Canadiens hiring Derek Lalonde as assistant coach
Posted July 8, 2026 8:00 pm.
Last Updated July 8, 2026 8:03 pm.
Derek Lalonde is moving one province over for his next NHL job.
The Montreal Canadiens are hiring Lalonde as an assistant coach, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reported Wednesday.
Lalonde will replace Trevor Letowski behind the bench.
Letowski, who has been with the Canadiens since 2021, has decided to step away to spend more time with his family. The Canadiens want to keep Letowski in the organization, Engels added.
Montreal’s hiring of Lalonde comes one day after the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that he would not be back with the team for the 2026-27 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 Engels (@EricEngels) July 8, 2026
Lalonde joined the Maple Leafs staff as an assistant under Craig Berube last summer.
Before joining the Maple Leafs, Lalonde last coached with the Detroit Red Wings for three seasons. During his time as head coach, Lalonde had an 89-86-23 record
Prior to his time in Detroit, Lalonde was an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2018 to 2022. During his time in Tampa, he helped the team win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.
