3 assistant coach candidates the Red Wings should consider
Who will be Hockeytown's freshest face?
Earlier this week, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they’ve hired Jay Varaday as the team’s assistant coach. Varaday, who served as the Red Wings’ assistant coach over the last three seasons, reunites with former coaching partner Rick Tocchet. Varady worked with both Derek Lalonde and Todd McLellan, putting together a 115-104-27 record in his time with Detroit.
Varaday had his hands in quite a few cookie jars in Hockeytown. He helped fellow assistant coach Alex Tanguay put together the power play unit, developed the penalty kill, and served as a liaison between the coaching staff and the analytics department. His departure leaves general manager Steve Yzerman with yet another task on his to-do list this offseason.
Fortunately, there are plenty of options available for Yzerman to consider. The real question, however, lies in who would be a good long-term fit. Who will help the team take the next step? Who will work best with Detroit’s system? I’ve come up with three different options that may be a good fit based on culture, pedigree, and connection to the team:
Option 1: Jay Woodcroft
Jay Woodcroft, former head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, was forged in the fires of Hockeytown. His first coaching stint at the NHL level began in 2008 as the team’s video coach. He later went on to help the Red Wings win their eleventh Stanley Cup a few years later. Once his time in Hockeytown came to an end, he joined Todd McLellan as the assistant coach of the San Jose Sharks. He most recently served as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers for three seasons before joining Team Canada in the 2024 IIHF World Championships.
Woodcroft, having experience with both the Red Wings and McLellan, seems like an ideal candidate for the job. He’s got over two decades of coaching experience under his belt, including three years coaching a Stanley Cup contending team in the Oilers.
With that said, Woodcroft only lasted three seasons with the Oilers before the team fired him after a 3-9-1 start. He used this last season to regroup and learn from his mistakes, and, by all accounts, he seems ready for a fresh start. To top it all off, his name has picked up a lot of steam over the last few weeks as a potential coaching candidate.
Hiring Woodcroft as the assistant coach would be mutually beneficial for both parties. The Wings would score a tried and tested head coach with connections to Hockeytown, while Woodcroft would have a chance to learn more about coaching without all the pressure that came with the Oilers. Barring a team hiring Woodcroft as their head coach, this, to me, seems the most likely fit for the assistant coaching gig.
Option 2: Jeff Halpern
Like Woodcroft, Halpern has a connection to Detroit — though not as one-to-one as the former. Halpern has spent the last nine years in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, first hired by Yzerman in 2016 to coach the Syracuse Crunch. From there, he quickly earned a promotion to assistant coach, where he’s won two Cups with the Lightning.
Halpern’s background in player development and coaching experience make him a grand slam for the Red Wings, a team ready to take their next step. He knows what it takes to build a contender. He’s seen the Lightning at their best and endured their worst. Reuniting with the guy who got his career started professionally might be just what both parties need to take that next step.
There’s just one problem: Halpern is the hottest name in coaching right now.
If you had to put it into NFL terms, he’s Ben Johnson: a dynamic, creative assistant coach with head coaching potential. Convincing Halpern to make a lateral move to a team that hasn’t seen a lot of success over the last decade would be a hard sell. Then again, if there’s anyone that can do it, it’s Steve Yzerman.
Option 3: Sergei Fedorov
Okay, yes, this one’s a long shot. But think of the narrative. One of the eponymous Russian Five returning to Hockeytown to help coach his old team? A reunion with his old captain and teammate? The stories practically write themselves. Fedorov has experience with both general managing and coaching while with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. His bold, dynamic approach to coaching has quickly made him one of the most exciting coaching candidates of this decade.
In his first game in the Gagarin Cup playoffs in 2022, Fedorov pulled his goalie in overtime, helping CSKA Moscow to knock out former Russian Five teammate Igor Larionov’s squad. His high-risk, high-reward style helped SKA St. Petersburg win back-to-back Gagarin Cup. To top it all off, Fedorov briefly coached one of the Red Wings’ top prospects, Dmitri Buchelnikov. What more could you want?
There are, of course, a few roadblocks standing between a reunion of Sergei and Detroit. It remains to be seen if there’s still bad blood between the Illitch family and Fedorov, who parted ways after their last contract dispute. But it’s been a few decades since then. Additionally, what’s the likelihood Fedorov leaves Russia to return to the United States? While the narrative might seem nice enough, getting Fedorov to take the leap of faith for just an assistant coaching role might be a tall order.
Who do you want to be Detroit’s next assistant coach?