"Derek Laxdal" is a former professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey)/right winger. Since 2014 he has been head coach of the American Hockey League/AHL Texas Stars. Previously he served as head coach of the Western Hockey League/WHL Edmonton Oil Kings and the ECHL Idaho Steelheads. Laxdal led the Steelheads to the Kelly Cup championship in the 2006–07 ECHL season/2006–07 season and won the 2014 Memorial Cup with the Oil Kings.

Laxdal was drafted in the eighth round, 151st overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played 67 games in the National Hockey League: 51 over four seasons with the Maple Leafs and 16 more over two seasons with the New York Islanders. In an almost 20 year career, he scored points at every level, including a successful four year stint in the UK between 1995/96 and 1998/99, where he iced for the Humberside Hawks, Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers.

More Derek Laxdal on Wikipedia.

We literally got outworked in every zone. It was a clear, simple, good ass kicking.

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The big thing is, when you're coming to the end of your career, your love of the game intensifies. When you're in the dressing room, there's such a camaraderie. They're you're family. If it is your last year, then that magnifies it.

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We're a physically and mentally fatigued team right now.

168

The guys battled hard and never quit, they even got more energized in the third period.

157

He's not going to do anything flashy. He's not going to skate the puck end to end. He's not going to have 15 hits a game, because his body just won't allow him to do that. But he knows how to play within his means.

156

I don't want to talk about the refs. There's no use in talking about the refs. That's not the reason we lost the game. I'm more disappointed in my team.

140

There's a great taste of playoff hockey right there. ... Tonight was probably more of a normal game you're going to see out of these two teams.

126

I told the guys we'd feel a lot better after the game if we won. ... Right now we're beat up and sick, so we'll take points any way we can.

117

I don't know what kind of history they had there, but obviously we had some history tonight and last night. And it makes for some entertaining hockey.

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