Detroit Red Wings appoint Derek Lalonde as head coach

The famous Detroit Red Wings have their man behind the bench: Derek Lalonde.

He joined the Red Wings after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lalonde, 49, was first hired by the Lightning in 2018-19 when Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman worked as a senior adviser for Tampa Bay.

« I am very pleased to announce Derek as the new head coach, » Yzerman said in a team statement. “He has proven himself as an excellent coach at all levels and has spent the past four seasons in the National Hockey League as part of a very successful program at Tampa Bay. We think he’s ready to take the next step in his career as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings. »

Lalonde’s extensive coaching resume includes 16 years in the collegiate ranks, followed by stints in the USHL, ECHL and AHL before joining the Lightning. He was head coach of the AHL’s Iowa Wild between 2016-17 and 2018-19, where the club went 69-58-17-8. In his freshman year, the Wild went 36-31-7-2 as he became the first coach in franchise history to produce a winning season.

Lalone called the Red Wings’ future bright.

« I am thrilled to be named head coach of the Red Wings, » Lalonde said in a statement released by the team. “I would like to thank Chris Ilitch and the entire Ilitch family, as well as Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings management team for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead this historic franchise. I am ready to work with our group. There is a very bright future ahead of us in Detroit.

Zach Laing is the News Director and Senior Columnist for the Nation Network. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaingor attached by email to [email protected]