Have the Detroit Red Wings had a great coach since Scotty Bowman?

Hockey fans discuss philosophies constantly.

Even with the growing questions surrounding current head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Todd McLellan, most fans argue has been the best coach in a long time.

There may be some recency bias, though, as the bar has been set mightily low in Hockeytown.

In the last 10 seasons hopes and dreams are crushed quicker than frozen fruit in a blender. While some years are slower burns than others, eventually, the bill comes due. And that bill is pain and more misery.

With all this negativity, it begs a question.

Have the Detroit Red Wings had a great coach since Scotty Bowman?

It's an important question to ponder when we assess McLellan's impact on the team both now and in the expected future.

Before learning of the alleged controversy surrounding Mike Babcock, most Red Wings fans gave positive reviews of the coach -- sometimes, they'd even offer high praise.  Hindsight, of course, is 20/20, but we'll touch more on this later.

Jeff Blashill's tenure in Detroit

After Babcock came Jeff Blashill. Blashill was highly touted, especially among Grand Rapids Griffins fans who had a front row seat to his early days as a head coach. He was (and still is known as)  a development-focused coach. Unfortunately, his success in developing the Grand Rapids Griffins (and taking them to a Calder Cup in 2012-13) did not translate at the NHL level.

Blashill's fans point to the lack of a roster at the time. It was lackluster, to say the least. Still, at the same time, Blashill looked like a rookie NHL coach who was learning which buttons to press in the best league in the world. After leaving the Red Wings, Blashill took a job wit hthe Tampa Bay Lightning.

Blashill's defensive systems didn't translate well in Tampa, either, as the contender took a downturn across the board. Despite a successful roster and all the opportunity to learn under head coach Jon Cooper, Blashill's system continued to fail. His roster in Detroit didn't do him any favors, but his systems didn't do the Wings any favors, either.

Blashill is now the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks, for reference, ended the 2025-26 season with the second-worst offensive metrics in the NHL as well as the second-worst goal differential in the NHL.

Derek Lalonde fared worse than Blashill

Lightning assistant coach Derek Lalonde took on the role next, replacing Blashill as head coach. Unfortunately, the Red Wings continued to sputter with Lalonde at the helm.

Going from a lackluster roster to an equally disappointing roster, Detroit’s confusion grew under Lalonde. Quite frankly, there are times the team doesn’t look that different under current head coach McLellan. There are shades of hope sandwiched between the much-anticipated fall off of the cliff.

That could be a roster construction issue, echoing back to the days of Blashill. The abrupt turnover with Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall retiring followed by Pavel Datsyuk returning to Russia set the organization back years. Twenty-five straight seasons in the playoffs without any semblance of lottery luck during the rebuild will do that to an organization. 

Red Wings coaches haven't been up to par

Of these four coaches, only one hoisted Lord Stanley as a head coach. Speculation abounded that when Detroit won, it wasn’t thanks to Babcock. Instead, Red Wings legend and former captain Henrik Zetterberg played a larger role in the Wings’ success than the head coach ever did. 

The most recent three (Blashill, Lalonde and McLellan) were not expected to make waves—possibly to the dismay of Red Wings fans who have waited a decade to see their team in the playoffs. These coaches were meant to win games, of course. Just as importantly, though, these coaches were meant to develop their players. 

Long gone are the days of opening checkbooks to bring players to Hockeytown. With the salary cap increasing so drastically, as well, inventory on the trade market is extraordinary low. General manager Steve Yzerman, has said, and will continue to remind eveyrone, that his organization is committed to building through the draft. 

The scenic route isn't for everyone. However, when a rebuild is focused on building through the draft and has no lottery luck, the scenic route is all we have.

Yzerman, coaching staff need to be on same page

If a trade arises that makes sense, Yzerman will pull the trigger. However, he’s not going to make a trade just to make a trade. Also, he won’t hemorrhage the future for short-term gains. 

Former Red Wings reporter Keith Gave tweeted that Yzerman even spoke with Norris candidate, Quinn Hughes (then Vancouver Canucks captain). Before Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild, Detroit had an offer in place. The caveat being that assurance about an extension would be in place (once Hughes was eligible). Hughes wouldn’t agree, and Yzerman stuck to his guns (or in this case Simon Edvinsson, who was rumored to be part of the return for Vancouver):

Any coach in Detroit must be on the same page as Yzerman. He must be dedicated to building his team through the young players. There will be help when veterans are brought in, but they're like salt when cooking. You want to enhance what's already there, they shouldn't be the main attraction.

Granted, veterans must have a reason to want to come and play in Detroit. They still have to feel valued within the team dynamics, but they cannot be the focal point. If they continue being the priority in Hockeytown, then this team is doomed for eternity.

All three of these most recent coaches start by investing in their youth. Yet, despite their encouraging starts, it quickly became the same song and dance. Young players are sat in favor of appeasing veterans. While it's important to have reliability on the team, it places young players on the back burner -- a place they should never be in a draft-based rebuild. If everybody has to play on the mom's trip, sit a veteran. Run 11-7 if you have to. But don't sit Marco Kasper after he finally gets his mojo back.

So far, McLellan seems to be the superior communicator of the three most recent coaches. Undoubtedly, he's a better fit for the Red Wings overall, as well. In his media availabilities, he’s direct and always says the right things.

From the “just play [explicit] hockey” to referring to players as just jerseys, McLellan is clearly dedicated to his team.

Having said that, there's a chance McLellan is just the best of the most recent coaches in Red Wings history. It might be time for a change, though, as both fans and players continue to raise questions about his future in Hockeytown. 

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