Former NHL netminder is joining Todd McLellan’s staff in Detroit and will serve as the Red Wings’ goaltending coach, according to a press release from the team.
It’s Leighton’s first NHL job and just his second coaching job. The 44-year-old ended his playing career in 2019 before serving as the goalie coach for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires from February 2022 through the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
He succeeds Alex Westlund, whom general manager Steve Yzerman said had been relieved of his duties in April. Westlund was Detroit’s goalie coach for the last three seasons and also held the role for the United States at the 2024 World Championship. Detroit had the only documented goalie coach vacancy in the league, so it’s unlikely he’ll find another NHL job for this season.
Leighton joins McLellan’s staff ahead of his first full season behind Detroit’s bench as head coach. He serves alongside assistants Alex Tanguay and Trent Yawney and video coordinator Jeff Weintraub.
The Ontario native was a No. 3 option for most of his NHL/AHL career but famously stepped into playoff action for the Flyers in 2010, leading them to the Stanley Cup Final. He surrendered the championship-winning goal to Patrick Kane, with whom he’ll now be in the same organization. The Ontario native posted a 37-43-14 record, four shutouts, a 2.97 GAA, and a .900 SV% in 110 NHL regular-season games for the Blackhawks, Predators, Flyers, and Hurricanes from 2002 to 2017.
With the rate Yzerman collects goaltenders, the Wings will have to hire another couple guys just so each goalie can have a few minutes of one-on-one time with a coach
Yzerman pretty much exclusively hires former NHLers. Not sure that’s a good thing in today’s game.
Great point. Having former NHL players helping future and current NHL players hone their NHL skills is some crazy thinking.
Couldn’t agree more, Dog. If I was running a law firm, the last thing I’d do is hire a former lawyer with experience and wisdom to be a mentor to my staff. What could they possibly have to offer?
Remember goal tenders are tradeable too. Maybe there is an eye on a forward or defense from a team with a goal tending need.
Only the 2025-26 season will tell how well this team has been reset for this season.
My guess is there are at least 3 more moves needed to shore up mostly lines 3 and 4 with new to Wings faces. Be they from NHL or AHL rosters, who knows.
Was reading a piece from Colby Cohen about Kraken’s confused off season player and management moves to nowhere. Sounding a bit more familiar for more and more teams.
I am wondering if the Bettman NHL vision is actually coming true Make it as boring as the NBA.
All teams are engineered into mediocrity via caps and trade restrictions to be just blah. Then at the end of each season some team will drag its particular mediocre roster across the Stanley Cup finish line.
But then, maybe I’m just getting to be an old grouch.
Wonder if Jim Nill would to come back