While the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft was taking place in Montreal, Detroit Red Wings fans of all ages gathered at Little Caesars Arena to celebrate their favorite team together. For the third year, thousands of excited fans attended the Hockeytown Draft Party, where they could meet Red Wings alumni, play interactive games, see the drumline perform, enjoy delicious food and, of course, watch the draft live on the massive Chevrolet Plaza video board. The enthusiastic crowd cheered as the Red Wings selected center Marco Kasper in the first round.

Fans also had the opportunity to buy some Red Wings swag while giving back with the Red Wings Foundation’s annual Little Caesars Arena Tent sale, including autographed jerseys, pucks and photos from select Red Wings alumni, Red Wings bobbleheads and more. The Tent Sale ran online from July 7-9, but fans at the Hockeytown Draft Party took advantage of exclusive, in-person specials. All proceeds from the tent sale go to the Red Wings Foundation, which provides funds and resources contributing to the growth of hockey.

“The Red Wings were proud to partner with Bud Light to host the Hockeytown Draft Party at Little Caesars Arena,” said Ilitch Sports + Entertainment vice president of corporate partnership activation Molly Wurdack-Folt. “Our great fans have come to love this incredible event, joining together to welcome the newest draft pick into the organization, and we’re excited to have teamed up with Bud Light to make this year’s Draft Party the biggest and best one yet.”

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The Detroit Red Wings today drafted eight players during the second day of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Red Wings held two selections in the second round, adding left wing Dylan James (40th overall) and left wing Dmitri Buchelnikov (52th overall). After trading their third-round selection (73rd overall) to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for goaltender Ville Husso, the Red Wings chose defenseman Anton Johansson (105th overall), center Amadeus Lombardi (113th overall) and left wing Maximilian Kilpinen (129th overall) in the fourth round. From there, the Red Wings selected defenseman Tnias Mathurin (137th overall) in the fifth round before taking center Owen Mehlenbacher (201st overall) and center Brennan Ali (212th overall) in the seventh round.

Detroit’s first pick of the day was the eighth choice of the second round (40th overall), which the team used on left wing Dylan James. The 6-foot, 177-pound forward spent the 2021-22 season with the United States Hockey League’s Sioux City Musketeers, garnering Rookie of the Year honors after tallying 61 points (28-33-61) with a plus-18 rating and 39 penalty minutes in 62 games. The Calgary, Alb., native also notched eight points (5-3-8) with a plus-eight rating and two penalty minutes in 10 postseason contests to help the Musketeers earn a Clark Cup championship. Prior to arriving in the United States, James spent parts of three seasons with the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League from 2018-21, totaling 48 points (23-25-48) and 54 penalty minutes in 60 games. James is committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2022-23 season.

Later in the second round, the Red Wings drafted left wing Dmitri Buchelnikov (52nd overall), who played the entire 2021-22 campaign with SKA-1946 St. Petersburg in Russia’s top junior league (MHL). The 5-foot-10, 163-pound forward led his team in scoring with 75 points (41-34-75) while accumulating a plus-33 rating and 22 penalty minutes in 56 games. Additionally, Buchelnikov posted 14 points (9-5-14), a plus-nine rating and two penalty minutes in nine postseason appearances en route to a MHL title. Buchelnikov split the 2020-21 season between two MHL clubs, logging 16 points (5-11-16) and a plus-five rating in 17 games with SKA-Varyagi im. Morozova before adding 21 points (11-10-21), a plus-10 rating and 10 penalty minutes in 29 games with SKA-1946 St. Petersburg. On the international stage, the Nizhny Tagil, Russia, native won a silver medal representing his country at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, notching three points (1-2-3) and a plus-two rating in seven contests.

Detroit originally held one selection in the third round (73rd overall), but dealt it to St. Louis earlier in the day in exchange for Husso. With their first of three picks in the fourth round, the Red Wings selected defenseman Anton Johansson (105th overall). The 6-foot-4, 172-pound blueliner spent much of the 2021-22 season with Leksand’s under-20 team, recording 10 points (6-4-10) and 12 penalty minutes in 22 games. His six goals were the most by any defenseman in Sweden’s top junior league. At the under-18 level, Johansson logged five points (3-2-5), a plus-seven rating and four penalty minutes in six games, along with six points (1-5-6), a plus-eight rating and four penalty minutes in six playoff contests. He also made his professional debut with Leksand’s senior team in the Swedish Hockey League, making four regular-season appearances before skating in two postseason games in Sweden’s top professional circuit.

