The Montreal Canadiens officially added experienced coach Derek Lalonde to their coaching staff on Monday, the team announced.
Lalonde will have the title of associate coach. Lalonde made his NHL coaching debut as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018, assuming the role until 2022 and helping the team win consecutive Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. He then served as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings from 2022 to 2024 before joining the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant coach for the 2025-26 season.
He will be the first person to be an assistant under Martin St. Louis with previous NHL head coaching experience.
A native of Brasher Falls, NY, he served as head coach in the AHL and the ECHL and was named Coach of the Year in the ECHL in 2014-15. Lalonde also won the USHL’s Clark Cup in 2011-12 at the helm of the Green Bay Gamblers, in addition to being named the USHL Coach of the Year that same season.
There are reports that Trevor Letowski will step away from his role, however that was not confirmed by the team in the Lalonde announcement.
