Todd McLellan

Lore & Background

McLellan started his playing career with the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL from 1983 to 1987. He was drafted by the New York Islanders in the fifth round of the 1986 NHL entry draft. He played a total of five NHL games, all with the Islanders, scoring his only NHL goal on January 2, 1988, against the New Jersey Devils. Recurring shoulder injuries ended his North American playing career after the 1988–89 season. He later played in the Netherlands for S.IJ. Utrecht, where he became a player-coach, sparking his interest in coaching.

In Their Own Story

The Pacific Coliseum hummed with the low, electric buzz of a Tuesday night in the mid-nineties. Todd McLellan laced his skates in the Kings' locker room, the smell of fresh tape and cold rubber filling the air. He was not the name on the marquee, not the one the radio announcers stretched into three syllables. But when the puck dropped, he was the one grinding along the boards, the one delivering the clean, crisp hit that silenced the opposing winger's momentum. He collected his stick, wiped the ice from his gloves, and nodded to the centre ice faceoff. The Kings' identity was not written in highlight reels. It was written in shifts like this one—quiet, relentless, and unapologetically theirs.

Reader's Guide

McLellan's coaching career began in 1993 with the North Battleford North Stars. He later coached the Swift Current Broncos, leading them to the WHL playoffs every season. He won the Calder Cup with the Houston Aeros in 2003. As an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings, he won the Stanley Cup in 2008. He was head coach of the San Jose Sharks (2008–2015), Edmonton Oilers (2015–2018), and Los Angeles Kings (2019–2024). He returned to the Red Wings as head coach on December 26, 2024.

Did You Know?

• McLellan scored his only NHL goal on January 2, 1988, against the New Jersey Devils.
• He became the winningest coach in San Jose Sharks history on March 14, 2013, notching his 207th victory.
• McLellan coached the Canadian national team to a perfect 10–0 record and a World Championship title in 2015.
• Contrary to some reports, McLellan was never the highest-paid coach in NHL history.