- Jim Hiller named the 41st head coach in Maple Leafs history, replacing Craig Berube
- Hiller returns to Toronto, where he worked as an assistant from 2015 to 2019
- Read below for John Chayka’s reasoning and where Hiller fits the roster overhaul
Jim Hiller is headed back to Toronto.
The Maple Leafs named the 57-year-old their 41st head coach on Wednesday. He takes over for Craig Berube, who new general manager John Chayka fired on May 13 after calling for an “organizational shift.”
Hiller talked about coming back to a city he already knows.
“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto and lead the Maple Leafs,” Hiller said. “This is a special organization with great players, passionate fans and high expectations.”
Toronto wasted no time rolling out the welcome:
Chayka laid out why Hiller got the job.
“Jim is an experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today’s NHL,” Chayka said. “He has worked with successful teams throughout his career, connects well with players and brings a clear approach behind the bench.”
This is familiar ground for Hiller. He worked as a Maple Leafs assistant from 2015 to 2019, then spent three seasons on the Islanders’ staff before landing with the Kings.
Los Angeles fired him on March 1 after three seasons. He went 93-58-24 in 175 games there, taking over the bench when Todd McLellan was let go in February 2024.
Hiller walks into a tough spot. Toronto finished 32-36-14, dead last in the Atlantic and 15th in the East, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. The Leafs dropped their final seven games of the season.
The roster is already changing under him. Chayka shipped goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Flyers on Tuesday, and Toronto holds the No. 1 pick in the June 26 draft, where Penn State’s Gavin McKenna is the consensus choice.
The hire also closes the book on a long search. Earlier reports had Western Michigan’s Pat Ferschweiler listed as a finalist, but Chayka went with a coach who already knows the building.
