Derek Lalonde Joins Canadiens Coaching Staff After Leaving Maple Leafs

Former Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde is set to continue his coaching journey in the Atlantic Division, this time with the Montreal Canadiens. After spending last season as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lalonde was not retained by the team following their decision to bring in former Red Wings forward Daniel Alfredsson as part of a coaching overhaul.

It didn’t take long for Lalonde to find a new opportunity. According to NHL Insider Eric Engels, he will join the Canadiens’ coaching staff as an assistant, stepping in for Trevor Letowski, who has opted to leave the bench to spend more time with his family. The Canadiens have expressed a desire to keep Letowski within the organization in a different capacity.

Tuesday marked a significant shift for the Maple Leafs, as Lalonde was not the only assistant coach let go; Mike Van Ryn also parted ways with the team. Their positions are being filled by Alfredsson along with Brad Werenka and John Gruden, both of whom have strong connections to Michigan.

This latest move comes as the Maple Leafs undergo a complete reshaping of their coaching staff under new general manager John Chayka, who took over after Brad Treliving was fired in March.

For Lalonde, this marks his fourth coaching stop in the Atlantic Division, following his tenures with Toronto and Detroit. His NHL coaching career began as an assistant under Jon Cooper with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he played a pivotal role in their back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021. Lalonde later became head coach of the Red Wings, succeeding Jeff Blashill in the summer of 2022, but was dismissed in December 2024.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.