Thursday, June 30, 2022. 6:07 PM
Detroit Red Wings vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced Derek Lalonde as the team’s new head coach.
Lalonde has spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning. So he helped the team win back-to-back championships in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
“I am extremely happy to announce the arrival of Derek Lalonde as head coach,” said Yzerman. He’s proven over the past few years that he can win at any level and has been part of a great organization for the past four seasons. We believe he is ready to take that step forward and become the new coach of the Detroit Red Wings. »
Prior to his run with the Lightning, Lalonde spent two seasons as head coach of the Iowa Wild in the American League from 2016 to 2018. He became the first coach in team history to finish a season at the top. of the .500 mark with a record of 36-31-7-2.
“I’m very happy to have been named head coach of the Red Wings,” said Lalonde. I would like to thank the Ilitch family, Steve Yzerman and the entire Red Wings organization for giving me the chance to join this historic team. I am ready to start and I can guarantee you that the future is bright here. »
The native of Brasher Falls, New York spent two seasons with the Red Wings organization, from 2014 to 2016, when he was head coach of Walleye de Toledo in the ECHL. He led the team to two Braham Cups, the trophy awarded to the team finishing the regular season with the most points.