Kris Mallette has been fired as the head coach of the Kelowna Rockets.
The Friday morning announcement came in a press release, days after several key players were moved ahead of the trade deadline.
Derrick Martin has been named the Rockets interim head coach and have hired Liam McOnie as an assistant coach.
“I’d say it’s been a tough week. We moved some of our best players and acquired some solid, good young people that are joining our organization,” Rockets president and GM Bruce Hamilton said. “I just felt that with the new players here, if we were going to make a coaching change that now would be appropriate time.”
Hamilton thanked Mallette for his time with the organization.
Mallette was first hired as an assistant coach in 2014 and promoted to head coach in March 2020.
He has a 121-107-19 record behind the bench.
“I can’t thank Kris enough for what he’s done for our organization. He’s been with us longer than anybody has been in the organization, maybe other than Scott Hoyer,” Hamilton added.
“He was all class when I met him today and he’s a really good person. He’s going to land on his feet and get another hockey job in a hurry. He’s had tremendous success at the international level, and we wish him nothing but the best.”
Martin is in his first season as a member of the Rockets coaching staff. He was hired as an assistant coach during the summer of 2024.
Prior to his time in the WHL, Martin spent the 2023-24 season as the General Manager and Head Coach of the Camrose Kodiaks.