The Detroit Red Wings fired coach Derek Lalonde on Thursday and named Todd McLellan as his successor, a major move by general manager Steve Yzerman more than a third of another disappointing season in the city known as “Hockeytown.”

The move comes as the Red Wings are three games behind and have lost nine of their last 12 games. They are 13-17-4 this season, trailing only the weak Buffalo Sabers in the Eastern Conference.

McLellan signed a multi-year contract to begin his fourth job as an NHL head coach after stints with San Jose, Edmonton and Los Angeles.

McLellan, 57, was fired as the Kings’ head coach in February after compiling a 164-130-44 record in more than four seasons. He has a career record of 598-412-134 and has led his teams to the playoffs nine times. His Sharks reached the Western Conference finals in 2010 and 2011.

He returns to the Motor City after getting his first job in the league as a Red Wings assistant in 2005 and helping in the team’s title run in 2008 under coach Mike Babcock.

His first game as coach in Detroit is Friday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Lalonde, 52, was nearly halfway through his third season with Detroit after winning two Stanley Cups as an assistant with Tampa Bay. He had an overall record of 89-86-23 with the Red Wings.

Assistant Bob Boughner was also fired and Trent Yawney was hired to work on McLellan’s staff.

Despite signing three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Kane in 2023 and re-signing him last offseason, the success has not matched the Red Wings’ glory days when they won the Cup four times between 1996-97 and 2007-08 – three times with Yzerman as captain and once with him in the front office. Instead, their playoff drought is on track to reach a ninth year, the second-longest streak in the league behind Buffalo.

This is the NHL’s fourth coaching change this season and the 15th this calendar year, counting Rick Bowness’ retirement in Winnipeg. The Boston Bruins fired Jim Montgomery in November, who was hired by the St. Louis Blues less than a week later, and the Chicago Blackhawks replaced Luke Richardson with interim coach Anders Sorensen in early December.

The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.