Steve O’Rourke, hired Friday as coach of PWHL Seattle, could have joined that other Seattle pro hockey team last year.
O’Rourke had been an assistant on Derek Laxdal’s staff with the OHL Oshawa Generals. If that second name sounds familiar, Laxdal was hired one year ago to coach the Kraken AHL farm team in Coachella Valley.
According to DurhamRegion.com, “Laxdal offered him an assistant position at Coachella Valley, but he said he turned it down to take on the head job with Oshawa. ‘In hindsight, I wouldn’t change things because I wanted to be a head coach,’ O’Rourke said.”
The reason O’Rourke needed hindsight was because despite an 18-10-2 record, the rookie coach was fired by Oshawa last December due to what the club called “philosophical” differences. Utilizing the kind of glowing reference that makes you wonder why such people were let go, Oshawa GM Roger Hunt said, “He did nothing wrong, he never got in trouble. He’s a great man and a good coach and he’ll be back coaching before you know it.”
PWHL Seattle this week made that prediction come true. General manager Meghan Turner said in a press release, “He brings a great hockey mind, a clear vision for the game, and a strong commitment to developing both our team and our players as individuals. We’re confident in his leadership and excited to start this next chapter with him behind the bench.”
O’Rourke is no stranger to Washington State, having played defense for the WHL Tri-City Americans from 1991-93. His pro journey included three seasons in a southwest London suburb for the Bracknell Bees of the British Ice Hockey Superleague.
During his stay in Tri-City, O’Rourke was chosen in the 7th round of the 1992 draft by the New York Islanders. He never made it as high as the AHL as a player, but did as an assistant coach with the Abbortsford Heat (Calgary Flames farm team) from 2009-11.
He spent six seasons as an assistant/associate coach in the WHL with Red Deer and Prince George between 2013-19. After spending time in the Cougars’ front office, O’Rourke returned to coaching on Laxdal’s Oshawa staff in 2022. The Generals surprised the OHL in 2023 by making it all the way to the league finals.
O’Rourke is a native of Summerland, BC, five hours east of Vancouver. “I’ve seen first-hand how much the game has grown in this region. The passion and support for hockey here is real, and I’m proud to now be part of it in a new way.” He boasts a BA in Kinesiology, and an MBA in Sport Management.
Steve isn’t the first O’Rourke to make the move to Puget Sound. Son Ethan played 29 games for the Everett Silvertips during the 2017-18 season.
The next key date for the new PWHL franchise is the Draft on June 24th. Seattle will make six picks, including the eighth overall selection.