David Urquhart has stepped down as head coach of the McGill University men’s hockey team to accept an assistant coaching position with the Laval Rocket, according to an announcement from McGill Athletics & Recreation. Urquhart departs the Redbirds after five seasons behind the bench, finishing with a 103-80 overall record, to join the American Hockey League affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens.
Transition to the American Hockey League
Urquhart joins a Laval coaching staff headed by newly appointed head coach Daniel Jacob, according to an official announcement from the Laval Rocket. Jacob, a 2005 McGill education graduate and former team captain, brings over 15 years of coaching experience in junior and professional hockey, including stints as an assistant in the AHL with Laval, the Syracuse Crunch, and the San Diego Gulls.
According to McGill Athletics, Daniel Méthot, director of university sport programs, praised Urquhart’s contributions as a student-athlete, assistant, and head coach, noting that a successor will be announced shortly. The move marks a return to the professional ranks for Urquhart, who previously spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the San Diego Gulls under the Anaheim Ducks organization.
Deep Roots in U Sports and Professional Playing Career
Urquhart’s association with McGill spans more than two decades, beginning when he played as a defenceman from 2004 to 2008. During his university playing career, he served as team captain, captured three Ontario University Athletics (OUA) all-star nods, earned second-team All-Canadian honours, and led McGill to its first Queen’s Cup conference title since 1946.
Following his graduation from McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management with a finance and entrepreneurship degree, Urquhart enjoyed a professional playing career spanning North America and Europe. According to McGill records, he played in the American Hockey League for Hartford and Hamilton, skated in the ECHL for Charlotte and Wheeling, and played abroad in Italy, winning an Italian league championship with Ritten-Renon in 2014 before returning to McGill as an assistant coach.
Historical Connection Between McGill and Professional Coaching
Urquhart and Jacob join a select group of former McGill hockey figures to work behind an American Hockey League bench. According to university records, past McGill alumni who have held AHL coaching roles include George Burnett, Mike Babcock, Guy Boucher, Martin Raymond, and Jamie Kompon, alongside former NHL coaches Bryan Murray and Doug Carpenter.
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