Coaching Shuffle Brings New Faces

Cynics may suggest that the hiring of Scott Gordon and Greg Cronin – at the expense of Keith Acton and Tim Hunter – as assistants to head coach Ron Wilson may amount to change for change’s sake. And they may not be wrong. After all, it’s hard to get terribly excited about adding a guy with a 64-94-23 head coaching record at the NHL level (Gordon) and a guy who was suspended as head coach at Northeastern University due to alleged recruitment violations (Cronin). Especially when those hirings cost the Leafs Acton, a Leafs coach since 2000, and Hunter, a close friend of Wilson’s and a vocal element on the Buds’ bench over the past three years. But bigger picture perspective is needed here – and the coaching changes represent a much-needed breath of fresh air for an organization looking to start a new, successful chapter. They also mark GM Brian Burke’s first acknowledgement of changes to off-ice personnel being necessary along with on-ice moves. While some fans may be unhappy to see Wi...