Overview
- The Maple Leafs named Jim Hiller their 41st head coach, an announcement made Wednesday that brings the 57-year-old back to Toronto after four seasons as an assistant and a recent head-coaching stint with the Los Angeles Kings.
- General manager John Chayka said Hiller “connects well with players,” and the hire followed an extensive search that many outlets called surprising because Hiller’s name was not widely reported as a finalist.
- Hiller inherits the team ahead of the June NHL Draft where Toronto holds the No. 1 pick, and his immediate tasks include integrating the incoming top prospect and overseeing lineup decisions at five-on-five and on the power play.
- Observers flagged clear risks: Hiller went 93-58-24 with the Kings but was fired in March after a late-season slide and has limited playoff success, which raises pressure in Toronto’s demanding market.
- The move closes the chapter after a 32-36-14 season that cost the Leafs a playoff berth, follows John Chayka’s replacement of Brad Treliving, and sets up a near-term test of whether coaching change plus the No. 1 pick can restore the club’s offence and playoff hopes.