Eight picks later, the Red Wings selected center Amadeus Lombardi (113th overall), a 5-foot-10, 165-pound center skated the 2021-22 season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Flint Firebirds. He recorded 59 points (18-41-59), a plus-nine rating and 24 penalty minutes in 67 games during his first major junior campaign. Lombardi also tallied 15 points (7-8-15) and six penalty minutes in 19 postseason games as the Firebirds reached the Western Conference Final for the first time in franchise history, falling to the Windsor Spitfires in seven games. Lombardi did not play in 2020-21 due to the cancelation of the OHL season. Prior to joining the Firebirds, Lombardi racked up 37 points (13-24-37) in 33 games with the Toronto Titans of the Greater Toronto Hockey League, in addition to one assist in six Ontario Junior Hockey League games with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens during the 2019-20 season.

With their third and final selection of the fourth round (129th overall), the Red Wings chose left wing Maximilian Kilpinen, a 6-foot, 165-pound forward who spent the majority of last season with Örebro’s under-20 team. Kilpinen tallied 25 points (14-11-25) and a plus-four rating in 27 games in Sweden’s top junior league before contributing nine points (4-5-9) and a plus-eight rating in six postseason appearances. He also showed 10 points (6-4-10), a plus-eight rating and two penalty minutes in seven games on the under-18 circuit, along with four points (1-3-4) and  two penalty minutes in four playoff games. The Stockholm, Sweden, native spent the entire 2020-21 season with Örebro’s under-18 club at the regional level, picking up 15 points (6-9-15) and six penalty minutes in 12 contests.

The following round, Detroit drafted Tnias Mathurin (137th overall), a 6-foot-2, 200-pound defenseman who played the 2021-22 campaign with the OHL’s North Bay Battalion. Mathurin recorded 15 points (3-12-15), a plus-17 rating and 26 penalty minutes in 44 games, in addition to four assists, a plus-three rating and two penalty minutes in 13 postseason appearances. The Ajax, Ont., native did not see game action in 2020-21 due to cancelation of the OHL season. Prior to beginning his major junior career, Mathurin developed with the Ajax/Pickering Raiders AAA program, serving as team captain of the under-16 squad in 2019-20 as he logged 19 points (7-12-19) and 16 penalty minutes in 35 games before showing 14 points (2-12-14) in 10 playoff matchups.

With his first of two picks in the seventh round, Detroit selected center Owen Mehlenbacher (201st overall),  a 6-foot-2, 189-pound forward who has spent the last two seasons with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks. He amassed 42 points (17-25-42), a plus-12 rating and 56 penalty minutes in 56 games during the 2021-22 campaign, earning a place on the league’s All-Academic Team. Additionally, Mehlenbacher notched eight points (4-4-8) and six penalty minutes in nine postseason appearances as the Lumberjacks reached the Eastern Conference Final. The Fort Erie, Ont., native made his USHL debut with Muskegon in 2020-21, collecting 12 points (8-4-12) and 21 penalty minutes in along with two assists in four playoff games. Prior to arriving in Muskegon, Mehlenbacher produced 68 points (36-32-68) and 54 penalty minutes in 69 games for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres’ under-15 team in 2019-20. Mehlenbacher is committed to the University of Wisconsin for the 2022-23 season, where he will play under former Red Wings assistant coach Tony Granato.

Later in the seventh round (212th overall), the Red Wings made their final pick by taking center Brennan Ali. The 6-foot, 193-pound forward spent the majority of the 2021-22 season at Avon Old Farms High School in Avon, Conn., where he registered 34 points (15-19-34) in 27 games. Additionally, he saw game action with the U.S. National Development Program (NTDP) in Plymouth, Mich., picking up an assist in two appearances with the under-18 team. Ali also racked up two helpers and four penalty minutes in four games with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. Ali originally skated with the NTDP in 2020-21, recording three points (1-2-3) in 11 games for the under-17 squad and two points (1-1-2) in 12 USHL games. A native of Glencoe, Ill., Ali is committed to the University of Notre Dame for the 2022-23 campaign.

