New Cougars Coach Derek Smith Wants to Restore Team’s Standing in League and Community
(Derek Smith, left, and Ryan Ramsay, right, pictured in this Cobourg Cougars graphic)
Jeff Gard/Today’s Northumberland
Derek Smith has coached against the Cobourg Cougars for Ontario Junior Hockey League rival clubs. Now, he’s been tasked with helping restore credibility and success for the local junior A club heading into the 2026-27 OJHL season.
Smith, who played in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames, brings eight seasons of OJHL coaching experience after previous stops with the Wellington Dukes and Trenton Golden Hawks.
During his junior coaching career, Smith has captured two OJHL Buckland Cup championships, won two silver medals with Canada East at the World Junior A Challenge and earned a league coach of the year award.
The Belleville resident said the opportunity to join the Cougars was appealing both professionally and personally after Cobourg inherited the former Haliburton County Huskies franchise.
“Ryan Ramsay and the ownership group from Haliburton did a really good job of bringing the team up there (from Whitby) and had a very successful few seasons, both on the ice and in the community. They made the decision to move to Cobourg, which really benefits myself and my family. It’s close to home, it’s a great hockey community,” Smith told Today’s Northumberland.
“We’re pretty blessed in this area to have Wellington, Trenton and Cobourg which all have great fan support, great arenas and we’re excited for the challenge to get Cobourg back to where it should be. I’m very excited to take the reins as head coach and have a successful year on and off the ice.”
The OJHL announced earlier this summer the simultaneous relocation of two member franchises, with Haliburton moving to Cobourg and assuming the Cougars identity while the previous Cougars ownership group relocated its franchise to Toronto, where it will compete as the Toronto Warriors.
The move follows a difficult 2025-26 season in Cobourg that included a number of coaching and staff changes, roster turnover and declining attendance. The Cougars finished 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 9-47 record, while the Huskies posted a 31-23-2 record to finish fifth.
Ramsay, one of the new owners alongside Paul Wilson, also serves as the team’s president and general manager.
Smith said he hopes to help restore the Cobourg organization’s standing in the league following a tumultuous season.
“You don’t ever want to see teams not have success. Obviously we’re all competitive, but we all want what’s best for the league and that is to have 24 competitive teams, especially in a market like Cobourg that has great fan support, it has an amazing arena, it’s on the 401 corridor, it has a small-town feel and to see what they went through last year it’s tough,” he said. “Rammer and company, they’re committed to having a very good team, they’re committed to developing and being back to being a huge part of the community.”
Smith said the roster will feature a solid nucleus of players arriving from Haliburton, along with experienced OJHL additions acquired through trades and players making the jump from minor hockey.
“I’ve been in contact with most of the guys. We’ve had some conversations about expectations and style of play and just how the season’s going to look. Ryan Ramsay’s done a great job with communication with the players and bringing the right guys in and we’re excited to work together.”
Among the returning faces is Liam Oravsky, who played for the Cougars last season before being traded to Haliburton.
“He has nothing but good things to say about the community. He’s excited to be back and we’re expecting big things from him on the ice. He had a great year last year once he left Cobourg and went to Hally and he’s going to be a huge part of our team from the get-go.”
Smith’s coaching staff has also been assembled. Chris Atanas joins as an assistant after previously coaching with the Wellington Dukes and helping the Northumberland Stars capture the 2026 GMHL Russell Cup championship as an assistant coach. Darryl Lloyd, whose playing career included time in the OHL, AHL, ECHL and five seasons with the Belfast Giants in the Elite Ice Hockey League, has also been named an assistant coach.
Off the ice, Smith hopes to reconnect with the volunteers, billet families and community members who have long been part of junior hockey in Cobourg.
“Junior hockey can’t survive without the local community. Cobourg has a strong fan base and very strong volunteer group – I know Ryan’s been in touch with a lot of people from the past. We can say a lot of words about how we’re going to make it fun for the community where we’re involved in the community – players are going to be very entrenched in the community – but it’s on us to follow through once the season starts and make sure it’s seamless to get the organization back and even better than it was,” Smith said.
“That is very hard to do without good people helping. We’re hoping a lot of people come back, we won’t be able to do it without them, but we’re excited to try to bring this organization back to where it needs to be.”
Cobourg’s training camp opens Aug. 20. While the OJHL has not yet released its regular-season schedule, the Cougars have announced a pair of exhibition home games against the Wellington Dukes at the Cobourg Community Centre on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 3 p.m. and Monday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. They will also play in Pickering on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m.
