What do the Red Wings assistant coaches actually do?

They can't talk to the media, so I asked the players to help define those roles

The Detroit Red Wings assistant coaches aren’t allowed to talk to the media.

It’s a team rule that comes down from general manager Steve Yzerman. Head coach Derek Lalonde is the singular voice from the coaching staff, there are no exceptions.

It creates an atmosphere where Detroit’s assistant coaches drift into a public anonymity. They exist, you can see them helping with practice or around the rink, but from a coverage perspective it’s a non-starter.

It can be frustrating at times. For example, if you wanted to talk about the play of the goalies, then goalie coach Alex Westlund would be the ideal definitive voice — you could make that request, and Red Wings PR, with directive from Yzerman would say no.

So how do you write about a group of individuals who aren’t allowed to publicly speak for themselves?

This week I went and asked the Red Wings players, ten of them, about the assistant coaches and what each brings to the table. Using player perspective and answers, hopefully we can better answer the question of, “What do the Red Wings assistant coaches actually do?”