Maple Leafs add 2 more executives to front office

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Monday that the team has added two new executives to its hockey operations group, naming Judd Brackett as assistant general manager, player evaluation, and Freddie Hamilton as chief of staff.

Brackett will oversee player evaluation across both amateur and professional scouting departments, according to the team’s announcement. The 49-year-old arrives in Toronto after spending five seasons as the Minnesota Wild’s director of amateur scouting, with some reports noting a six-season tenure in that role. Before his time in Minnesota, he spent 12 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks organization, including five seasons as director of amateur scouting.

Brackett has also been involved with USA Hockey, serving as a scout for Team USA at the 2024, 2025, and 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships. The United States won gold in two of those tournaments, while falling in the quarterfinals in the most recent edition. His scouting work has been tied to several notable draft selections during his time in the NHL, including prospects such as Zeev Buium, Charlie Stramel, Adam Benak, Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko.

Meanwhile, Freddie Hamilton joins the Maple Leafs as chief of staff, where he will support strategic planning and cross-functional initiatives within the hockey operations department. Hamilton played 75 NHL regular-season games after being selected in the fifth round (129th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks. His career included runs with San Jose, Colorado, Calgary, and Arizona.

The moves come as part of a broader front office restructuring led by general manager John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin following Brad Treliving’s departure.

Toronto is preparing for the 2026 NHL Draft, where it holds the first overall pick, while continuing its search for a head coach after parting ways with Craig Berube. The Maple Leafs finished the 2025-26 season with a 32-36-14 record, placing eighth in the Atlantic Division and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.