Former Hawkesbury Hawk wins Olympic Gold as head coach of Canadian women’s hockey team

Doug Derraugh scored 69 goals over two seasons as a right winger for the local Junior A squad

Did you know that the head coach of Team Canada’s gold-medal winning Olympic women’s hockey team once played for the Hawkesbury Hawks?

Doug Derraugh, who last week coached the Canadian National Women’s Hockey Team to the gold medal in women’s hockey at the Winter Olympics in Beijing China, played for Hawkesbury’s Junior A team for two seasons during the 1980s. He has been the head coach of the Cornell University women’s hockey team since 2005 and is the most successful coach in the history of the program, with a record of 307-164-47. He was named the American Hockey Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2010, 2019 and 2020.

In his two seasons in Hawkesbury, Derraugh was a great right winger for the local Junior A squad. He recorded 34 goals and 31 assists during the 1985-86 season and 35 goals and 50 assists in just 52 games during 1986-87.

After leaving the Hawks, Derraugh studied at Cornell, where he played for four seasons from 1987 to 1991 for the university’s men’s hockey team. He served as co-captain in his senior year, leading the team in scoring with 30 goals and 36 assists, and stands tenth all-time at Cornell in career scoring, with 153 points on 66 goals and 87 assists in 119 games. After graduating from college, he played professionally in Europe for 13 seasons.

When his playing days ended, Derraugh was hired as head coach of the women’s hockey team by Cornell for the 2005-2006 season. In the year prior to his arrival, the team had a record of 3-22-3 and had not experienced a winning season since 1997-1998.

Derraugh was joined at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, by four members of his Cornell women’s hockey team, who played for Team Canada and won gold medals along with their coach.

Cougars, Volant evenly matched in series

It’s been a great start to the first round series between the Vankleek Hill Cougars and Gatineau-Hull Volant! The Cougars came back at home last Saturday evening to shut down the Volant 2-1, after losing the opening game of the series in Gatineau 6-5 in overtime on Friday.

It’s an interesting contrast in styles between the two teams. Vankleek Hill has a fast, young team that is highly skilled, while Gatineau plays a more physical game. The Cougars also have solid goaltending, as shown on Saturday, when Frederick Duroucher-Bourdon shut down the Volant on home ice.

Everyone on the Cougars played extremely well on Saturday night and I am really proud of them. I think they have the talent and drive to pull out the series win this weekend, but Gatineau-Hull is a tough opponent and won’t go down without a fight.

Let all get out and support the Cougars this Saturday (February 26) for game four at the Vankleek Hill Arena! Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Dagg plays first Junior A game

Westport Rideaus captain Kyle Dagg got called up to play with his hometown Smiths Falls Bears of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) last week. The 17-year-old right winger played his first ever CCHL and Junior A hockey game against the Navan Grads, as the Bears Bears topped the Grads 6-2 on February 15.

This is pretty cool for me, as I know Kyle’s family very well and his father is friends with my older brothers. He played minor hockey in the Rideau-St. Lawrence Kings system.

Kyle isn’t the biggest player, listed at 5’8” and 143 pounds, but he puts the puck in the net. He has eight goals and 29 assists for 37 points in just 26 games with the Westport Rideaus Junior B squad so far this season.

Gendron wins first EOJHL game

Rockland Nationals U18 goaltender Mael Gendron won his first ever Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League game with the Casselman Vikings 3-2, against Char-Lan Rebels last Thursday night (February 17).

Gendron stopped 22 of 24 shots he faced to earn his first EOJHL win. The young goaltender also had to be strong when Casselman was shorthanded and allowed only one goal on eight Char-Lan power play opportunities.

The 17-year-old netminder is a product of the Eastern Ontario Cobras and has a natural ability to stop the puck, along with a high hockey IQ. During the 2019-2020 season Gendron posted a 2.25 GAA and a 12-1-1 record in 16 games with the Cobras U15 AA squad. He was even better in the playoffs that year, posting a 1.29 GAA and a 6-0-1 record in seven games.

Definitely someone to keep an eye on over the next few seasons of Junior hockey.