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One other teaching emptiness has been stuffed. The Detroit Purple Wings announced that they’ve employed Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Derek Lalonde because the twenty eighth head coach in franchise historical past. Lalonde can be formally launched to the media Friday.
Purple Wings GM Steve Yzerman gave the next assertion on hiring Lalonde:
“I’m very happy to announce Derek as our new head coach, he has confirmed himself as a wonderful coach at each degree and has spent the final 4 seasons within the Nationwide Hockey League as a part of a really profitable program in Tampa Bay. We really feel he is able to take the following step in his profession as the pinnacle coach of the Detroit Purple Wings.”
Lalonde has been a key member of Jon Cooper’s Tampa Bay Lightning workers since 2018-19. Since hiring Lalonde, the Lightning have gone 192-77-21 with two Stanley Cup championships and a 3rd journey to the ultimate. His run of success in Tampa provides him an especially sturdy resume, and he involves the Purple Wings broadly thought to be one of many high assistant coaches within the sport.
The connection to Detroit right here is clear: Yzerman was the architect of Lalonde’s Lightning workforce and nonetheless has deep ties inside the group. Because the Purple Wings look to exit their rebuild and return to competition, Lalonde is the candidate who offers Yzerman with the most effective mixture of familiarity and nice {qualifications}.
Lalonde was final a head coach with the Iowa Wild of the AHL. He spent two seasons teaching in Iowa, going 69-58-25, failing to make the playoffs in both yr. Earlier than then, Lalonde had an especially profitable run as a head coach with the USHL’s Inexperienced Bay Gamblers, together with managing them to a 47-9-4 2011-12 marketing campaign that noticed them end as champions of the USHL.
In Lalonde, the Purple Wings are getting an skilled coach who has gained championships at a number of ranges. After a historic streak of consecutive years making the playoffs, the Purple Wings haven’t been again shortly. With a brand new coach in tow and a number of other up-and-coming stars together with Calder Trophy winner Moritz Seider, the longer term appears brilliant in Detroit.
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