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Derek Lalonde will be joining Stéphane Robidas and Martin St-Louis behind the Canadiens' bench this season. After stints in Tampa Bay, Detroit, and Toronto, he just can't seem to get out of the division.
It's a topic that's generating quite a bit of buzz in Montreal right now. And that's understandable: we didn't even know that Trevor Letowski wouldn't be returning to the bench.
Bringing in a Stanley Cup champion (as an assistant coach in Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021) will certainly help.
As my colleague Maxime Truman mentioned yesterday, Lalonde will undoubtedly help improve the Canadiens' penalty kill moving forward. That won't be a luxury.
In fact, we're getting to know the Habs' new addition better and better. And there's a lot of positivity to be seen here.
But there's another aspect worth mentioning in all of this: Lalonde is also known for making sure his players enjoy coming to the arena. I don't need to tell you that the same goes for Martin St-Louis and the rest of the staff.
Pierre McGuire talked about it on the Sick Podcast last night.
It's also worth noting that on 98.5 Sports last night, Louis Domingue wasn't afraid to say that Lalonde truly has a positive attitude all the time as a coach.
So that makes two people in the know who are singing from the same hymn sheet.
As you know, there will be pressure on the Canadiens in the coming months. And inevitably, it won't always be easy for the players—especially during the inevitable losing streaks.
If the coaching staff can keep the atmosphere positive, it'll be better for everyone.
Whether it's for his experience, his attitude, or his skills, it seems the Canadiens have found an interesting candidate to support Martin St-Louis.
All that remains now is to finalize the head coach's contract extension.
In a nutshell
– Yes, he'll be under pressure.
“In addition to their cap structure being blown up, there's now real pressure on Leo Carlsson to perform. What if he tops out as an 85-point player?” @frank_seravalli joins @ailishforfar and @jesserubinoff to discuss the Ducks' decision to match the Flyers' offer sheet. pic.twitter.com/90LpYkNSa2
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) July 9, 2026
– What will the Kings do?
Elliotte Friedman: My theory here is…that the Kings are trying to maintain maximum flexibility so they can make a big move—an “LA-style” one—whenever the opportunity arises – 32 Thoughts (7/6)
— NHL Rumor Report (@NHLRumorReport) July 10, 2026
– Hmm…
We know the Phillies love Alex Cora. https://t.co/LCpCEw41H0 https://t.co/kwA04quczk
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) July 9, 2026
