The Detroit Red Wings fired coach Derek Lalonde on Thursday and named Todd McLellan as his replacement, a major change by general manager Steve Yzerman more than a third of the way through another disappointing season in the place known as "Hockeytown."

The move comes with the Red Wings on a three-game skid and having lost nine of their past 12. They are 13-17-4 this season and are above only the lowly Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference.

McLellan signed a multiyear contract to start his fourth NHL head coaching job after stints with San Jose, Edmonton and Los Angeles.

The 57-year-old McLellan was fired as head coach of the Kings in February after compiling a 164-130-44 record over four-plus seasons. He has a career record of 598-412-134 and has guided 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 serving under coach Mike Babcock on the team's 2008 title run.

His first game in charge in Detroit will be Friday against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.

Lalonde, 52, was nearly midway through his third season with Detroit after winning the Stanley Cup twice as an assistant with Tampa Bay. He was 89-86-23 overall 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 approached 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 working in the front office. Instead, their playoff drought is on track to reach a ninth year, the second-longest stretch in the league behind Buffalo.

This is the fourth coaching change around the NHL this season and 15th this calendar year, counting Rick Bowness' retirement in Winnipeg. The Boston Bruins in November fired Jim Montgomery, 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.