The Derek Lalonde era is officially upon us in the Motor City, as he was introduced by the Detroit Red Wings to media members earlier this month alongside general manager Steve Yzerman and team owner/CEO Chris Ilitch at Little Caesars Arena. 

Detroit named the former Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach the 28th bench boss in team history, officially succeeding Jeff Blashill, who was not retained at the end of the 2021-22 NHL season. Lalonde comes to Detroit fresh off his third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance with the Lightning, in which they came up just short in becoming the 1st team since the 1980's New York Islanders to raise the Cup three straight years. 

The Red Wings have already made an additional to Lalonde's staff, having brought aboard former San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner as an assistant. And now, Yzerman has brought aboard yet another new face to serve on the team's new-look bench.

Jay Varady, who most recently served as head coach of the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League, has been hired as an assistant: 

Per NHL.com: 

"Varady, 44, has spent the last four seasons as a coach in the Arizona Coyotes organization, including three seasons as head coach of the American Hockey League's Tucson Roadrunners from 2018-20 and 2021-22. During his tenure with the Roadrunners, Varady compiled a 93-84-11-6 record and led the team to its first-ever Pacific Division title in 2019-20. He also served as head coach of the Pacific Division at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic. Before returning for his second stint with the Roadrunners in 2021-22, Varady made his debut behind an NHL bench as an assistant coach for the Coyotes during the 2020-21 campaign, helping the team to a 24-26-6 record.

Prior to joining the Coyotes organization, Varady worked one season as head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Kingston Frontenacs in 2017-18, guiding the team to a 36-23-6-3 record and a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Varady arrived in Kingston after spending the previous four seasons as head coach and director of hockey operations for the United States Hockey League's Sioux City Musketeers from 2013-17, where he posted a 136-88-10-6 record. While with Sioux City, Varady was named the USHL's Coach of the Year in 2016-17 after the Musketeers clinched the Anderson Cup as regular-season champions with a 40-13-5-2 mark and reached the Clark Cup Final. In all, Varady led Sioux City to the postseason in three of his four seasons at the helm, earning two appearances in the Western Conference Finals and a pair of Western Conference regular-season titles."