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Derek Lalonde enters his first season as head coach of the Red Wings. The 49-year-old was named the 28th head coach in franchise history on June 30, 2022 after spending the previous four seasons as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

During his tenure with the Lightning, Lalonde helped the club to four consecutive postseason appearances (2019-22), highlighted by back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. The Lightning also won three-straight Prince of Wales Trophies from 2020-22 and became the first franchise to reach the Stanley Cup Final in three successive campaigns since the 1983-85 Edmonton Oilers. Additionally, Tampa Bay joined the Montreal Canadiens (1976-80) and the New York Islanders (1980-84) as the only teams in NHL history to record at least 11-straight playoff series victories. In all, Tampa Bay compiled a 192-77-10 regular-season record and a 46-26 postseason mark with Lalonde on its coaching staff.

In Lalonde's inaugural campaign behind an NHL bench in 2018-19, the Lightning clinched the Atlantic Division title, a regular-season Eastern Conference championship and their first Presidents' Trophy after accumulating a franchise-record 128 points (62-16-4) while tying the NHL's single-season record for wins set by the 1995-96 Red Wings. He was hired as an assistant coach by the Lightning on July 12, 2018, when Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman served as the Lightning's vice president and general manager. Lalonde was previously a coach at Tampa Bay's development camp in 2013.

A goaltender in his playing days, Lalonde spent his collegiate career in the Division III ranks with SUNY Cortland, appearing in 41 games for the Red Dragons from 1991-95.