He’ll have the ability to take us to another level here’: Yzerman talks hiring McLellan as head coach, changes behind Red Wings’ bench

Lalonde and Boughner relieved of duties after two-plus seasons with Detroit

DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings made their first in-season coaching change in almost four decades on Thursday morning, naming Todd McLellan as the 29th head coach in franchise history alongside Trent Yawney as an assistant coach. Additionally, the club announced head coach Derek Lalonde and associate coach Bob Boughner were relieved of their duties.

Speaking to the media before Friday’s morning skate at Little Caesars Arena, Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman detailed how he came to the difficult, but what he felt was necessary, decision to bring in two different voices behind the bench.

“I can’t give you an exact date or time,” Yzerman said. “But as our season started and has progressed to today, I obviously started to think about, how do you improve your team? How do we get going in the direction we want to or playing the way we want to? You look at all different sorts of things. Obviously, the first option is player personnel — to move things around and whatnot. And then, as we’re getting closer to yesterday, I thought about how we might have to make a change here. Our team isn’t performing to what my expectations are.”

Detroit made encouraging progress last season, finishing fifth in the Atlantic Division with its most wins and points (41-32-9; 91 points) since 2015-16. The Red Wings just missed out on the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot because the Washington Capitals earned the tiebreaker with five more regular-season victories.

“At the start of the year, if everything went well, everyone stayed healthy and performed to expectations, I think this group can compete for a wild card spot,” Yzerman said of his expectations before the 2024-25 campaign.

But Detroit entered the NHL’s holiday break this year, which ran from Tuesday through Thursday, at 13-17-4 (30 points), good for seventh in the Atlantic Division.

“Recently, just watching our team play, the spirt was zapped out,” Yzerman said. “Even sitting back watching our coaching staff, everyone is frustrated. It’s not like no one is trying to win or figure it out, but you can see it in the players’ faces. You could all sense it in Montreal [on Dec. 21]. Even going back to the game in Buffalo that we won [on Dec. 9], could start to sense the frustration and will being zapped from everyone.”

Yzerman said he thoughtfully and strategically weighed his options, both internal and external, before concluding that the club would benefit from a new coaching infrastructure.

“I could have gone with an interim coach, get through the year and test drive that interim coach,” Yzerman said. “Or see if there was somebody else in the offseason who might be available at that time. Ultimately, I believe Todd McLellan is an excellent coach and someone who I really want to work with. He’s going to need some time as well. This move isn’t made just for this year. It’s made for the organization moving forward for next year and beyond.”

McLellan rejoins the Red Wings with 16 seasons of NHL head-coaching experience, compiling a 598-412-134 regular-season record and a 42-46 postseason mark with the Los Angeles Kings (2019-24), Edmonton Oilers (2015-19) and San Jose Sharks (2008-15).

“I think it’s great that [McLellan] has all the experience that he’s had in all these situations,” Yzerman said. “For me, what I want to do and where we’re at, I believe he’s definitely the right guy.”