Derek Lalonde is making his return to the National Hockey League coaching ranks.
On Friday, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have hired Lalonde as an assistant coach. This move fills the position left open by Lane Lambert.
Lambert recently accepted the head coaching role with the Seattle Kraken on May 29th, having previously served as an associate coach under Craig Berube for one season.
Lalonde, aged 52, previously spent three seasons as the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, where he accumulated a record of 89-86-23.
Before leading the Red Wings, Lalonde was an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2018 to 2022, contributing to their consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021.
His coaching experience also includes head coach positions in minor leagues, specifically with the American Hockey League`s Iowa Wild and the ECHL`s Toledo Walleye.
Furthermore, he has international coaching experience as an assistant coach for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships in both 2023 and 2024.
