Darren McCormick to Be Assistant and Goalie Coach

The Casper Warbirds recently hired Darren McCormick as their Assistant and Goalie Coach. He will start this upcoming season.

Before starting his impressive professional career, McCormick played Junior A hockey in the NAHL and OJHL. He also played in NCAA Division 3 at the State University of New York, Cortland, where he won a championship and earned awards for scoring and commitment to community service.

Out of college, McCormick’s professional career began as he was signed to play on the Buffalo Sabres' ECHL team. Across the past eight years, he has played professional hockey for the Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes, and Carolina Hurricanes’ ECHL affiliates. He played in the 2022 ECHL All-Star Game and won another championship with the Pensacola Ice Flyers, where he also led scoring in the Southern Professional Hockey League. To top it all off, McCormick also played in the top professional hockey leagues in France and Hungary.

Besides this extensive professional experience playing hockey, McCormick has also done more than his fair share of coaching. He served as a volunteer assistant for the Nichols 16U AAA Prep/Travel, assisted the Quad City Storm in the Southern Pro League, and spent fifteen years as a Goalie Coach for Janosz Goaltending. McCormick taught edgework and shooting in Burlington, Ontario, and even worked as a skills coach for professional and development teams in Budapest. 

Across levels and countries, McCormick has given his life to playing and teaching others to play hockey. His wife, Caitlin Gilligan—former professional player and founder of Caitlin Gilligan Hockey Training—will be working as Vice President of Women’s Hockey Development in Casper. They are both looking forward to working with the Casper Warbirds for their inaugural season this fall.