The Toronto Maple Leafs have added Derek Lalonde, a former head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, to Craig Berube’s coaching staff, as confirmed by the NHL team on Friday. Hailing from Brasher Falls, New York, the 52-year-old coach previously led the Red Wings with a record of 89-86-23 during the 2022-23 season until his dismissal in the middle of the 2024-25 season.
Lalonde’s coaching experience includes a four-season tenure as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he contributed to winning consecutive Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. Additionally, he served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2023 and 2024 world championships.
Before his NHL roles, Lalonde held head coaching positions with various teams, including the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League, the Toledo Walleye in the ECHL, and the Green Bay Gamblers in the United States Hockey League.
In joining the Maple Leafs, Lalonde joins fellow assistants Mike Van Ryn and Marc Savard. Lane Lambert, the team’s associate coach, departed Toronto recently to assume the head coaching role for the Seattle Kraken.
