Detroit Red Wings' management and Todd McLellan dismiss two coaches from their staff
Photo credit: ESPN
The Detroit Red Wings are changing the status quo left by Derek Lalonde, as GM Steve Yzerman and Todd McLellan have dismissed Alex Westlund and L.J. Scarpace.
The Detroit Red Wings will need a new look in the coaching staff if they're to course correct for the 2025-2026 season.
That'll mean removing some of the staff that served during Derek Lalonde's short tenure in Detroit. The cleaning process has begun, as Todd McLellan has dismissed video coach Alex Westlund and goalie coach L.J. Scarpace.
«We'll have an announcement going out, but these two are aware that they won't be returning,» McLellan said. «Alex Westlund is the goaltender coach. L.J. Scarpace is one of the video coaches.
According toMcLellan, they're significant roles in the organization, and given how poor the goaltending was this season, they were due for a change in that role.
Westlund was hired in 2022 along with Derek Lalonde. Before he arrived in Detroit, he spent five seasons in the AHL with the Hershey Bears.
Scarpace has been around since the 2019-2020 NHL season, working with both Jeff Blashill and Derek Lalonde. He spent two seasons as a video coach with the Carolina Hurricanes before joining the Red Wings.
The reason for the move? Well, the goaltending was subpar, as Westlund's goaltending duo of Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon underperformed, as the team's save percentage ranked 22nd overall in a 32-team league.
While it's not wholly on Westlund's performance that the team had a terrible performance in 2024-2025, he was a cog in the wheel that wasn't able to deliver on his duties.
McLellan expanded on the replacement for L.J. Scarpace during the press conference and anticipates it'll be an internal hire for the Red Wings organization.
| POLL | ||
MAI 3 | 217 ANSWERS Detroit Red Wings' management and Todd McLellan dismiss two coaches from their staff Do you think the Detroit Red Wings need to trade for a top goaltender in the NHL, along with firing the coaching staff? | ||
| Yes | 112 | 51.6 % |
| No | 105 | 48.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
