Wings Hire Derek Lalonde

Detroit Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman announced that the team has hired Derek Lalonde to be the 28th head coach in franchise history.  Lalonde served as assistant coach for Ferris State as well as University of Denver from 2003-2011 later on taking on his first head coaching position with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL. In his first season as head coach Lalonde won the Clark Cup (USHL Championship). Derek was later the head coach for the  Toledo Walleye (ECHL) and Iowa Wild(AHL). Lalonde’s success in the minor leagues didn’t go unnoticed which ultimately lead him to taking an assistant head coaching position with none other than the Steve Yzerman and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Steve Yzerman Gets His Guy

Since the day Jeff Blashill was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, all of Detroit has been wondering what Steve has up his sleeve and who he would bring in take over for the historic franchise. Rumors emerged that former Red Wing and 2022 KHL coach of the year Sergei Fedorov may come back to the team and take the helm which ultimately didn’t happen. Yzerman went out and got someone from his system, someone that he is familiar with. Lalonde was apart of the Stanley Cup runs with Tampa and has experience with coaching the best of the best while also developing young players to get ready for the big stage. This is the perfect fit in my opinion for this young team. He has shown the ability to win on all different stages and grow as a coach each and every year. The biggest thing for me is Yzerman walked into a mess with this team. The cap situation, little to no prospects in the system that are up and coming all while having a bridge head coach. For him to be able to go out and hand pick his head coach after the disaster that was left him for is relieving meanwhile has me feeling hopeful for the future. I believe this finally marks where the tides turn and the franchise is looking up. He got the guy he wanted, the guy he trusts to develop the young talent he puts in the system.

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