Derek Holmes (born August 15, 1939) is a Canadian retired 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 World Ice Hockey Championships, and helped build the 1980 Winter Olympics team. Holmes spent many years on the international ice hockey stage, which included being head coach of Team Finland and Team Switzerland, and later as an international ice hockey agent signing many players to European teams. He was inducted into the builder category of the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1999, the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2021, and is a double inductee into the Kemptville District Sports Hall of Fame.
Player and coach
Holmes was born in Kemptville, Ontario, on August 15, 1939. He played primarily as a centre, and had a right-hand shot. He played minor ice hockey locally in Kemptville, then joined the Kemptville Royals at age 15, and later won a Citizen Shield with the team in 1957. Holmes played junior ice hockey for the Ottawa Shamrocks, and the Toronto St. Michael's Majors. While playing for the Majors, he attended St. Michael's College School. At age 19, Holmes chose to leave the Majors, and play in Europe.
Holmes played for the Wembley Lions of the British National League during the 1959–60 season. He commented that "it was the best thing that ever happened to me". He later coached a club team in Finland, and was head coach of the Finland men's national ice hockey team for the 1961 World Ice Hockey Championships. Finland had 1 win, 1 tie, and 5 losses, placing seventh overall.
Holmes began the 1962–63 season on the Windsor Bulldogs in the OHA Senior A League, then finished with the Kemptville-Prescott Combines team in the Ottawa District Hockey Association (ODHA). The team shared home games between Kemptville and Prescott, and won the ODHA Senior A championship in a three-game sweep versus the Ottawa Montagnards. Holmes was captain of this team which reached the Eastern Canada quarterfinals for the 1963 Allan Cup.
Holmes returned to Europe between 1963 and 1966, playing for EC Kitzbühel in Austria, HC La Chaux-de-Fonds, EV Zug, and HC Ambrì-Piotta in Switzerland; was the most valuable player during the 1965 Spengler Cup tournament, and won a championship in the Swiss National League. During these years, he spent time as a player-coach for the Switzerland men's national ice hockey team, and the Austria men's national ice hockey team.
Holmes returned to Canada again, and played senior hockey in Morrisburg during the 1966–67 season. He then joined the Canada men's national ice hockey team, when it was divided into western and eastern branches. Holmes played for head Jack Bownass, and was named captain of the Eastern National Team. He played three season for the Eastern National team from 1967 to 1970, but did not play in the 1968 Winter Olympics due to a knee injury, and later graduated from Carleton University with a degree in history.
Holmes also played senior ice hockey for the Ottawa Nationals during the 1968–69 season, and his final year as a player was the 1969–70 season, playing for the Rochester Junior Americans, and the Syracuse Stars. Holmes was head coach of the Switzerland men's national ice hockey team at the 1972 World Ice Hockey Championships, and the 1972 Winter Olympics. He returned to Canada and coached the Ottawa M and W Rangers team in the Central Canada Hockey League during the 1972–73 season, which included future International Ice Hockey Federation medical officer, Mark Aubry. The Rangers finished the season with 30 wins and 5 ties, in 55 games played.
Hockey Canada
Holmes was recruited by Doug Fisher and Lou Lefaive while he was coaching Switzerland at the 1972 World Ice Hockey Championships, to become a full-time employee for Hockey Canada. He began working for Hockey Canada in April 1974, and said its purpose was to "beat the Russians". He served as the technical director from 1974 to 1980, and summarized his work with Hockey Canada as being a project coordinator, administrator, and scouting Team Canada players for the Ice Hockey World Championships, and the 1980 Winter Olympics.