Fans have heard from new Detroit Red Wings coach Todd McLellan a lot over the last few days. In fact, the veteran bench boss coached his first game in charge of the team hours after being introduced. However, former Detroit coach Derek Lalonde has been quiet. Lalonde was fired on Boxing Day after the Red Wings got off to a 13-17-4 start to the season.

However, that has now changed. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reached out to Lalonde in the days following his firing. And the former Detroit bench boss provided a statement for Friedman. This statement was read live on Sportsnet on Saturday night.

“Very appreciative of the opportunity,” Lalonde told Friedman. “Incredibly thankful (general manager) Steve Yzerman gave me a chance to coach a team like the Detroit Red Wings. You saw the passion of the fanbase when we made a late run last season, and they will be rewarded. They will be in a good spot, with the great young players they have and the ones that are coming.”

Derek Lalonde could not get Red Wings to the playoffs

Related Detroit Red Wings NewsArticle continues below
New York Rangers forward Will Cuylle with money raining around him.
3 best destinations for Rangers’ Will Cuylle in 2025 offseason
Mitch Marner wearing Toronto Maple Leafs and Utah Mammoth gear.
3 best Mitch Marner destinations in 2025 NHL free agency
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Erik Gustafsson (56) celebrates his power play goal against the Seattle Kraken with forward Vladimir Tarasenko (11), forward J.T. Compher (37), and forward Marco Kasper (92) during the second period at Little Caesars Arena.
Red Wings rumors: Detroit considering moving on from 2 veteran players

Derek Lalonde was hired by the Red Wings in 2022. His main goal was taking Detroit out of their rebuilding phase and getting them to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They had some struggles during their first season under Lalonde's tutelage. However, Detroit came alive during his second season.

The Red Wings had some struggles in 2023-24, especially in the months of December and March. But they also looked like a team capable of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the end, they barely missed the postseason. A tiebreaker with the Washington Capitals kept them out of the tournament.

Unfortunately, things caught up with Lalonde in 2024-25. Multiple Red Wings players underperformed their expectations. Detroit's offense as a whole regressed hard. The unit went from one of the best in the NHL to one of the worst, especially at 5v5.

The Red Wings are hoping to salvage their season as much as they can. Unfortunately, Lalonde lost his job as the team pursued that goal. Hopefully, the former head coach can find himself behind an NHL bench in some capacity sometime soon.