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

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.”

Prior to joining the Sharks, the now 57-year-old spent three seasons (2005-08) as an assistant coach with the Red Wings, helping guide Detroit to a Stanley Cup championship in 2008. During his Red Wings tenure, McLellan was part of the staff that won three consecutive Central Division titles (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08), two Presidents’ Trophies (2005-06, 2007-08) and one Clarence S. Campbell Bowl (2007-08).

“Hockeytown, I know what that means,” McLellan said after Friday’s morning skate. “I saw it in some really good times. The goal is to get back there, but it’s Hockeytown for a reason.”

Yzerman said he’s always respected McLellan, having known the Melville, Sask., native since they were both in Detroit during Yzerman’s final NHL campaign (2005-06).

“It was only one season, but we all sit back and assess,” Yzerman said. “Everybody does it. You sit back, watch your coaches, watch everything and form opinions. Very clearly, at that time, I thought this guy was going to be really good in this league for the way he conducts himself, talks about the game, presents, runs practices and whatnot. I think he’s an excellent choice, and I’m really looking forward to working with him. I think he’ll have the ability to take us to another level here.”

And as for Yawney, he joins the Red Wings after most recently serving as an assistant coach under McLellan with the Kings from 2019-24.

“I love the game of hockey,” McLellan said. “I like being around players and trying to help them. And I was bored as hell sitting at home; you can only watch so many hockey games. This is great. The task, or the project, in front of us is immense, but it’s doable. The stops that I’ve had---San Jose, Edmonton, L.A.---the last two are very similar to this, where teams were out of the playoffs and looking to rebuild and retool and introduce youth into the lineup, and it worked fairly well. We left both those organizations in a better place. I think this is a good fit for both Trent and I, so we’re excited about being here.”

McLellan’s leadership will be vital in helping the Red Wings turn things around, but at the same time, Yzerman stressed it’ll be on the players to perform at a higher level both individually and as a team.

“With each of our players, you can’t control the coaches’ decision as far as who you’re going to play with and how much you’re going to play,” Yzerman said. “You will your way into the lineup and a certain role…You work every day to give yourself an opportunity to get on the ice more. It’s up to the coaching staff to maximize each players’ ability, but also inspire, give them hope and clarity in their role. It’s up to the player to buy into that and kind of accept the challenge of this is what’s expected of me.”

Lalonde finished with an 89-86-23 record in two-plus seasons with Detroit. He, along with Boughner, were hired by the organization ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

“Ultimately, I make the coaching change with the expectation, with the hope, that Todd, Trent and a different staff will get these guys back to playing at the level we expect them to and beyond,” Yzerman said. “Time will tell if that happens.”

And reiterating his mission of building the Red Wings back into a consistent Stanley Cup contender, Yzerman pointed out that patience is a big part of ultimately achieving that end goal every NHL club strives for.

“I feel today, we’re a long way from that,” Yzerman said. “Part of that is being a competitive team that can compete for a playoff spot, and we’re going to continue trying to build. We have an ownership group that is 100 percent dedicated in giving us all the support that we need to do whatever we have to do to get there. It’s a difficult process.”