Head Coach
No head coach in NHL history has won more games in their first four seasons behind the bench than the 195 collected by Todd McLellan.
Since being named the Sharks head coach on June 12, 2008, McLellan, 45, has posted a 195-92-41 record. During that span, the Sharks have posted four 40-plus win seasons, had three 100-point seasons, captured a Presidents’ Trophy (2009), three Pacific Division titles and made back-to-back appearances in the Western Conference Final (2010, 2011).
Entering the 2012-13 season, McLellan is just 12 wins shy of becoming the franchise’s all-time winningest coach (Ron Wilson, 206).
Recognized as one of the top coaches in the NHL, McLellan was tabbed to serve as the head coach for Team Alfredsson for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game, after serving in a similar capacity for the 2009 contest in Montreal.
In 2010, he became just the third coach in National Hockey League history to record 50-plus wins in his first two seasons.
In his first season as an NHL head coach, he was named as a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy and became just the sixth NHL coach (and first since 1990) to lead his team to the Presidents’ Trophy for the best overall regular season record (53-18-11) in his first season behind the bench. Only Tom Johnson’s 1970-71 Boston Bruins won more home games (33) than McLellan’s Sharks (32) and the team’s 53 wins placed him tied for second behind Johnson (57 wins) for most overall coaching wins by a rookie head coach. In addition, McLellan’s .713 points percentage ranks third all-time among first year bench bosses with at least 80 games coached.
That year, the Sharks collected 52 points through the first 30 games of the season (32-5-4, an NHL record) and began the season 20-0-2 at HP Pavilion. They were the only team in the League to be in the top-five of each of the following categories: power play (third, 24.2 percent), penalty kill (fifth, 83.3), shots for (third, 33.2), shots against (first, 27.2) and face-offs (second, 53.8).
Prior to joining San Jose, McLellan spent three seasons as an assistant coach under Mike Babcock with the Detroit Red Wings. During that span, no NHL team won more games (162) or earned more standings points (352) than Detroit. One of McLellan’s key responsibilities was working with the Red Wings power play, which finished third in the NHL in 2007-08 (20.7) and first in 2005-06 (22.1).
In his seven seasons coaching in the NHL with San Jose and Detroit, McLellan’s teams have won one Stanley Cup (2008 with Detroit), three Presidents’ Trophies (2006 and 2008 with Detroit – finishing second overall in 2007, tying the Buffalo Sabres for first in points (113) but having three fewer wins – and 2009 with San Jose), four appearances in the Western Conference Final (2007, 2008 with Detroit and 2010, 2011 with San Jose) and six division titles.
Prior to being hired in Detroit, McLellan spent four seasons as head coach of the Houston Aeros in the American Hockey League, including capturing the 2003 Calder Cup Championship. Under his guidance, McLellan led the Aeros to a 154-111-37-18 mark (.567 winning percentage). He was named 2003 Minor Coach of the Year by The Hockey News and also was selected to coach two AHL All-Star Games during his tenure in Houston.
In 2000-01, he was the head coach of the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League, posting a 43-32-7 record.
From 1994-95 through 1999-00, McLellan coached the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League, where he also served as general manager in his final four seasons. He was named 2000 WHL Coach of the Year and 1997 WHL Executive of the Year. The team captured division titles in 1996 and 2000.
In his 18 years of serving as a head and assistant coach, McLellan’s teams have never missed the postseason.
McLellan, a native of Melville, Saskatchewan, played his junior hockey with Saskatoon (WHL) and was drafted by the New York Islanders in the fifth round (106th overall) in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. He played parts of two seasons with Springfield in the AHL and played in five games with the Islanders in 1987-88, posting two points (one goal, one assist) before a shoulder injury ended his career.
McLellan and his wife, Debbie, have two sons: Tyson and Cale.
1994-95 Swift Current WHL 31 34 7 -- .430 .479 2 4 .333
1995-96 Swift Current WHL 36 31 5 -- .500 .534 2 4 .333
1996-97 Swift Current WHL 44 23 5 -- .611 .645 6 4 .600
1997-98 Swift Current WHL 44 19 9 -- .611 .673 7 5 .583
1998-99 Swift Current WHL 34 32 6 -- .472 .513 2 4 .333
1999-00 Swift Current WHL 47 18 4 3 .652 .701 6 6 .500
2000-01 Cleveland IHL 43 32 0 7 .524 .567 0 4 .000
2001-02 Houston AHL 39 26 10 5 .487 .581 8 6 .571
2002-03 Houston# AHL 47 23 7 3 .587 .650 15 8 .652
2003-04 Houston AHL 28 34 14 4 .350 .462 0 2 .000
2004-05 Houston AHL 40 28 6 6 .500 .575 1 4 .200
2008-09 San Jose! NHL 53 18 - 11 .646 .713 2 4 .333
2009-10 San Jose NHL 51 20 - 11 .622 .689 8 7 .533
2010-11 San Jose NHL 48 25 - 9 .585 .640 9 9 .500
2011-12 San Jose NHL 43 29 - 10 .524 .585 1 4 .200
NHL TOTALS 195 92 - 41 .595 .657 20 24 .455
# = won AHL Championship
! = won Presidents’ Trophy
ASSISTANT COACHING RECORD OF TODD McLELLAN (under Mike Babcock)
PLAYOFFS
2005-06 Detroit! NHL 58 16 0 8 .707 .756 2 4 .333
2006-07 Detroit NHL 50 19 0 13 .609 .689 10 8 .555
2007-08 Detroit!* NHL 54 21 0 7 .658 .701 16 6 .727
* = won Stanley Cup
! = won Presidents’ Trophy
PLAYING CAREER OF TODD McLELLAN – Center
1983-84 Saskatoon WHL 50 8 14 22 15 -- -- -- -- --
1984-85 Saskatoon WHL 41 15 35 50 33 3 1 0 1 0
1985-86 Saskatoon WHL 27 9 10 19 13 13 9 3 12 8
1986-87 Saskatoon WHL 60 34 39 73 66 6 1 1 2 2
1987-88 NY Islanders NHL 5 1 1 2 0 -- -- -- -- --
Springfield AHL 70 18 26 44 32 -- -- -- -- --
1988-89 Springfield AHL 37 7 19 26 17 -- -- -- -- --
NHL TOTALS 5 1 1 2 0 -- -- -- -- --
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