As MLive’s Ansar Khan notes, Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde, who asks his players to call him “Newsy” (after the Montreal Canadiens legend), was too busy doing his job with his new team to focus on the fact that he’s finally become an NHL head coach on Thursday morning:
“You’re so busy in trying to get everything prepped,” Lalonde said. “More nervous about today just going smoothly. You want to make a first impression with everyone, we want to be sharp with what we’re doing as a staff, which will reflect in our practice and our play. Maybe after our first win we can reflect back on that.”
Jeff Blashill was the only NHL coach Dylan Larkin ever played for, so he admittedly was a little nervous getting on the ice amid some uncertainty.
“Your first day to make a first impression,” Larkin said. “I think that’s so important for everyone on our team. It’s going to be a very competitive camp, but you get a clean slate and a new opportunity to impress a new staff. You got to capitalize on it.”
Lalonde was tagged “Newsy” when he was a goaltender for SUNY-Cortland in New York, after Hockey Hall of Famer Edward “Newsy” Lalonde, who played for the Montreal Canadiens more than a hundred years ago.
“I think there’s some people today in Tampa that don’t even know who Derek is — they only know me as Newsy,” Lalonde said. “I’m comfortable with it. I don’t mind ‘Coach,’ but ‘Coach’ feels very old. It feels a little more personal when guys call me Newsy.”
Continued, with one hell of a compliment for Larkin…
