Just as former Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde was finding a new job in the NHL coaching ranks, one of the assistants from his Red Wings staff was also moving to a new home.

Jay Varady is joining the staff of new head coach Rick Tocchet with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Lalonde was naming Varady, 47, to the Detroit staff when he was taking over as head coach in 2022. He was working for the team over the past three seasons.

When Todd McLellan was replacing Lalonde behind the Detroit bench last December, he was retaining Varady. Both Varady and former NHL player Jaroslav (Yogi) Sjevkovsky are joining Tocchet’s staff.

OFFICIAL: We have hired Jaroslav Svejkovsky and Jay Varady as assistant coaches.

Svejkovsky and Varady will join head coach Rick Tocchet’s staff behind the bench. https://t.co/zyN7Cjn3dM

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 5, 2025

“I’m excited to bring Yogi and Jay on board with me,” Tocchet told PhiladelphiaFlyers.com. “I know both of them very well. They each provide a different skill set and more importantly, a different voice, both of which I believe is crucial in not only building a coaching staff, but an entire team and how we grow together. I very much look forward to getting down to work with them again soon.”

Varady was head coach of the AHL Tucson Roadrunners while Tocchet was in the charge of the parent Arizona Coyotes. He’s also seen stints serving as a head coach with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs and Angers of the French League.

For seven seasons, Varady was an assistant coach with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans.

Red Wings Must Fill Three Coaching Positions

Varady’s departure is leaving three openings on the Detroit staff that McLellaan must be filling prior to the start of next season. At season’s end, McLellan was announcing that goaltending coach Alex Westlund and video coach LJ Scarpace would not be staying in their positions. Only assistant coaches Trent Yawney and Alex Tanguay remain from last season’s staff.

Amateur scout Kevin Gibson was also recently leaving the club to take over the role as GM of the USHL’s Waterloo Blackhawks.