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Red Wings Make Coaching Change, Hire Veteran

The Detroit Red Wings have made a coaching change ahead of their return from the holiday break.

Nick Horwat

Oct 15, 2022; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Kings head coach Todd McLellan looks on during the third period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images
Oct 15, 2022; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Kings head coach Todd McLellan looks on during the third period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images / Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images
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The Detroit Red Wings will return from the holiday break with a new head coach behind the bench. After 34 games of the 2024-25 season, the Red Wings have fired head coach Derek Lalonde and associate coach Bob Boughner from their duties.

In their place, the Red Wings have hired a veteran of the NHL coaching world in Todd McLellan. While McLellan will serve as the new head coach in Detroit, he will be joined by Trent Yawney as assistant coach.

McLellan has coached 1,1144 games at the NHL level split between the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings. Over his 16-year coaching career, McLellan has picked up a 598-412-134 record.

The last few seasons with the Kings haven’t been ideal for McLellan, but he helped lead the Sharks to three straight first-place finishes between 2009 and 2011. The Kings fired McLellan fired after 48 games of the 2023-24 season.

Lalonde entered the 2024-25 season already on a hot seat as one of the most likely coaches to be fired. The Red Wings entered the holiday break riding a three-game losing streak and 3-7-2 in their last 12 games.

Currently sitting seventh in the Atlantic Division, the Red Wings were expected to take big steps forward towards a playoff spot. The Red Wings haven’t reached the Stanley Cup Playoff since 2016.

In 198 games as Red Wings head coach, Lalonde picked up an 89-86-23 record. Detroit was his first NHL head coaching job.

McLellan was among the leading candidates for multiple teams heading into this season, but never landed a job.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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