Lalonde sees internal growth and consistency as Red Wings’ keys to success in 2024-25

DETROIT -- Derek Lalonde will begin his third Training Camp as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings next week at Traverse City’s Centre Ice Arena, and after the improvement the club has shown over the past two seasons, he and his players are extremely motivated to take the next step in 2024-25.

“I know it sounds cliché, but you just trust your everyday process,” Lalonde told DetroitRedWings.com on Tuesday. “That starts on Day 1. We improved 11 points last year and 17 over two years. Only a handful of teams can say that, but we must keep pushing. We need more. That’s just concentrating on the things we can control, which is what goes on in our locker room and on the ice.”

Last season, Lalonde guided the Red Wings to their most wins (41) and points (91) since 2015-16. Although Detroit just missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Lalonde said playing meaningful games down the stretch helped the team grasp how much of a focus there must be on the small details.

“You have to bring it every night because it’s so intense,” Lalonde said. “You find out what happens on nights when you don’t bring it. It was a really good lesson. We preach how important every point and moment are.”

Lalonde said the Red Wings are seeking more consistency night in and night out this season.

“This league is so competitive,” Lalonde said. “If we want to work our way towards the top half of this league, there’s a finer line in the difference between winning and losing. We saw moments of it last year, but we need a little bit more of it throughout.”

Lalonde expects Detroit’s offseason additions will provide a boost this season, but acknowledged the Red Wings must also get the most out of their returning players to be successful.

“Obviously there’s going to be some new faces, but we had some people leave our locker room too,” Lalonde said. “We need internal growth.”

A big part of internal improvement, according to Lalonde, is creating opportunities for young talent to shine through competition.

“We need those young players, whether it’s (Jonatan) Berggren, (Carter) Mazur, (Simon) Edvinsson, (Marco) Kasper, (Albert) Johansson or (Elmer) Soderblom, we need a push from the bottom,” Lalonde said. “I think it’s going to make for a very competitive Training Camp.”

The Red Wings players and coaching staff loved the atmosphere that Hockeytown faithful brought to Little Caesars Arena last season. It’s one that Lalonde said he’s thrilled to experience again this season, beginning with Opening Night against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 10.

“We’ve talked about winning that home-ice advantage as a group,” Lalonde said. “Even where we’re trying to get as a team and organization, we know that good teams win at home. We really believe we have a home-ice advantage. The energy of our fanbase, you saw that last year with the success we had.”

For more information about Detroit's 2024 Training Camp, presented by UWM's Mortage Matchup, click here.