Boughner let go as Red Wings reshuffle bench

The Detroit Red Wings went shopping on Boxing Day and bought themselves a new head coach. Todd McLellan replaces Derek Lalonde who had been on the hot seat recently with the team underperforming and riding a three-game losing streak.

GM Steve Yzerman also hired former NHL'er Trent Yawney as an assistant coach replacing Windsor's Bob Boughner who joined the Wings as an assistant under Lalonde in 2022.

Source: Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group 

Detroit has a 13-17-44 recrod and has lost nine of their last 12 games. The Red Wings sit second last in the Eastern Conference two points ahead of Buffalo, not a comfortable place to be for a team with expectations of returning to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Wings missed the playoffs by a point last season and currently sit eight points out of the second wild-card spot occupied by the Ottawa Senators.

The move is a return to Hockeytown for McLellan, who was an assistant under Mike Babcock for three seasons. He helped guide the Wings to the Stanley Cup championship in 2008 before launching his head coaching career in San Jose the following season.

The 57-year old, who becomes the 29th head coach in franchise history, was also bench boss with the Sharks until 2015 and moved on to stints in Edmonton (2015-2019) and Los Angeles (2019-2024).

The Wings are at home for the next three games starting Friday against Toronto. Washington Sunday at 5pm. Pittsburgh Tuesday at 8pm.