The Green Bay Press-Times’ Greg Bates spoke to new Red Wings coach and former Green Bay Gamblers (of the USHL) coach Derek Lalonde about his hiring by the Red Wings, as well as his evolution as a coach:
When Jon Cooper hired longtime friend Derek Lalonde as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Cooper foresaw the future.
“He said, ‘As much as I’ve accomplished in my career, I’ve never moved anyone on to become a head coach in the NHL,’” Lalonde said. “He told me, ‘You’re going to be that guy.’ He meant it, and he helped develop me these four years. We kept our eye on winning and team success, and it came to fruition.”
Lalonde, who coached the Green Bay Gamblers from 2011-14, was named the Detroit Red Wings’ new head coach June 30. Cooper is also a Gamblers product, coaching the team from 2008-10. The 49-year-old Lalonde is the 28th head coach in the storied history of the Red Wings — winners of 11 Stanley Cup titles.
“It’s exciting,” Lalonde told The Press Times. “It’s surreal at times, but it’s been like the rest of my career. It was never about becoming an NHL head coach or about the next step or getting to the next level – it was always about trying to be good at the job you’re at. Every step has taken care of itself where the phone kept ringing. It’s a huge responsibility because it’s the Red Wings, but it’s a huge challenge and honor.”
Lalonde offers this to Bates regarding the hiring process…
“As we kept winning in Tampa, it made sense teams would look at all three of us assistant coaches,” he said. “But, the NHL is a little different – general managers love experience and rehiring coaches, and I understand that. As I become more experienced, I see the value in it. It’s tough to crack in a first-time NHL head coach, so you take it in stride. You don’t know if it’s ever going to happen, and I feel fortunate (Red Wings General Manager) Steve (Yzerman) reached out. We were on the same page throughout the entire interview process, and I was ultimately offered the job.”
And, after explaining how his first head coaching job challenged him to grow as a coach, and praising the Green Bay Gamblers’ ownership, he shares this observation about joining and Original Six team:
“There’s a ton of history there,” he said. “Meeting (Red Wings owner) Chris Ilitch beforehand and talking about what he’s about (was great) – even the success within their family business and how they’ve translated some of those beliefs to owning the Red Wings and the Tigers. I had an appreciation for Little Caesars Arena as an opposing coach. Then when I went through there and got a complete tour of it, the attention to detail and the branding were amazing. It speaks volumes of that organization.”
