Something about coaching in the Atlantic Division seems to agree with former Detroit Red Wings bench boss Derek Lalonde.
Lalonde, who spent last season as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs, wasn’t retained by the club after they hired former Red Wings forward Daniel Alfredsson.
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But it didn’t take him long to land a new position. According to NHL Insider Eric Engels, Lalonde is joining the coaching staff of the Montreal Canadiens following the departure of Trevor Letowski.
Lalonde wasn’t the only subtraction to the Maple Leafs’ staff on Tuesday, as fellow assistant coach Mike Van Ryn was also let go.
They were replaced by Alfredsson, Brad Werenka, and John Gruden, the latter pair of whom have key Michigan ties.
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The Maple Leafs completely reshaped their coaching staff under new general manager John Chayka, who was hired to replace Brad Treliving (fired on March 30).
Former Red Wings Coach Derek Lalonde Let Go By Maple Leafs
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The Canadiens are Lalonde’s fourth stop in the Atlantic Division after Toronto and Detroit. He began his NHL coaching career as an assistant under Jon Cooper with the Tampa Bay Lightning, helping them win the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons in 2020 and 2021.
He was then hired by the Red Wings as head coach and the successor to Jeff Blashill in the summer of 2022, and was eventually dismissed in December 2024.
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