Derek Lalonde, who recently wrapped his first season as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, is serving as an assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s National Team for the second time in 2024 after serving in the same capacity in 2023.
Lalonde finished his first season as head coach of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings after four seasons as an assistant for the Tampa Bay Lightning (2018-22), where he won two Stanley Cups.
He has served on the staff of U.S. teams on three other occasions, helping the U.S. Junior Select Team to championships in the World Junior A Challenge in 2013 and as head coach and as assistant coach in 2012.
The Brasher Falls, New York, native served as an assistant coach in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey first with Ferris State from 2002-2006 and then at the University of Denver from 2006-2011. He moved on to serve as head coach and general manager for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers from 2011-14 where he recorded an overall record of 114-56-8-6 and was named the USHL Coach of the Year in 2012 after helping the Gamblers earn the Clark Cup title.
In 2014, he assumed the role of head coach for the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL, earning the John Brophy Award as the league’s coach of the year in his debut season. The Walleye won back-to-back Brabham Cup trophies as ECHL regular season champions in Lalonde’s two years behind the Toledo bench, and finished with a 97-35-7-5 (W-L-T-OT/SOL) overall record. From 2016-18, he served as head coach of the AHL’s Iowa Wild, recording a 69-58-17-8 (W-L-T-OT/SOL) record in two seasons before joining the Lightning staff.
Lalonde's coaching career began as a graduate assistant men's ice hockey coach at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (formerly North Adams State) from 1995-98. He then started a two-year stint as an assistant men's ice hockey coach at Lebanon Valley College following by two seasons as an assistant men's ice hockey coach at Hamilton College.
A former goaltender in the NCAA Division III ranks with SUNY Cortland, Lalonde recorded a 3.93 goals-against average and .877 save percentage in 41 appearances for the Red Dragons from 1991-95.