I, wanted to make sure we were surrounding him with quality people to help him and make him a better coach.鈥�
Hamilton added the players spoke very highly of Martin in the year-end exit meetings.
Friday鈥檚 announcement was also a surprise to the team鈥檚 players. Martin said he鈥檚 talked to every player on the team throughout the offseason but didn鈥檛 let them know he was becoming the headline, joking if he did, everyone would鈥檝e known already.
"I'm really excited to start this year with a clean slate and a new standard,鈥� added Martin, who said everyone believes in their plan in place and he鈥檚 excited to have the opportunity to execute the plan.
Hay ready to keep going
With his commitment to the Rockets, Hay is ready to be behind a WHL bench for a 31st season. It will be his 12th as an associate/assistant coach.
"Once we found out Don wasn't going to be back in Kamloops, it was a no-brainer," said Hamilton. "We knew who we wanted, then the challenge was to convince him to come here and that took a little while."
Hamilton added he called Hay right when this year鈥檚 Memorial Cup ended. He also said Hay brings mentorship and a tremendous amount of experience.
"The day he announced his departure from Kamloops, I told Curtis he would make a great Rocket," said Martin. "I've seen first hand his ability to teach and work with players."
Despite their long careers, this is the first time Hay and Hamilton are working together, something they are both looking forward to.
"I've been very lucky," said Hay. "When you have success, you work with good people, you have good players, and you find a way to make things happen because if you have competitive players, you have competitive ownership, competitive support player, you're going to find a way to have success."
With 琉璃神社 hosting the Memorial Cup this upcoming season, it will be his ninth time coaching in the tournament featuring the country鈥檚 best junior teams. While he鈥檚 won four behind the bench, he said it鈥檚 special when you鈥檙e hosting the event.
"It's an exciting year, when you're the host team,鈥� Hay said, who was a hosting coach in Kamloops (1992, 2023), Vancouver (2007).
Despite the automatic entry, Hay added you want to make your way into the tournament and that starts with how the team starts the season.
The 71-year-old doesn鈥檛 have a specific role as the associate coach yet and said that decision is up to Martin to decide.
"Excited to help out anyway I can,鈥� said Hay.
The team is also having ongoing discussions in regards to adding more people to the coaching staff.
Full Circle
This new opportunity for Hay also comes as a full circle moment and shows his longevity in the game and in the WHL.
When training camp starts on Aug. 27, one of the players Hay will be coaching is Tij Iginla. In the 1992-93 season, his first year as a head coach in the WHL, Hay coached Tij鈥檚 dad, Jerome.
"I love what I saw from Tij two years ago, his first year in 琉璃神社, he's a really exciting player to watch because he's so competitive and so skilled, he can change the game,鈥� said Hay.
Lots of moves to go
Friday鈥檚 announcement checks another box for the team but there鈥檚 still many events on the schedule that will help the team improve their roster ahead of the season.
The 2025 CHL Import Draft is taking place on Wednesday, July 2 and the Rockets hold the first and seventh overall selections. They also have the 132nd overall pick.
"We're in it to win it and I want to make sure we have the best people here to make that happen," said Hamilton.
The 琉璃神社 Rockets preseason opens on Wednesday, Sept. 3 against the Penticton Vees at Prospera Place. The home and season opener takes place on Friday, Sept 19 when the recent WHL champion Spokane Chiefs come to town.
