Todd McLellan’s First Change as Red Wings Head Coach: Shifting the Mood
When Todd McLellan was hired as the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, he inherited a team that had been in transition for years. The team’s performance had been inconsistent, and the locker room atmosphere reflected that uncertainty. But McLellan, known for his calm demeanor and leadership ability, quickly identified the most pressing need: the mood. It wasn’t about tactics, strategies, or systems at first—it was about resetting the emotional and mental approach of the players.
One of the first things McLellan noticed upon stepping into his new role was a sense of frustration and even a bit of resignation among the players. The Red Wings were a team in the midst of a rebuild, but McLellan saw that this uncertainty was affecting the players’ confidence and drive. The mood in the locker room was one that didn’t align with the expectations of a successful NHL franchise. McLellan knew that if the Red Wings were to climb back to relevancy, they needed to change their collective mindset first.
The mood in any locker room is contagious. If a team feels weighed down by the pressures of failure or the uncertainty of a rebuild, that can manifest itself on the ice. Players can become hesitant, frustrated, and uninspired. McLellan understood that. The veteran coach had seen it before, and he knew that the only way to bring about lasting success was to first rebuild the culture—the mentality—of his team.
In his first team meeting as head coach, McLellan was upfront with his players. He addressed the elephant in the room: the rebuilding phase. “We’re not going to shy away from the fact that we’re in a rebuild, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a winning mentality,” McLellan told the group. He emphasized that a positive, determined mindset would be just as important as skill and execution. He told them that success would come not just from doing the right things on the ice, but from the way they approached their work each day. The atmosphere of the locker room, he insisted, needed to be one of optimism, resilience, and belief.
McLellan encouraged open communication, fostering a sense of trust and togetherness among his players. He wasn’t looking for perfection; he was looking for effort and commitment. He wanted his team to approach every practice, every game, with a sense of urgency and excitement, no matter what the scoreboard said at the end of the night. By changing the mood, McLellan believed the team would begin to play with more confidence, creativity, and passion.
It didn’t take long for the effects of McLellan’s shift in mood to become apparent. Players began to show more energy, smiling more often, and celebrating small victories along the way. The Red Wings started playing with a renewed sense of purpose, and the overall atmosphere in the locker room transformed. The change was subtle at first, but the players’ body language told a different story: they were having fun again. They believed in themselves, and they believed in each other.
By resetting the mood, McLellan wasn’t just changing the emotional tone of the team; he was setting the stage for the Red Wings’ long-term success. While talent and systems are crucial in the NHL, McLellan knew that the foundation of any successful team starts with a strong, positive mindset. As the season progressed, it became clear that his leadership was helping the Red Wings not only grow as players but also as a team with an undeniable sense of unity and purpose.
