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Canadiens add ex-Red Wings head coach to coaching staff
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- Canadiens add ex-Red Wings head coach to coaching staff
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The Montreal Canadiens have yet to make a big splash in the 2026 NHL offseason. The Habs are coming off their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2014. But they have waited patiently to make a move, while division rivals such as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings have had much more work to do. In fact, the Canadiens' most significant addition to date may be on its coaching staff.
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The Canadiens are reportedly adding Derek Lalonde to the staff, as first reported by Sportsnet's Eric Engels. This move comes after a departure from Martin St. Louis 's coaching staff this summer.
"The Montreal Canadiens are hiring Derek Lalonde to join their coaching staff as an assistant. He will be replacing Trevor Letowski, who's decided to step off the bench to have more time with his family. It's the Canadiens' desire to keep Letowski in the organization," Engels reported on Wednesday.
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Lalonde spent this past season as an assistant with the Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in his lone season with the franchise. Toronto fired head coach Craig Berube after the season, putting Lalonde's future with the team in doubt.
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Prior to 2025-26, the veteran coach served as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings for parts of three seasons. It was a largely unsuccessful tenure in Hockeytown, with Lalonde being fired on Boxing Day 2024. Detroit failed to make the postseason with Lalonde behind the bench.
Lalonde does have a track record of success, though. He was an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning before joining the Red Wings. He won two Stanley Cups with Tampa under Jon Cooper. The Canadiens certainly hope he can help St. Louis and the rest of the Habs' coaching staff in bringing similar success back to Montreal.
Related: 1 player Canadiens must sign after 1st wave of 2026 NHL Free Agency
Related: NHL rumors: The RFA forward Canadiens could dangle to upgrade roster
