Red Wings Had to Resolve Contract Issue Before Hiring McLellan

The Detroit Red Wings have officially hired Todd McLellan as their new head coach, making a change behind the bench one day after Christmas. But, before Detroit could make the hiring official, they had to handle some contract business with the Los Angeles Kings.

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, McLellan, who was recently fired by the Kings, had one year remaining on his $5.5 million contract with L.A. The Red Wings and Kings reportedly spent the morning negotiating how to handle the financial terms tied to McLellan’s existing deal before finalizing his move to Detroit.

Related: Red Wings Fire Lalonde, Hire Todd McLellan as Head Coach

LeBrun wrote:

“McLellan was still getting paid $5.5M by the Kings this season on the last year of that contract. The Kings and Red Wings were negotiating this morning on how that would get taken care of as part of McLellan signing a new deal with Detroit.”

McLellan’s hiring comes shortly after the Red Wings dismissed Derek Lalonde, reflecting the organization’s urgency to turn things around. While outside the playoff picture, Detroit is hoping to push for playoff contention. Bringing in McLellan—a big name with a hefty contract— demonstrates a commitment to winning. He is known for his extensive NHL coaching experience and playoff appearances.

The Red Wings Went Big To Get a New Coach

Some fans might have wondered why it took so long for Detroit to make a change. Part of that could be ownership’s hesitancy to make a change mid-season. But, when they finally pulled the trigger, the organization went big.

McLellan is known for holding players accountable but being a player’s coach as he does so. Cam Talbot said of the hire: “I think he’s a great coach. I love playing for him … I’ve loved Todd ever since I was back in Edmonton. He’s extremely detailed. Knows when to push, knows when to pull back. He’s really good about that. He’s a good communicator.”

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The complexities of NHL coaching contracts clearly factored into all of this and the timing of the change. The Red Wings needed to resolve financial obligations — something the Columbus Blue Jackets were reportedly trying to do this offseason but couldn’t. In this case, the Kings and Red Wings worked out terms that allowed Detroit to move forward with McLellan while satisfying any remaining financial commitments owed by Los Angeles.

We’ll see if the move pays off. As for McLellan, it’s a nice belated Christmas present. He gets a huge chunk of the money he’s owed in LA, but also gets a nice gig as a head coach on an original six NHL team with some solid young talent.

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