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Detroit Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman today announced that the team has hired Bob Boughner as associate coach and Alex Westlund as goaltending coach.

Boughner, 51, joins the organization after spending parts of three seasons as head coach of the San Jose Sharks, where he compiled a 67-85-23 record. Boughner returned to San Jose’s coaching staff as an assistant coach on May 29, 2019 before he was elevated to interim head coach on Dec. 11, 2019. Prior to rejoining the Sharks, Boughner worked two seasons as head coach of the Florida Panthers from 2017-19 and posted an 80-62-22 mark. In his first campaign as an NHL head coach in 2017-18, Boughner led the Panthers to a 44-30-8 record as the team finished one point shy of clinching a Stanley Cup Playoff berth. Boughner previously worked two seasons as an assistant coach with the Sharks from 2015-17 and made his NHL coaching debut as an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2010-11 campaign.

A native of Windsor, Ontario, Boughner served two stints as head coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires from 2006-10 and 2011-15, building a 282-213-49 record. During his first four seasons in Windsor, Boughner was named the OHL and Canadian Hockey League’s Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and led the team to two-straight Memorial Cup and OHL championships in 2009 and 2010. He became the first head coach in CHL history to win a pair of Memorial Cups and two CHL Coach of the Year awards. Boughner also served as Windsor’s president from 2005-21 and franchise owner from 2005-19, during which the team captured another Memorial Cup title in 2017. On the international stage, Boughner served as an assistant coach for his country at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He also coached Canada to a gold medal at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, going undefeated in the competition.

Originally selected by the Red Wings in the second round (32nd overall) of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, Boughner totaled 72 points (15-57-72), a plus-27 rating and 1,382 penalty minutes in 630 NHL games between the Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche from 1995-06. Boughner also notched 12 assists, a plus-25 rating and 67 penalty minutes in 65 postseason appearances. Prior to turning professional, Boughner recorded 97 points (26-71-97) and 460 penalty minutes in 177 regular-season games with the Soo Greyhounds from 1988-91, serving as team captain in his final season.

Westlund, 46, arrives in Detroit after working the past five seasons in the Washington Capitals’ organization, serving as associate goaltending coach with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears. During his tenure, Westlund worked directly with Washington’s minor-league affiliates, providing daily instruction to prospects in Hershey and the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays. Under Westlund’s watch, Hershey’s goaltending tandem of Pheonix Copley and Zach Fucale won the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award in 2020-21, presented to the goaltender(s) on the team which allows the fewest goals per game in the regular season. Additionally, Westlund has guided the duo of Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek into becoming regular NHL goaltenders. The Flemington Village, N.J., native joined the Capitals’ organization after spending two years in Germany as the goalie coach with Augsburger Panther Eishockey Club in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga from 2015-17, in addition to working in the same capacity for Medvescak Zagreb of the Kontinental Hockey League during the 2016-17 season.

Prior to beginning his coaching career, Westlund appeared in over 750 professional games over the course of 16 seasons from 1999-15. His time in North America included 13 AHL contests over parts of three seasons between the Worcester IceCats, Milwaukee Admirals, and Hartford Wolf Pack. While playing overseas, Westlund earned league MVP honors with Linz HC of the Austrian Erste Banke Eishockey Liga in 2010 and helped the team secure its second league championship in 2012. He also won the Deutschland Cup as a member of Team USA in 2003 and won a bronze medal representing his country at the 2004 IIHF World Championship. Prior to turning professional, Westlund attended Yale University from 1995-99 and remains the program’s all-time leader in games played (99) and saves (2,704). As a junior, Westlund was named a NCAA Second Team All-American and won the Ken Dryden Award as the ECAC’s Goaltender of the Year.

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Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced today that a pair of the game’s legendary hitters, Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals and Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, will be celebrated at the 2022 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, where they will be active in the Midsummer Classic.  Pujols and Cabrera are two of the three players in history to register 3,000 hits, 500 home runs and 600 doubles, along with Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.  

