Detroit Red Wings coach Todd McLellan says the team is spreading leadership across a group of players rather than leaning on one voice, as Detroit plays without a captain for the first time since Dylan Larkin was given the “C” in January 2021. McLellan, Alex DeBrincat, and Moritz Seider discussed the setup with NHL.com columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika before Tuesday’s game against New Jersey.
“It doesn’t have to be about one individual,” McLellan said. He described leadership as coming in many forms: a player who sets the example on the ice, one who speaks up in the locker room, one who handles meals and off-ice details, and one who carries information to the coaching staff. He said he is comfortable with the arrangement and wants everyone to take a piece of it.
Regular meetings before practice
The Red Wings hold a leadership meeting before practice every one to 10 days, depending on the schedule, to talk through how the team is playing and how it travels. Ben Chiarot, DeBrincat, Justin Faulk, Keegan Kolesar, and Seider attended the most recent session; alternate captain Lucas Raymond was expected but took a maintenance day before the Devils game.
DeBrincat said the group is close and still having fun despite the noise around the club, and that players hold each other accountable to the same standard. He added that Larkin remains a leader in the room whether or not he wears a letter.
Seider said he wants teammates to take initiative, even on small jobs like setting up the coffee. He said he and Raymond, the team’s alternate captains, are not acting as go-betweens for players and coaches, since the staff’s door is open and problems should be raised right away.
The backdrop
Larkin lost the captaincy after his offseason trade request and missed the preseason and the first two games with an upper-body injury. The leadership question comes during a season of change: Steve Yzerman moved into a senior adviser role, Shawn Horcoff is interim general manager, and defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned. Detroit fell 5-4 in overtime to New Jersey on Tuesday and hosts Philadelphia on Thursday.
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