Dylan Larkin and Alex Lyon of the Detroit Red Wings will be familiar with at least one member of Team USA’s coaching staff when they arrive for the IIHF World Championship. That is because Detroit’s head coach, Derek Lalonde, will be on the staff.
On Friday, USA Hockey announced that Lalonde would serve as an assistant coach for the 2018 world tournament in Prague.
Lalonde, Jack Capuano of the Ottawa Senators, Ty Hennes of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Greg Moore will act as assistant coaches for head coach John Hynes.
Alex Westlund of the Red Wings will also act as goaltending coach, while Mike King of the Senators will be the video coach.
Lalonde will serve as an assistant coach on the USA staff for the second consecutive year. Last year, he also coached in the World Championships, where Red Wings prospect Carter Mazur of the Grand Rapids Griffins competed.
Red Wings Coach Enjoys International Stage
Lalonde has been involved with Team USA on the international stage on two other occasions. He was helping the U.S. Junior Select Team to championships in the World Junior A Challenge. Lalonde won in 2013 as head coach and as assistant coach in 2012.
He wondered at the end of the NHL regular season whether Detroit’s run for the playoffs had taken him out of consideration for a role at the worlds.
“I’ve never said no to USA Hockey and I never will,” Lalonde said. “If they need me, I will be going to the tournament.”
Red Wings captain Larkin and goaltender Lyon were announced as part of the USA squad earlier this week.
It’s the sixth world tourney for Larkin. He’s previously been there in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Lyon was also part of the USA Hockey squad at the 2015 IIHF world hockey championship. However, he saw no game action in the tournament.
