Who is Todd McLellan? Meet the Red Wings’ new coach after the firing

On December 27, 2024By Littum

The Detroit Red Wings turned to a familiar and successful face when they made a coaching change.

Todd McLellan was named head coach of the Wings on Thursday, on the third day of the NHL break, while head coach Derek Lalonde and assistant coach Bob Boughner were revived from the duties. Also Thursday, the Wings named Trent Yawney an assistant coach.

McLellan’s first game will be Friday when the Wings host the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Wings enter that game after — so the franchise hopes — reaching a nadir in losing, 4-0, to St. Louis Blues on Monday, part of a three-game losing streak.

McClellan knows Detroit

McLellan, 57, takes over a team that has struggled far more than expected, even though general manager Steve Yzerman did not upgrade the team in the offseason. The list of players who have disappointed and underperformed is long, starting with Vladimir Tarasenko, who is on pace for 10 goals in return for making $4.75 million this season and next.

McLellan was responsible for the team’s forwards and power play during his tenure as an assistant. His tenure with the Wings — which then boasted a defense that featured Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall and a forward group headlined by Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk — launched McLellan on a successful NHL head coaching career.

On June 11, 2008, the San Jose Sharks named McLellan as their new coach. He would end up coaching the Western Conference All-Star team and lead the Sharks to their first Presidents’ Trophy with an NHL-leading 117 points to end the regular season and finished third in voting for that season’s Jack Adams Award as a coach for the year.

After the Sharks missed the playoffs in 2015, McLellan and the Sharks agreed to part ways on April 20. McLellan next coached the Canadian national team at the 2015 World Championships, where the team won gold with a perfect 10–0 record.

Stops in Edmonton, LA

In May 2015, McLellan was named head coach of the then-rebuilding Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers replaced McLellan in November 2018.

From there, McLellan was named head coach of the Los Angeles Kings in April 2019, a job he held until his release on February 2, 2024. Yawney was an assistant with the Kings during the same time frame.

McLellan’s NHL head coaching record is 598-412-134, with nine playoff appearances.

Contact Helene St. James on [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more about the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.