Commissioner Manfred said: “I am delighted that Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera have agreed to participate in the All-Star Game.  Albert and Miguel are two of the most accomplished players of their generation.  They have also represented the baseball traditions of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela with excellence for the last two decades.  Albert and Miguel are two all-time greats whose achievements warrant this special recognition.”

The final season of Albert’s 22-year career, including his 12^th as a Cardinal in his 2022 return to St. Louis, now features his 11^th career All-Star selection.  He spent a decade with the Los Angeles Angels before joining the Los Angeles Dodgers for the majority of the 2021 season.  Pujols and former teammate Mike Trout share the lead among active players with three career Most Valuable Player-winning seasons.  He ranks fifth in MLB history with 683 home runs, the most all-time by a player who was born outside of the United States.  “The Machine” now ranks ninth all-time with 3,326 hits.  He played for the DR’s national team in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.  Pujols, the 2008 recipient of MLB’s Roberto Clemente Award for excellence on and off the field, is a nominee for ESPN’s 2022 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for his charitable work, including through the Pujols Family Foundation.  

This marks Cabrera’s 12^th All-Star selection in his 20-year career.  In April, Cabrera became the 33^rdplayer in Major League history, including the first Venezuelan player, to reach 3,000 hits.  The two-time American League MVP leads all Venezuelan-born players in hits (3,065), home runs (505), batting average (.310), slugging (.528) and many other offensive categories.  In 2012, Cabrera ended the longest gap between Triple Crowns in MLB history (previous: 1967 by Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski) and became the first Latino player to win the Triple Crown, the 12^th in MLB history.  Cabrera has represented Team Venezuela in all four editions of the World Baseball Classic.  In 2012, he established the Miguel Cabrera Foundation, which has benefited such organizations as the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation and C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.  In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Miguel and Rosangel Cabrera partnered with the Detroit Tigers Foundation to donate $250,000 to benefit children and families in Detroit.  In 2021, he volunteered to serve as a co-chair of the Protect Michigan Commission in support of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination and education efforts.  

The T-Mobile Home Run Derby headlines Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 18^thfrom Dodger Stadium. ESPN will exclusively televise the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, which will also be available on ESPN Radio and the ESPN App. Spanish-language radio coverage will be available on Univision Radio and the Uforia Audio App.

The MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard returns to Dodger Stadium for the first time in four decades on Tuesday, July 19^th. The 2022 Midsummer Classic will join the All-Star Games of 1949, 1959 and 1980 as those hosted by the Dodgers franchise, with the latter two being played in the city of Los Angeles. The 92^nd Midsummer Classic will mark the 13^th to be played in the state of California, the most among any state. In addition to the games played in Los Angeles, the cities of Anaheim (1967, 1989, 2010), Oakland (1987), San Diego (1978, 1992, 2016) and San Francisco (1961, 1984, 2007) have also hosted Baseball’s annual summer showcase.

The All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by 70 partners in 16 languages across 210 countries and territories. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish language coverage in the United States, while ESPN Radio and Univision Radio (Spanish) will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. For ongoing MLB All-Star Week information, please visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.

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The Detroit Red Wings today selected center Marco Kasper in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.

Kasper spent the majority of the 2021-22 season playing for Rögle BK in the Swedish Hockey League, tallying 11 points (7-4-11) and 17 penalty minutes in 46 games. His 11 regular-season points were the most of any under-18 skater in Sweden’s top professional league. The 6-foot-1, 183-pound forward then recorded six points (3-3-6), a plus-four rating and nine penalty minutes in 13 postseason contests as Rögle reached the SHL Semifinals, falling to eventual champion Färjestad in six games. Kasper also helped Rögle clinch its first-ever Champions Hockey League title, notching six points (2-4-6) in 12 appearances during the competition. Additionally, Kasper compiled 13 points (6-7-13) and 10 penalty minutes in 12 games for Rögle’s under-20 squad, along with a goal and two assists in one playoff game with the team. Kasper entered tonight’s draft ranked fifth on NHL’s Central Scouting list among European skaters and third among European forwards.

