Dec 18, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube (L) and assistant coach Derek Lalonde (R) look on from behind the bench against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Dec 18, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube (L) and assistant coach Derek Lalonde (R) look on from behind the bench against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens are adding Stanley Cup experience to their bench. Derek Lalonde has been hired as an assistant coach to replace Trevor Letowski, who stepped away to spend more time with his family, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.
The Canadiens plan to keep Letowski in the organization in another role, though his next position has not yet been determined. He had served as an assistant in Montreal for five seasons since joining in 2021-22.
This move comes just one day after Lalonde was let go from his assistant role with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he worked under Craig Berube last season.
"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," Eric Engles wrote on X.
Toronto’s penalty kill ranked eighth at 81.2 percent under Lalonde, though the team still allowed the second-most goals in the league.
Lalonde previously spent three seasons as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings after replacing Jeff Blashill in 2022. He was fired in December 2024 with a record of 89-86-23, as Detroit failed to reach the playoffs during his tenure.
His most successful stretch came earlier as an assistant under Jon Cooper with the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2018 to 2022, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.
In Montreal, Lalonde joins Martin St-Louis’s staff as an assistant coach, a move approved by GM Kent Hughes. He is expected to handle responsibilities similar to those he managed in Toronto, bringing veteran perspective to a young Canadiens roster.
Atlantic Division Carousel: Derek Lalonde's Journey From Tampa to Montreal.
Lalonde has spent his entire NHL coaching career within the Atlantic Division, moving from Tampa Bay to Detroit, then Toronto, and now Montreal.
His Detroit tenure was difficult, with finishes of seventh and fifth in the division before a poor 13-17-4 start in his third season led GM Steve Yzerman to fire him on Dec. 26, 2024, along with assistant Bob Boughner.
Montreal posted a 48-24-10 record (106 points) last season, finishing sixth overall. They finished sixth overall in the NHL and moved on to the Eastern Conference Final.
Montreal will now hope that Lalonde's Stanley Cup pedigree and NHL experience can help stabilize the staff and support a roster built around its emerging core.
Read more at NHL Fan Central!
Written by
Aadhya Nalla
Edited by
Koushik Biswas