Daniel Jacob appointed head coach of the Laval Rocket
He becomes the fifth head coach in Rocket history
ByLaval Rocket PR
July 13, 2026
LAVAL – Laval Rocket general manager John Sedgwick today announced the appointment of Daniel Jacob as head coach of the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League. With over 15 years of experience in junior and professional hockey, Jacob served as an assistant coach in the AHL for seven seasons with the Laval Rocket, the Syracuse Crunch, and the San Diego Gulls.
“The Montreal Canadiens organization is proud to promote Daniel Jacob to the position of head coach of the Laval Rocket. Daniel brings over 15 years of experience as an assistant coach in both the QMJHL and AHL, and we believe that he is ready to take the next step in his impressive coaching career. In his time with the Laval Rocket, Daniel has earned the respect of all his colleagues and players with his relentless enthusiasm, work ethic and undeniable passion for the game of hockey and for improving hockey players. He is an excellent communicator with a proven track record of player development and strong values which are aligned with those of the Montreal Canadiens and Laval Rocket organizations. Daniel is the right person for this role, and we have full confidence in his ability to continue to develop our young players in a competitive environment. Congratulations to Daniel and his family and we look forward to his tenure as our head coach,” said Sedgwick.
Jacob, 45, spent the last two seasons (2024-25 and 2025-26) with the Laval Rocket as an assistant coach. He served as the defensemen’s coach and oversaw the penalty kill units. This is Jacob’s second stint with the Laval Rocket, having joined the team in its second year (2018-19 to 2020-21). He also served as an assistant coach with the San Diego Gulls and the Syracuse Crunch for one season each.
Before making the leap to the professional level as a coach, Jacob was an assistant coach for four seasons with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL. He also spent four seasons as an assistant coach for the McGill University team in U Sports.
Before making his coaching debut, the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu native played for McGill University for four seasons, following a brief stint with the Drummondville Voltigeurs organization in the QMJHL. He tallied 37 points (16G, 21A) and 369 penalty minutes in 108 games at the Canadian university level. He then finished his playing career with the San Antonio Rampage in the American Hockey League, before concluding his professional career with Innsbruck HC in Austria
