Elliotte Friedman airs Derek Lalonde's statement after being fired as Detroit Red Wings head coach

The Detroit Red Wings fired coach Derek Lalonde on Thursday and hired Todd McLellan as his replacement. The move comes after the Red Wings had lost nine of their last 12 games and are languishing near the bottom of the standings. General manager Steve Yzerman made the change as the team endures a playoff drought.

Derek Lalonde was in his third season with Detroit. Before coaching the Red Wings, he was an assistant coach with Tampa Bay, where he won two Stanley Cups. Despite signing big-name players like Patrick Kane, success eluded the Red Wings.

On the Dec. 28 episode of Saturday Headlines on Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman read a statement from Derek Lalonde. It said (2:14):

“I’m very appreciative of the opportunity. Incredibly thankful Steve Yzerman gave me a chance to coach a team like the Detroit Red Wings.”

He also mentioned the strong fan support last season:

“You saw the passion of the fan base when we made a late run last season. And they will be rewarded. They will be in a good spot with the great young players they have and the ones that are coming.”

Along with firing Derek Lalonde, associate coach Bob Boughner was also let go. Trent Yawney was hired as an assistant coach to join McLellan's staff.

McLellan has a lot of experience in the NHL. He has coached the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings, making the playoffs nine times in 14 seasons. McLellan is returning to Detroit, where he worked as an assistant in 2005 and helped them win the 2008 Stanley Cup.

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Red Wings lose 5-2 to Maple Leafs in Todd McLellan’s debut after Derek Lalonde's departure

Mitch Marner scored a hat-trick to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. The win came in Todd McLellan’s first game as the Red Wings coach.

Detroit got goals from Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson, but it wasn’t enough. McLellan said that the team needs to fix their defensive issues.

“From a coaching perspective, it was exciting to be back there, but we’ve got work to do – that’s fairly evident,” McLellan said (via NHL.com on Thursday).

“This game allows us a road map – we know where we will begin in practice tomorrow. You don’t have to be a hockey expert to see some of our entry coverages and D-zone parts of the play need to be fixed.”

The Red Wings (13-18-4) have lost four straight games. They next play the Washington Capitals (24-9-2) at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday.