Red Wings' Lalonde caught up in Tigers' success story

Detroit — The entire city seems to be awakening and jumping aboard the Detroit Tigers’ bandwagon toward their playoff surge, and Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde is right there with them.

Lalonde, an upstate New Yorker, was a passionate Montreal Expos fan back in the day.

But no more.

“I’ve kind of been a free agent,” Lalonde said of his favorite baseball team. “(But) I love that logo. That (Old English) D, it’s tough to not like.”

The Ilitch family owns both the Red Wings and Tigers, and there is a level of camaraderie and cooperation between the organizations. Both have undertaken patient rebuilds, relying on draft picks and young talent, to fuel the rebuild.

“Analytics is a big part of it,” Lalonde said. “We’re a fluid sport and it’s different, but of course, what a resource to be owned by the same group, same umbrella, and to be able to lean on those guys. We share the same ownership and even some internal growth beliefs and approach on some things.

“It’s been pretty cool what they’ve done.”

The Tigers won Tuesday afternoon to pad their American League wild-card lead and continued a miraculous late-season surge.

“It’s really been fun to watch,” Lalonde said.

Being an upstate New Yorker, Lalonde doesn’t hide his affinity for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL, but Lalonde has also praised Lions coach Dan Campbell and enjoyed the Lions’ success the past several seasons.

“They’ve made me fans,” Lalonde said.

First game

The Wings open the exhibition season Wednesday in Chicago.

Lalonde will ice a team that isn’t necessarily filled with rookies and minor-leaguers.

“Because we end up with five games in six days and three in three days, which is certainly not ideal, with some of the objectives we want to accomplish in camp, you’re going to see a lot of mixed (veterans, youngsters) lineups,” Lalonde said. “Maybe a couple of NHL experienced lines with a couple (lines) with new guys.”

Ice chips

Austin Watsonin camp on a professional tryout, was skating with the most NHL-centric group during Tuesday’s practices.

“His experience,” Lalonde said, of what he values about Watson, along with the physical element that Watson brings to the table. “We want to have a little bit of that element but we need the player to help us.”

Lalonde said he’ll give both Watson and Alex Chiassonboth on tryouts, a lot of games in the next two weeks.

… The preseason is arguably the most intense time for an NHL coaching staff during the entire season.

“You expect it and plan on it,” Lalonde said. “We’ve been around it and it’s always exciting. You’re running basically two teams at once, and these fly-in-and-out road trips. It’s just all part of it.”

Red Wings at Blackhawks

▶ Faceoff: 8 p.m. Wednesday, United Center, Chicago

▶ TV/radio: none; will be streamed on DetroitRedWings.com.

▶ Outlook: Both teams open the exhibition part of their schedule. The Blackhawks are expected to draw up a fairly veteran lineup, including Connor Bedard and former Red Wing Tyler Bertuzzi.