A native of Innsbruck, Austria, Kasper becomes the highest Austrian-born pick since former Red Wings forward Thomas Vanek, who was selected fifth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. On the international stage, Kasper contributed a pair of assists in seven games for his country at the 2022 IIHF World Championship in Helsinki and Tampere, Finland. He also captained Austria at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, appearing in two games before the tournament was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. Kasper previously represented Austria at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, finishing with one assist in four games.

Prior to the start of the 2020-21 season, Kasper moved to Sweden and joined Rögle, where he was a teammate of Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider. Kasper notched one assist in 10 regular-season games before skating in six playoff contests as Rögle clinched a place in the SHL Final. He also posted two goals in six games for Rögle’s under-20 team and eight points (3-5-8) in seven games on the under-18 circuit. In 2019-20, Kasper made his professional debut in Austria with EC KAC II of the Alps Hockey League, picking up two points (1-1-2) in three games. Kasper also compiled 153 points (45-108-153), a plus-111 rating and 40 penalty minutes in 66 games with EC KAC II’s Under-18 squad from 2017-20, in addition to 30 points (12-18-30) in 16 postseason appearances.

Detroit currently has nine selections for the second day of the 2022 Entry Draft: two in the second round (40th and 52nd overall), one in the third round (72nd), three in the fourth round (104th, 112th and 128th), one in the fifth round (136th) and two in the seventh round (200th and 211th).

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From baseball to speakers, the transformation is incredible. Comerica Park is ready for an epic weekend of concerts featuring Chris Stapleton, Billy Joel, and Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard.

The Detroit Red Wings today released their schedule for the 2022-23 season and the team’s 97th overall in the National Hockey League. The Red Wings will open the season at home on Friday, Oct. 14 against the Montreal Canadiens. Little Caesars Arena will host 16 weekend home games (three Fridays, 11 Saturdays and two Sundays), spanning through the regular-season finale on Thursday, April 13 on the road at the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ticket on-sale information for the preseason and regular season – in addition to Theme Nights and promotional giveaways – will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can sign up for the Single-Game Ticket Presale List today for the opportunity to purchase tickets before the general public by visiting DetroitRedWings.com/Presale.

The presale is the best way for the fans of Hockeytown to secure tickets to the most marquee matchups throughout the season, including Opening Night against the Montreal Canadiens, two home dates vs. the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, the annual Thanksgiving Eve and New Year’s Eve games, additional Original Six matchups against the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and much more.

This season’s 82-game slate features 26 games against Atlantic Division rivals, three games against the eight teams in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division (24 games) and two games against all 16 Western Conference foes (32 games).

Following the Home Opener on Friday, Oct. 14, the Red Wings will travel to New Jersey for a game against the Devils on Saturday, Oct. 15, marking the first of 14 back-to-backs on the campaign. Detroit will then play four of its next six games at Little Caesars Arena before wrapping up the month of October with a Halloween tilt in Buffalo against the Sabres (Monday, Oct. 31).  

November features a home-friendly schedule, with the Red Wings hosting eight games at Little Caesars Arena, including four of the first five games of the month. The team will then depart for a four-game road trip, making stops in Los Angeles (Saturday, Nov. 12), Anaheim (Tuesday, Nov. 15), San Jose (Thursday, Nov. 17) and Columbus (Saturday, Nov. 19). The Red Wings will then welcome the Nashville Predators for the team’s traditional night before Thanksgiving game (Wednesday, Nov. 23) to open the longest homestand of the season – spanning five games and concluding on Saturday, Dec. 3 vs. Vegas.

Detroit will play a season-high nine road games in December and only five contests at Little Caesars Arena. The home slate for the month is highlighted by three Saturday games (Dec. 3 vs. Vegas and Dec. 17 vs. Ottawa), including the team’s annual New Year’s Eve matchup on Dec. 31 against the Ottawa Senators.

The Red Wings will open the New Year with five of their first six games in January at home, which includes the second and final meeting at Little Caesars Arena against Original Six foe Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, Jan. 12. Detroit will make its lone visit to Ball Arena to play the defending Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, Jan. 16) to kick off a three-game road trip (Tuesday, Jan. 17 at Arizona and Thursday, Jan. 19 at Vegas).

