Two days after being fired by the Red Wings, Derek Lalonde thanked general manager Steve Yzerman for the chance to coach the team.

The Detroit Red Wings made a big move this week when they fired head coach Derek Lalonde after the team was once again trending well out of the playoffs ahead of the National Hockey League's Christmas break, and on Saturday the recently fired Lalonde spoke out about the situation through the media.

The Detroit Red Wings announced that they have relieved head coach Derek Lalonde and associate coach Bob Bougher of their duties.

Todd McLellan, the Red Wings' new coach, launched a successful head coaching career after being an assistant in Detroit from 2005-08.

The Detroit Red Wings have fired coach Derek Lalonde and named Todd McLellan as his replacement. The move a day after Christmas comes after the Red Wings lost 21 of their first 34 games this season.

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings fired head coach Derek Lalonde and named his replacement on Thursday. Lalonde and associated coach Bob Boughner have been “relieved of their coaching duties effective immediately,” according to a press release.

DETROIT — Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman knew his team needed a change. So did his captain, Dylan Larkin. As a result, Yzerman and Larkin were each speaking to the media on Friday — the day after Yzerman fired head coach Derek Lalonde and replaced him with Todd McLellan.

A day after replacing the fired Derek Lalonde as Detroit coach, and without even one full practice under his belt with his new club, Todd McLellan was behind the bench on Friday in a 5-2 Red Wings loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Little Caesars Arena.

The Toronto Maple Leafs scored three times in the first period and led nearly from start to finish in a 5-2 victory at Little Caesars Arena, spoiling Todd McLellan’s debut. The Red Wings (13-18-4) have lost four in a row in regulation and dropped into a last-place tie with the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference.