Derek Lalonde heard from his wife, his daughter and his former boss, and several colleagues.
He was back running the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, preparing them for Thursday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, one day after being tossed for arguing a call. Beyond all else, Lalonde sounded regretful how the ejection reflected on the NHL.
“It was a little unfortunate,” he said. “It’s just not the culture of our sport. Other leagues, getting ejected, being demonstrative on the side lines, on the bench — it’s applauded sometimes. Our culture is a calm demeanor. I don’t like putting myself in those situations.
“I pride myself on being fairly mild-mannered and I’m fairly calm on the bench, it takes a lot to get me going. But that’s not the culture of the NHL, which I really like and appreciate.”
It is believed Lalonde is the first coach in Wings history to be ejected. Jack Adams was suspended during the 1942 Stanley Cup Final for punching referee Mel Harwood, but that was after the game. Adams was suspended the rest of the series.
HEY, IT WORKED: Derek Lalonde may not have deserved ejection, but here’s why it fired up Red Wings
ALWAYS WATCHING: Here’s what Red Wings must show Steve Yzerman in final 10 games
Lalonde was ejected by referee Garrett Rank at 11:16 of the second period during Tuesday’s 7-4 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. There was a lengthy review while officials first used video to see if the puck fully crossed the goal line during a Penguins power play (it did) and then another when the Wings challenged interference on goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. Officials ruled there no infractions occurred prior to Jeff Carter’s goal.
Lalonde could be seen on the bench using colorful language to argue the decision, and that ended his night.
“I was shocked,” Lalonde said. “It was probably the accumulation of my demonstrative reaction on the initial call, which was probably a little much. And then our conversation at the timeout, which was almost three minutes later, was very calm. I just think he had had enough, probably a combination of both. I was a little shocked. I don’t know if it warranted that, but he has every right to do that, he’s trying to manage a game.
“As far as the call, I would make that challenge 100 out of 100 times. Our video coaches, it’s their job, every angle. I was very comfortable with it, but it didn’t go our way. Even as a staff, I think we probably have to do a better job — we’ve made three challenges on goalie interference this year and we’ve missed on all of them. All three of them I would do all over again. So maybe it’s a little more on us to not take the rule, 69.3 and 69.7, we literally took it black and white. It fit exactly what it was, so maybe there is something we are not seeing. Maybe it’s a trend the league is heading, but I’m disappointed we’ve put our team down three times, so we’ll have to be better about our challenges.”
Lalonde spent the rest of the game watching the game in the locker room. Ville Husso and Robby Fabbri, both injured, were back there, too. Husso said Lalonde “is a little spicy sometimes, but I’ve never seen that, like the coach get fired from the bench.”
Lalonde isn’t the only one to draw Rank’s ire; just last month, he became the first NHL referee to give Sidney Crosby a game misconduct.
“That ref has a history of late of kicking everyone out, of having a short fuse and kicking people out,” Lalonde said. “That’s probably on me, knowing who I’m dealing with, because he handled it extremely calm, he never raised his voice. Never warned me. Just skated away and kicked me out.”
Lalonde’s former boss, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper, was ejected from a game last season, and was one of the first to text Lalonde Tuesday night.
“He had a comment that got him kicked out, and he was a little disappointed I didn’t use it,” Lalonde said. “He said he had it on a tee for me. So yes, a few of my peers enjoyed the moment at my expense.”
While the Wings went on to win, 7-4, Lalonde’s wife and children weren’t sure if they should stay or go. Plus, his 12-year-old daughter wanted to know how to reach the NHL to personally complain.
“She texted me in the middle of the second when I was back there, should we leave? And then she had the line of Abby wanted to email the league,” Lalonde said. “And then I emailed the family that someone may not be going to private school next year. We are going to need one volunteer for public school if I happen to get fined.
“A little fun with it, but I don’t want to put myself in that position. The culture of the NHL is class and demeanor as a head coach, and I want to be that.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.