Montreal Canadiens fans on social media reacted to the appointment of Derek Lalonde as the assistant coach.
The move comes after Trevor Letowski stepped down to spend more time with his family, though he is expected to remain with the organization in a different role.
Lalonde brings strong pedigree to the Habs’ bench, having won the Stanley Cup twice as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. Most recently, he served as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, and before that he spent three years as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings.
Here’s how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to the hiring. One tweeted:
Another chimed in:
Here are some of the other top reactions on X:
Kirby Dach is one of 15 players across the NHL who filed for salary arbitration this offseason. He became a restricted free agent after his previous four-year, $13.45 million contract with the Canadiens expired at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Montreal reportedly issued him a $4 million qualifying offer, but Dach and his representatives are reportedly seeking a higher number, especially after repeated injury issues have restricted his playing time.
The Habs seem cautious, largely due to concerns about Dach’s durability and consistency. Across his four seasons in Montreal, he has never appeared in a full 82-game NHL season because of recurring injuries. The 25-year-old Fort Saskatchewan native amassed 15 points, including eight goals and seven assists, in 37 games last season.
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