The Red Wings will start February in the midst of a 10-day break – spanning back to Friday, January 27 at N.Y. Islanders – to accommodate the NHL All-Star Game. The team will return to action by hosting three-straight games against Western Canadian opponents (Feb.7 vs. Edmonton, Feb. 9 vs. Calgary, Feb. 11 vs. Vancouver) before squaring off against those same three teams to start its longest road trip of the season – a five-game, nine-day trip starting in Vancouver (Monday, Feb. 13) and concluding in Washington (Tuesday, Feb. 21).

March features 15 games and four back-to-backs – both season highs. The Red Wings will host the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, March 8 before competing in the first of two home-and-home series in March, the first of which comes against the Boston Bruins (Saturday, March 11 at TD Garden and Sunday, March 12 at Little Caesars Arena). The Red Wings second home-and-home of the month comes against the St. Louis Blues (Tuesday, March 21 at Enterprise Center and Thursday, March 23 at Little Caesars Arena). Detroit will also host the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, March 18 for the lone meeting between the two teams at Little Caesars Arena.

The Red Wings will start the final month of the season with a pair of games in Canada (Sunday, April 2 at Toronto and Tuesday, April 4 at Montreal) before playing three-straight at home (Thursday, April 6 vs. Buffalo; Saturday, April 8 vs. Pittsburgh; Monday, April 10 vs. Dallas). Detroit will conclude the 2022-23 regular-season with two games on the road (Tuesday, April 11 at Carolina and Thursday, April 13 at Tampa Bay).  

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Lalonde Joins Detroit After Winning Two Stanley Cups as Assistant Coach with Tampa Bay Lightning

DETROIT – Detroit Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman today announced that the team has named Derek Lalonde the 28th head coach in franchise history.  

“I’m very pleased to announce Derek as our new head coach,” Yzerman said. “He has proven himself as an excellent coach at every level and has spent the last four seasons in the National Hockey League as part of a very successful program in Tampa Bay. We feel he is ready to take the next step in his career as the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings.”

You can watch a replay of the July 1st press conference here:

Lalonde, 49, joins the organization after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning. During his tenure with the Lightning, Lalonde helped the team clinch four-straight postseason berths, highlighted by back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2019-20 and 2020-21. In Lalonde’s inaugural campaign behind an NHL bench in 2018-19, the Lightning earned their first Presidents’ Trophy after setting a franchise record with 128 points while tying the NHL’s single-season record of 62 wins previously set by the 1995-96 Red Wings. In all, Tampa Bay compiled a 192-77-10 regular-season record and a 46-26 postseason mark with Lalonde on its coaching staff. He was named an assistant coach by the Lightning on July 12, 2018, when Yzerman served as the team’s vice president and general manager. Lalonde was previously a coach at Tampa Bay’s development camp in 2013.

“I’m thrilled to be named head coach of the Red Wings,” said Lalonde. “I’d like to thank Chris Ilitch and the entire Ilitch family, as well as Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings management team for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead this historic franchise. I’m ready to get to work with our group. There’s a very bright future ahead in Detroit.”

Prior to his time with the Lightning, Lalonde worked for two seasons as head coach of the American Hockey League’s Iowa Wild from 2016-18, posting a 69-58-17-8 record with the Minnesota Wild’s primary affiliate. Lalonde became the first coach in franchise history to produce a winning season with a 36-31-7-2 mark during his first campaign in 2016-17, a 22-point upgrade over the previous year.  

“On behalf of the entire organization, I’d like to welcome Derek, his wife, Melissa, and their three children – Alex, Luke, and Abby – into our Red Wings family,” said Christopher Ilitch, Detroit Red Wings Governor, President and CEO. “Derek has an impressive resume, particularly the work he’s done with young players and prospects throughout his career. We’re excited to have him leading the charge behind the Red Wings bench. I’d also like to commend Steve and his staff for conducting a very thorough and detailed search process. We have the greatest fans in hockey, and they deserve a team that consistently competes for Stanley Cup championships.  We’ll continue to work diligently towards that goal under the leadership of Steve and Derek.”

