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Drew Bannister, St. Louis Blues Head Coach (Jenae Anderson / The Hockey Writers)

3 Lightning Assistant Coach Replacement Options

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jack Pallotta | Last updated May 24, 2025 8:35 AM ET

With 25 years of coaching experience, the Chicago Blackhawks hired Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Jeff Blashill for his second NHL head coaching gig. Chicago’s future has Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov, and more. Therefore, this job is an exciting opportunity for Blashill, who spent seven seasons with the Detroit Red Wings from 2015-22 as the bench boss.

Despite Blashill’s great opportunity, the Lightning are left with a vacant role in their coaching staff heading into the summer of 2025. However, there are plenty of good candidates out there to fill the position. Let’s explore some early options to replace the Lightning’s assistant coach.

Derek Lalonde

The first option for an assistant coach replacement is a familiar face. Detroit fired Derek Lalonde mid-season (Dec. 26) and replaced him with Todd McLellan. Before his head coaching position in Detroit, Lalonde was an assistant coach on Jon Cooper’s staff in Tampa Bay for four seasons from 2018-22. He helped Tampa Bay reach three Stanley Cup Finals and win two Stanley Cup championships.

With Lalonde out of work, a reunion in Tampa Bay is one of the best options available. After all, his climb up the ranks to become an NHL coach is unbelievable. He started as an assistant coach for Division 1 college hockey, followed by working his way up through major junior and minor league teams, even winning the United States Hockey League (USHL) title with the Green Bay Gamblers in his first season as a head coach in 2011-22. In summary, the track record of success and familiarity when Lalonde was with the organization make him an intriguing option for the Lightning next season if he’s interested in returning.

Drew Bannister

Drew Bannister is another coach who’s worked hard to get to the head coaching position at the NHL level. He got promoted to an interim head coach role for the St. Louis Blues in 2023-24, where he posted a record of 30-19-5, turning the Blues’ season around. However, he lost his job the following fall to Jim Montgomery after St. Louis got off to a sluggish 9-12-1 under his expertise. Despite Montgomery completely transforming the Blues, Bannister has the potential to be a good coach in the league one day.

Under the guidance of one of the best in Cooper, Bannister can learn under him for a few seasons and then get another shot at a full-time head coaching role. Look at Blashill, who lost his head coaching job in Detroit but now has another opportunity in Chicago. Bannister brings experience from coaching three different American Hockey League (AHL) teams and may be worth taking a flier on to fill the Lightning’s vacant role.

John Tortorella

Lastly, we couldn’t finish this list without including one of the most infamous coaches in NHL history. John Tortorella served as the Lightning’s bench boss for the 2004 Stanley Cup championship. Bringing him back to the organization is a possibility this summer. The Philadelphia Flyers fired Tortorella mid-season (March 27), and he still has some valuable coaching qualities to apply to the modern NHL. While some argue his tactics as a head coach might be outdated, he was able to squeeze a lot out of an underwhelming Flyers’ roster in his time there.

Rumors floated around Tortorella returning to the New York Rangers coaching staff in a lesser role recently, where he served as their head coach for a portion of his career. A crowd of Lightning fans argue the defensive structure was worse after Lalonde’s departure. Therefore, Tortorella could be a solution to tighten up Tampa Bay’s defensive zone as an assistant coach.

Closing Thoughts

While all these assistant coaching options are well-known names, the Blashill hire is fresh news, and the Lightning have yet to be linked to a new candidate. However, with time, expect Tampa Bay to close in on some candidates and replenish their coaching staff. Following three straight first-round exits, this could be a positive change for the Lightning, who will look to get back to the later rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2022.