Dylan Larkin reveals major attributes that Detroit Red Wings were missing under recently fired Derek Lalonde

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Jack Sutherland
December 27, 2024 (2:36 PM)

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Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin appeared to throw some shade at outgoing former coach Derek Lalonde after today's practice under new coach Todd McLellan.

For the 1st time since the mid 1980's, the Detroit Red Wings have made a coaching change in the middle of a season.

General manager Steve Yzerman announced yesterday afternoon that the club parted ways with coach Derek Lalonde and assistant coach Bob Boughner while hiring Todd McLellan and Trent Yawney.

Following today's morning skate at Little Caesars Arena, McLellan spoke for the first time since being hired to his position as the 29th coach in Red Wings history.

Shortly afterward, Dylan Larkin spoke alongside teammates Patrick Kane and Moritz Seider and indicated that while it wasn't their goal to see Lalonde and Boughner lose their jobs, the team was clearly "missing something".

It's something you don't want to happen, I really like Derek and Boughs as guys, they're good people. You never want to see that, especially at the time that it happened. It's a little awkward.

But we felt like something needed to happen, and now we move forward, and we had a great 1st day with Todd.

When it happened, it was difficult to see, but we move forward, and hopefully we can continue to look at the big picture and develop this further.

Larkin, who hasn't scored in his last 13 games, will lead the Red Wings onto the ice later tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7:00 PM, FanDuel Sports Detroit, 97.1 The Ticket).

Larkin then pointed to a pair of major characteristics that had waned and even gone completely missing under Lalonde - team spirit and competitiveness.

The things Todd wants to bring in are simple things, but bring team spirit and life back to us and that's something we've been lacking, and something as a player when you go out there and don't have it for whoever reason like we have in the last week and multiple times this year, it's not the way I want to play.

We need to get that back, and whatever happens the rest of the way this season, we need to build the team spirit and the competitiveness back in our locker room.

Todd McLellan returns to Hockeytown, this time as head coach

McLellan rejoins the Red Wings, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2008 as an assistant on Mike Babcock's staff.

Meanwhile, Yawney continues his association with McLellan, having worked as an assistant under him with the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.

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DECEMBRE 27 \| 170 ANSWERS Dylan Larkin reveals major attributes that Detroit Red Wings were missing under recently fired Derek Lalonde Did you interpret Dylan Larkin's words as a jab thrown at now-former coach Derek Lalonde?
Yes	88	51.8 %
No	82	48.2 %
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