Derek Lalonde is joining the Montreal Canadiens as an associate coach under Martin St-Louis.
Around The Horn Hockey confirmed the hire this week, adding Lalonde to the staff St-Louis runs behind the bench.
An associate coach role typically means direct input on systems and game management, a step up in responsibility from a standard assistant position.
The timing fits a summer where Montreal has been busy at almost every level of the organization.
General manager Kent Hughes has reportedly been calling around the league in search of a true No. 1 center to add up front.
Montreal also quietly re-signed depth center Hunter McKown to a one-year, two-way deal worth $850,000 just last week.
None of those moves compare to what already exists on the ice. Nick Suzuki posted 101 points this past season and led Montreal on a deep playoff run.
It's the latest piece in a busy Montreal summer
Montreal finished the regular season 48-24-10 for 106 points and sixth overall, proof the core St-Louis already has in place is a real contender.
That run ended against Carolina in the third round, after Montreal had already beaten Tampa Bay and Buffalo in seven games apiece.
Ivan Demidov backed up that season with a strong rookie year of his own, adding real scoring depth to the group St-Louis now has to manage.
A new associate coach joining that kind of room is a lower-profile move, but coaching staffs matter just as much as rosters once games actually start.
St-Louis now has more voices behind the bench heading into a season where expectations in Montreal are clearly rising.
The hire was confirmed directly through Around The Horn Hockey's post.
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Whether Lalonde's addition changes anything on the ice will not be clear until St-Louis actually puts him to work this fall.
Does adding an associate coach actually move the needle for the Canadiens?
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