Derek Holmes

Derek Leroy Holmes (August 15, 1939 – November 24, 2025) was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, administrator and agent. He served as captain of the Eastern Canadian national team during the late 1960s, and was the technical director of Hockey Canada from 1974 to 1980. He managed the Canadian national teams at the 1977 and 1978 Ice Hockey World Championships, and helped build the 1980 Winter Olympics team. Holmes spent many years on the international ice hockey stage, which included coaching of the Finland and Switzerland national men's teams, and as an international ice hockey agent who signed players to European teams. He was inducted into the builder category of the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1999, the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame in 2021, and was twice inducted into the Kemptville District Sports Hall of Fame.

Early life Derek Leroy Holmes was born in Kemptville, Ontario, on August 15, 1939. He was the third of four children to Thomas Fraser Holmes and Elsie Stewart, and had two brothers and a sister. and was primarily as a centre, with a right-hand shot. Recruited by Bob Davidson of the Toronto Maple Leafs to play for the St. Michael's Buzzers, Holmes attended St. Michael's College School and won the Toronto city championship. Leaving Toronto after one season, he was captain of the Ottawa Shamrocks in the Interprovincial Junior Hockey League for one season, then was the league's most valuable player next season for the Ottawa Montagnards. After the Montagnards completed the playoffs, Holmes joined the Pembroke Lumber Kings winning the league championship, and briefly played for Ottawa CTC in the Interprovincial Senior Hockey League. He had signed a contract to play in Italy for the next season, when International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) president Bunny Ahearne recruited Holmes to coach the Finland men's national team since its coach Joe Wirkkunen had become ill. Holmes asked his mother to send him The Hockey Handbook by Lloyd Percival, after noticing that Soviet coach Anatoly Tarasov used the book. He assembled a national team with an average age less than 23, and only two players who spoke English. Finland finished seventh at the 1961 World Championships with one win versus the West Germany, one tie versus the East Germany, and five losses. After one year of coaching, Holmes resumed his playing career. Holmes was captain of this team which shared home games between Kemptville and Prescott, won the ODHA Senior A championship versus the Ottawa Montagnards, and reached the 1963 Allan Cup Eastern Canada quarterfinals. Holmes joined the Canada men's national team when it was divided into western and eastern branches in 1967. Playing for coach Jack Bownass, Holmes was named captain of the Eastern national team. In the 1967–68 season, the Eastern national team played in the Quebec Senior Hockey League to prepare for the 1968 Winter Olympics, but Holmes missed the Olympics with a hip injury. His tenure with the national team ended following the 1969 World Championships in Stockholm where Canada placed fourth. The Rangers finished the season with 30 wins and 5 ties, in 55 games played. Beginning with Hockey Canada in 1974, he felt its purpose was to "beat the Russians".

alt=Black and white photo of Bauer in 1944 dressed in a St. Michael's Majors hockey uniform

When Hockey Canada reorganized in 1976, Holmes became the executive secretary-treasurer. He scouted talent the 1976 World Championships and predicted that no country would dominate the upcoming Canada Cup. He later felt that Canada was favoured, on a team assembled by Sam Pollock. Holmes felt that resuming a permanent Canadian Olympic team became more likely, since the 1976 Canada Cup allowed best-on-best competition. Holmes supported Father David Bauer being put in charge of a committee for selecting a team for the 1980 Winter Olympics. Holmes anticipated using National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA) players in Canada's return to the World Championships since its withdrawal in 1970. but Holmes felt that Canadians had low expectations for the 1977 World Championships, and opined "there are a lot of awfully good hockey players who never got a chance to play on a Team Canada".

Holmes searched for a coach that would bring new ideas to the national team, later appointing Johnny Wilson. Holmes was an assistant coach to Wilson, along with Phil Esposito. Holmes stressed that Canada needed to be disciplined due to the lengthy trip, roster size, and the style of international play. After a fourth-place finish at the 1977 World Championships, Holmes felt the team was not disciplined enough, and that roster limitations prevented Canada from replacing players. He recommended going back to a permanent national team similar to the 1960s. and aimed for a more disciplined team. In 1978, he had difficulties getting commitments for the national team, since the NHL and the WHA were signing players to minor league contracts, instead of allowing them to play internationally. At the 1978 World Championships, Canada improved to a third-place finish.

Attending Canadian tryouts for the 1980 Winter Olympics, Holmes worked with Father Bauer and Georges Larivière to build a team during 1978. Holmes's plan for the national program was a separate team for the World Juniors, and a senior team for other tournaments.

When Lou Lefaive became president of Hockey Canada in 1980, it lessened administrative duties on Holmes, although he resigned on March 31, 1980, without giving a reason. William Houston speculated that Holmes had grown tired of working with Alan Eagleson. Holmes said later in an interview, that Eagleson never felt his actions were wrong, that he could do anything he wanted regardless of the opinions of others, and took credit where it was not due. Holmes was at the Hotel International Prague during the 1972 World Ice Hockey Championships, and said that Eagleson did not take part in the 1972 Summit Series negotiations, and was actually told to mind his own business.

Player agent Six years after leaving Hockey Canada and working in the private sector, Holmes became a full-time international hockey player agent until 2018, helping players move from Canada to Europe and vice versa. He found a contract for Garry Monahan in Japan, and negotiated a deal for Denis Potvin to play in Europe. Other notable clients included Bruce Cassidy, Fran Huck, Dale McCourt, Rick Middleton, Morris Mott, Danny O'Shea, and Kevin O'Shea. Cassidy described Holmes saying, "he became like an adopted father to me, offering much more than simple hockey advice".

Personal life and death Holmes was married to Louise Cornu for more than 55 years, and was a member of the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. He died on November 24, 2025, at age 86. He was inducted into the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame during a virtual ceremony in 2021, when the original ceremony was postponed from 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.