A native of Brasher Falls, N.Y., Lalonde spent two seasons in the Red Wings’ organization as head coach of the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye from 2014-16. Lalonde guided Toledo to a 97-35-7-5 record in that span, resulting in two consecutive Brabham Cup titles as the ECHL’s regular-season champion. In his first season in 2014-15, Lalonde led the Walleye to a 50-15-5-2 mark and won the John Brophy Award as the ECHL’s Coach of the Year after showing a 58-point improvement from the previous campaign, which remains the largest in league history.  

Lalonde began his head coaching career with the United States Hockey League’s Green Bay Gamblers, accumulating a record of 114-56-8-6 as head coach and general manager from 2011-14. He was named the USHL’s Coach of the Year in 2011-12 after the Gamblers recorded a 47-9-2-2 mark and captured the organization’s fourth Clark Cup title. On the international stage, Lalonde coached the United States to a gold medal at the 2013 World Junior A Challenge, and also won gold as an assistant coach at the 2012 tournament.

Before making his head coaching debut, Lalonde was an assistant coach at the University of Denver from 2006-11, helping the Pioneers to a 122-63-19 record and two Western Collegiate Hockey Association titles in 2008 and 2010, in addition to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. He also served as an assistant coach at Ferris State University from 2002-06, in addition to working at the Division III level with Hamilton College from 2000-02 and Lebanon Valley College from 1998-00. Lalonde started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (formerly North Adams State College) from 1995-98, where he earned a M.A. in education administration.

A former goaltender in the Division III ranks with SUNY Cortland, Lalonde recorded a 3.93 goals-against average and 0.877 save percentage in 41 appearances for the Red Dragons from 1991-95.

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Little Caesars, the third largest pizza chain in the world and home of the famous HOT-N-READY^® pizza, and the NFL today announced a multi-year partnership that names Little Caesars as the Official Pizza Sponsor of the National Football League.  As one of Little Caesars highest-profile partnerships to date, the collaboration will continue to build on Little Caesars momentum of incredible growth over the past several years.

Eating delicious pizza and cheering on the home team combine to make the perfect weekend social activity, and Little Caesars plans to be a special part of those game-time meal occasions.  The brand, which revolutionized the pizza industry with HOT-N-READY pizzas for convenient pickup and launched the pizza industry’s lowest priced delivery at the 2020 Super Bowl, is a perfect match for the over 100 million NFL fans who regularly watch football games and want their gametime meals quickly and easily — whether they choose delivery, exclusive Pizza Portal® pickup, or carry-out.  Little Caesars is known for unique product offerings and promotions like the Pretzel Pizza, Detroit-Style Deep Dish Pizza, the Batman Calzony, and now offers 33% more pepperoni on its Classic pizza.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Little Caesars to the NFL family,” said Renie Anderson, Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President of NFL Partnerships.  “With a focus on quality and convenience, Little Caesars offers unmatched value for our fans, and we look forward to working together to positively impact communities across the United States.”

The deal comes about a month before the start of team training camps, the annual unofficial kickoff of the NFL season. The agreement will offer Little Caesars a set of exclusive marketing rights designed to connect the pizza brand with the NFL, its events, and fans. Exciting new components like social media games, new products, new packaging, and unique promotions will be revealed before the start of the 2022 season and continue throughout the course of the sponsorship.

“This partnership aims to enhance the fun of game day by bringing the quality and convenience Little Caesars is known for to NFL fans across the country,” said Dave Scrivano, president and CEO of Little Caesars, “And because we’re the value leader in the pizza industry, hungry fans can enjoy weekly gametime meals at a very affordable price during a time when food prices are on the rise.”

Both organizations have a long history of giving back to the community, and the partnership also includes a charitable giving component.  The Little Caesars Love Kitchen®, a big rig pizza kitchen on wheels, will visit key NFL event cities throughout the year.  The Little Caesars Love Kitchen has been serving the homeless and hungry since 1985 and has served nearly 4 million people in North America.  Little Caesars will partner with the NFL to bring this already highly impactful charitable giving program to key National Football League event cities and provide ongoing post-event community support, including around the 2024 NFL Draft which will take place in Detroit, where Little Caesars is headquartered.

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