Red Wings Coach Derek Lalonde Was Not A Fan Of His Team’s Weird Start Time Thanks To ESPN’s Frozen Frenzy

The NHL had a big night on Tuesday with 16 games on the schedule, which ESPN broadcast in whip-around fashion with their "Frozen Frenzy." While a lot of people dug it, one who didn't was Detroit Red Wings bench boss Derek Lalonde.

Part of covering the games in NFL RedZone style involved staggering games. That means that all 16 games started at different times between 6 and 11 pm on the East Coast.

This meant that that puck drop for the Red Wings game against the Seattle Kraken wasn't scheduled to start until 8:23 Eastern.

“Absolutely awful,” Lalonde told MLive.com. “And I get it on the big picture. But I don’t know why our fans, who are as loyal as can be, passionate as can be, have to come to the rink for an 8:23 start. My family is not coming. They’ll stay home tonight because of it."

I get that gripe. My Flyers were out in Las Vegas and the puck didn't drop until 11:20-ish here on the East Coast. That was enraging. Almost as enraging as them blowing the game in the final minute

However, 8:23 isn't the worst start time in the world. Sometimes nationally televised games on the East Coast start around that time anyway. Especially during the postseason.

Still, while he wasn't big on it, Lalonde said he understands why the league did it.

“We play a lot of back-to-backs, some uncomfortable back-to-backs. I don’t mind it. It’s part of the responsibility of being the Detroit Red Wings," he said. "We’re a draw, people want to see us. We help the league out with TV and so forth, and this is an example of it.”

That's all true, and especially this season when the Red Wings have been one of the stronger teams in the early going.

However, maybe the late start time had an effect because the Kraken — who are used to playing those later games by Easter timezone standards — came out on top in an overtime thriller.

Follow on X: @Matt_Reigle