DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills “Roster Reset” for the 2022-23 season concludes with an assessment of the Red Wings’ (mostly) new coaching staff:
On June 30, Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced that Derek Lalonde was named the 28th head coach in franchise history.
“I just think the timing of this, the growth and the things I’ve learned throughout the way, it’s perfect,” Lalonde said in his introductory press conference on July 1. “It’s time, and I’m very excited about this opportunity, the next challenge in my career.”
Lalonde, 50, joins Detroit after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he helped guide the club to four consecutive postseason berths and three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances, including back-to-back championships in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
“The more I looked into it, the more I realized Derek was a really good fit for this job,” Yzerman said on July 1.“This is a great opportunity for us to bring in a coach with tremendous experience as a head coach at various levels and coaching as part of a very good staff and a very good program.”
