It's now been exactly one year since the Detroit Red Wings hired Todd McLellan as their head coach.
What a difference that a full calendar year makes.
It was on Dec. 23, 2024, that the Detroit Red Wings suffered an embarrassing 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues at Little Caesars Arena, dropping their record to 13-17-4.
The fans who remained behind were heavily booing as time ticked away, and the players were frustrated.
Fast forward to Dec. 26, when news broke that general manager Steve Yzerman opted for a significant shift in the franchise’s direction, dismissing head coach Derek Lalonde and assistant coach Bob Boughner while announcing the hiring of Todd McLellan as head coach, with Trent Yawney joining the staff as an assistant.
While the Red Wings ultimately missed the postseason, they enjoyed two separate seven-game win streaks under McLellan, giving fans hope that the following season could be different.
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Now that we're exactly a year into the Todd McLellan era, things are different, and for the better.
The Red Wings are not only in first place in the Atlantic Division but are also tied for the first overall spot in the Eastern Conference with the Carolina Hurricanes, who will be their next opponent on Saturday evening on the road.
Following Detroit's dramatic win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday evening, McLellan noted the improvement in the club compared to that point in the campaign last year while also noting that there is still plenty of work to do.
"To this point, it has to feel really good for the franchise and the fans, we're winning more than we're losing," McLellan said. "But again, there is a lot of runway in front of us and a lot of road work we have to do."
"Last year is last year, it's over," he continued. "The mood, all that type of stuff, that's great. But the responses to those challenges are encouraging right now."
McLellan has coached exactly 86 games since taking over 365 days ago, and has accumulated a record of 48-31-7.
While there is still lots of road ahead for the Red Wings, they've entered the Christmas break with renewed hope that it will be different this time around, and that bringing postseason hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time in the venue's existence is a very real possibility.
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