Montreal has just added a coach with significant NHL experience to their bench, with Derek Lalonde joining Martin St-Louis.
This wasn’t just a minor adjustment to the employees. Montreal selected Lalonde as its associate coach on Monday, a move that provides St-Louis with a seasoned voice as the team continues to advance to the next level.
Jeff Gorton declared the employment, and the timing speaks volumes.
The Canadiens did not seek a development-only instructor here. Someone who has handled the heat behind an NHL bench and worked deep in theley Cup chase was hired by them.
Lalonde worked as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning for four seasons, from 2018 to 2022.
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That type of space is crucial when a developing squad is attempting to grow up quickly since Tampa Bay won consecutive Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 during that stretch.
He is also aware of what comes with the position of Head Coach.
This is not a coach who will arrive in Montreal and learn the league on the fly, since Lalonde managed the Detroit Red Wings from 2022 to 2024.
Pre-scout work, bench management, and the minor in-game adjustments that may change a second period or alleviate a difficult back-to-back should rapidly reflect that experience. There was already energy on Montreal’s bench.
It adds more structure now.
A staff move that has greater significance for the Canadiens
Lalonde’s last visit is likewise noteworthy.
This implies that he comes to Montreal with a new perspective on the current tendencies, pressure areas, and specialized teams of the NHL as he worked as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2025–26 season.
He established a track record during his over 20 years in professional hockey, long before he entered the NHL. That path is significant because Montreal’s coaching staff now has a member who has witnessed prospects, veterans, playoff pushes, and lineup adjustments from all angles.
Before joining the NHL, Lalonde earned the Clark Cup with the Green Bay Gamblers in 2011–12.
He was also named USHL Coach of the Year that same season, which is another indication that this hire has more to do with instruction than with strategy.
The profile is completed with his ECHL Coach of the Year award in 2014–15. Montreal didn’t just add a line to its resume. It included a coach who was known for setting standards, organizing teams, and holding players responsible.
For a Canadiens squad that is still attempting to establish habits over 82 games, that is important. Staff appointments such as this can impact the season before the puck is dropped when a team wants better details on the blue line, improved puck support, and more trustworthy special teams.
This appears to be support rather than replacement for St-Louis. For the Canadiens, it appears to be a move made with the standings in mind, as Lalonde offers the space another established voice with true NHL significance.
