“I just spit out my coffee”: Maple Leafs fans poke fun at Derek Lalonde hiring

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced the hiring of former Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde as an assistant to Craig Berube’s staff on Friday.

Lalonde joins the team in place of the departed Lane Lambert who joined the Seattle Kraken as their new bench boss.

But no sooner had news of Lalonde’s hiring broke, than fans took to X to poke fun at the move. Here’s a look at some choice comments from fans:

“I just spit out my coffee,” one fan wrote.

“Hope his coaching is better than his analysis,” another fan chimed in.

“All problems solved now,” this fan commented.

But not all fans chose to poke fun at Lalonde’s hiring. Some fans seemed genuinely happy at the news of getting a seasoned coach on the Maple Leafs’ staff.

Here’s what these fans had to say:

“Always loved his insight on the SN panel,” this fan remarked.

“Good, now sign Mitch…” another fan wrote.

“Big time let's go,” one fan posted on X.

Derek Lalonde’s hiring is another sign of the turnover for the Toronto Maple Leafs next season. While moving on from Lane Lambert wasn’t part of the plan, his hiring in Seattle opened the door for solid change behind the bench.

Derek Lalonde comes to Toronto Maple Leafs with solid coaching pedigree

Derek Lalonde brings a solid coaching pedigree to the Toronto Maple Leafs staff. While Lalonde was unceremoniously dismissed earlier this past season following an abysmal start by the Detroit Red Wings, he comes with two Stanley Cup rings from Tampa Bay.

Lalonde served on Jon Cooper’s staff during the Lightning’s 2020-2022 Stanley Cup runs. Two of those runs came during the bubble playoffs, which were unusual, to say the least. The Lightning made it back to the Stanley Cup Final in 2022, playing a full season, but fell to the Colorado Avalanche that year.

That experience is something that the Maple Leafs will be looking to take advantage of next season. Given Craig Berube’s expanded role within the organization next season, Berube will need a seasoned assistant he can delegate responsibility to.

That’s why Lalonde makes sense for the Maple Leafs at this point.

In essence, what fans can expect to see if GM Brad Treliving takes on more responsibility at the top, while Berube gets more decision-making power in the team’s management. That means that an assistant like Lalonde can focus on plenty of the team’s day-to-day operations throughout the season.

Derek Lalonde, ultimately, is part of that DNA change that Treliving talked about earlier this offseason. Lalond should bring a fresh perspective to the club as the Leafs look to finally get over the hump next season.