Why ex-Detroit Red Wing Olli Määttä is a huge fan of Todd McLellan: 'There's no fluff'

SALT LAKE CITY — Olli Määttä missed out on a reunion, but from afar, he's a big fan of Todd McLellan and the impact he's having on the Detroit Red Wings. "He’s honest," Määttä said Monday morning, ahead of his Utah Hockey Club taking on the Wings at Delta Center. "He’ll let you know when you do good things, and whenever you play bad, he’ll let you know. There’s no fluff, which is what you appreciate from him." In one of those backwards-compliment ways, Määttä went on to describe McLellan as "not a" – let the word jerk stand in for the less polite term used by Määttä. "He just tells you how things are, and I think as a professional athlete, that’s what you want," Määttä said. "You want clarity and you want things to work on and things to get better at. I’m happy to see the success he’s had over there." Määttä played 107 games spanning two seasons for McLellan back when both were with the Los Angeles Kings. It was his time there that prompted the Wings to sign Määttä, now 30, to a one-year deal in the summer of 2022; halfway through the season, he was extended for two years. That's how good of a fit he was, delivering the sort of smart, simple game that appeals to coaches. "He’s a really good human being and he’s a hell of a hockey player," McLellan said. "He has, like I talk about with some of our guys, a passion to come to the rink and he’s usually very positive. He’s got a good outlook on life and hockey. Can he hard on himself sometimes but never a teammate. He accepts all responsibility for his game. He’s a winner. Just a good person. Really easy to coach and I enjoyed being around him." Määttä fit in well with the Wings, but a couple of events led to his being traded to Utah in October for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft, two months before the Wings hired McLellan. First, after being unable to re-sign defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, general manager Steve Yzerman instead signed defenseman Erik Gustafsson because of his ability to quarterback a power play. (Gustafsson suffered an injury March 8 that will sideline him till mid-April or so). Then there was Albert Johansson, a draft pick from 2019 who had to be on the roster because he was no longer waiver exempt. That brought the Wings to eight defensemen, which wasn't sustainable to carry long term. Määttä's age, solid play and amenable salary cap figure ($3 million annual) made him the most attractive of the defensemen the Wings were willing to trade, and so off he went to join the NHL's newest team, relocated last summer from Arizona. "Being traded is never a pleasant feeling but looking at back at it, I think it was a good thing for all parties involved," Määttä said. "I’m happy here. "I remember landing the first time, I was like, 'wow, this is kind of a nice place.' I had no idea what it was going to be like. It didn’t take a lot of time to get acclimated, just hop right in and put a jersey on and play. I think that’s the best way to get used to new teammates, and the whole city." Once again, Määttä has proven to be a fine fit: Utah signed him to a three-year extension worth $3.5 million annually earlier this month, and he's happy to help grow the game in the scenic state capital. "It’s been kind of a crazy crowd," Määttä said. "It’s been really loud – electric, honestly. I was surprised how excited the people are here. It doesn’t feel like a first-year organization at all, how things are run here. The fans, the whole city is behind you. It feels like the right fit for an NHL team." Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.