Todd McLellan offers scathing review of Red Wings' final performance

SUNRISE, FL — Todd McLellan was short and blunt. J.T. Compher, honest.

The Detroit Red Wings answered for one last loss for the 2025-26 season, one that served as a snapshot of why they failed to earn a playoff berth yet again.

"We didn't play like we had respect for the game tonight," J.T. Compher said after the Wings fell, 8-1, to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday, April 15.

The fans at Amerant Bank Arena gave their team a jubilant sendoff for the summer, even as the Panthers are, like the Wings, done playing. But unlike the Wings they were the defending Stanley Cup champions, winners of the Cup two straight years, no less.

"Both teams came in with nothing on the line and you can see their championship pedigree, so I'm going to compliment the Panthers," McLellan said. "It runs throughout the organization. They came and they played and it meant something to them."

McLellan cut short the interview after 44 seconds, appearing too angry to want to say more in front of reporters. "We're good? Yeah, I think we all should be. We'll see you back in Detroit."

Compher said much of what likely was going through McLellan's head, delivering a scathing review of a performance where the Wings no effort from start to finish. The Panthers lineup had only a handful of regulars, populated instead by minor leaguers and other hopefuls. So many of them celebrated points, gifted by the Wings as they stood around watching their season peter out.

THE GAME: Red Wings embarrassed by Panthers, 8-1, in fitting season finale

"Brutal," Compher said. "Horrible. There's not really much to say about it. No one in that room tonight should be anywhere near proud of anything that happened on an ice tonight.

"When you don't respect an opponent or a game or anything in this league, that's what happens."

James van Riemsdyk, the only other player to talk to reporters after the game, called it disappointing.

"We're representing our city, our organization, our fans, ourselves in here in the locker room," van Riemsdyk said. "That's obviously not acceptable, the level that we play that. We have to have a better pride in representing the jersey and representing our fans and representing ourselves and our teammates in here. It just wasn't acceptable, it wasn't good."

Apr 15, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Mikulas Hovorka (96) moves the puck against Detroit Red Wings defenseman Travis Hamonic (52) and forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (28) during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Wings went 9-15-5 their last 29 games, from the point on Jan. 24 when they had built a 12-point cushion inside the playoff picture with 69 points after 53 games. They earned only 23 more, their 2025-26 season closing at 41-31-10 and 92 points.

To the end, no one had an answer for the flat starts, spotty efforts and slide into elimination.

"I think we'll probably have more tougher conversations with ourselves and turn it over the next few days," Compher said. "But it was, not putting together 60 minutes of detailed hockey enough. And, it's very hard to do around that time, after the deadline and when teams are fighting for position.

"But that's what it takes. And it's such a fine line. We're not too many points away from where we wanted to go to get in the playoffs and give ourselves a chance to make a run.

"It hurts like hell to be in the situation again."

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Todd McLellan, Red Wings offer scathing review of final performance