Derian was born in Michigan and played in the NHL for 16 seasons after being drafted by the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota North Stars. Prior to Derian’s NHL career, he played in the OHL for 2 seasons with the North Bay Centennials. He made his debut in the NHL in the 1991-92 NHL Season with the North Stars and continued to play with the team for 2 seasons before being renamed the Dallas Stars which he then played for 10 seasons with. Following the Dallas Stars he joined the Detroit Red Wings and the Philadelphia Flyers for a combined 4 seasons. In totality of his NHL career, he played 1,045 games, collecting 80 goals, 251 points, 331 assists, and 1,581 penalty minutes. Post playing career Derian was the head coach for Sarnia Sting from 2015-2021.