Former Dukes, Hawks head coach finds new home in Cobourg

A former Wellington Dukes and Trenton Golden Hawks head coach has turned up in a new location. Derek Smith was announced this week as the new bench boss of the second iteration of the Cobourg Cougars, joining a franchise that was recently relocated from...

A former Wellington Dukes and Trenton Golden Hawks head coach has turned up in a new location. Derek Smith was announced this week as the new bench boss of the second iteration of the Cobourg Cougars, joining a franchise that was recently relocated from Minden, where they were known as the Haliburton County Huskies. The former NHL defenceman with the Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames spent the past three seasons with the Golden Hawks, winning a Buckland Cup in 2025 and making it to the OJHL final in 2024.

Prior to that, Smith was a head and assistant coach with Wellington, claiming a league title in 2018. Smith joins general manager Ryan Ramsay in a bid to return the Cougars to the postseason.