The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have hired former Los Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller as their next head coach and 41st head coach in franchise history.
Jim Hiller has been named the 41st Head Coach in franchise history!
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 17, 2026
As Dave McCarthy of NHL.com reported yesterday, after the trade involving Joseph Woll and Simon Benot, General Manager John Chayka said that the expectation is to hire a new head coach in the next several days. Well, several days became one day.
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This deal came together pretty quickly, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who was on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio Morning Skate with Gord Stellick and Scott Laughlin and was caught a bit by surprise with this hiring.
I am, just because I didn’t really hear his name until last night (Tuesday night), and all of a sudden I had a few people that reached out to me, said you better start looking into Hiller, and I think it sounds like they were negotiating overnight or late into last night (Tuesday night) to get it done.
But yeah, I mean, I heard Hiller interviewed in Edmonton, there was clearly a lot, a lot of misdirection going on. I kept on hearing other names that we were reporting yesterday, Pat, Pat Ferschweiler, the latest one from Western Michigan, and obviously they made a decision yesterday afternoon or last night that Hillerwas going to be the guy.
Now the more I look at it, the more it starts to make a bit more sense. I was reminded as I was asking around that when previously he was an assistant in Toronto under Mike Babcock for four seasons. So there’s familiarity with (Auston) Matthews and (Willliam) Nylander, and I bet you that played a role.
And the other thing too is I was reminded by somebody that after he was let go in Toronto, or left Toronto, he was interviewed for an assistant job in Arizona. Rick Tocchet was the head coach then, and Chayka was the GM then, and he interviewed him, and he actually wanted to hire him. I was reminded, but the Islanders offered him a better deal, and he went there instead.
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Hiller was an assistant under Mike Babcock in Toronto, and a long list of coaches was interviewed. The final group included Hiller, Jay Woodcroft, Patrick Roy, Dallas Eakins, and Joe Pavelski.
Leafs announce Jim Hiller as their new HC. Former assistant in Toronto under Mike Babcock.
Leafs’ coaching search was expansive, more than 20 candidates. The likes of Jay Woodcroft, Patrick Roy, Dallas Eakins and Joe Pavelski were considered in the final phase. But Hiller gets… https://t.co/vBrqC7rYOF— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 17, 2026
John Chayka via Press Release: “An experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today’s NHL. He has worked with successful teams throughout his career, connects well with players & brings a clear approach behind the bench.”
Hiller via Press Release: “Incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto… a special organization with great players, passionate fans & high expectations. I’m looking forward to getting to work with players, staff & doing everything we can to help this team reach its full potential”
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This is an off-the-beat hire for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but there is history between Chayka and Hiller. He had a 93-58-24 record in Los Angeles before being let go on March 1st, 2026. However, the way things ended in Los Angeles was not ideal for Hiller. He never could get the Kings past the first round of the playoffs, losing to the Edmonton Oilers in 2024 and 2025.
Most notably, losing in 2025 in six games when he only played the same nine forwards and four defenseman throughout the series, not trusting the younger players to consistently roll four lines. So roster construction is so important for the Maple Leafs moving forward.
The Toronto Maple Leafs want to get back to the playoffs, and they feel Jim Hiller can get them back there.
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