Derek Lalonde Named Head Coach of Detroit Red Wings

Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Derek Lalonde was named the 28th head coach in the history of the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday evening. Lalonde has been behind the Lightning bench since the 2018-19 season and won the Stanley Cup in two of his four seasons.

This opportunity has been some time coming for Lalonde and has been in the conversation for the head coaching vacancy in Detroit since the job became available. Lalonde was brought into Tampa in the last year of Steve Yzerman’s time with the Lightning and was brought in by Yzerman as his first head coach hire in Detroit.

The team success in Tampa speaks for itself and the coaching staff under Jon Cooper is drawing significant interest. There is a possibility as well that Jeff Halpern may be leaving the Lightning bench as well. That is the price of winning. Other teams take notice and want a piece of that success.

An interesting rumor that has surfaced recently is that Halpern may be going to Detroit along with Lalonde. That alone is not too far out of left field but the kicker is that Detroit’s most recent bench boss, Jeff Blashill could be coming to Tampa to fill the vacancies on Cooper’s bench.

It will be worth following along as the league’s head coaching vacancies begin to fill up.

Just like players getting paid after finding success after winning, the same applies to coaches as Lalonde will have the chance to take a team from a rebuilder to a competitor. The opportunity was very well deserved and earned by Lalonde and he was a huge factor in the success of the Lightning during his time in Tampa Bay.