Maple Leafs, Brendan Shanahan part ways after 11 years

After meeting with the MLSE Board of Directors, the Toronto Maple Leafs have parted ways with president and alternate governor Brendan Shanahan.

Shanahan was hired by the Maple Leafs on April 11, 2014, overseeing the next decade of Maple Leafs hockey. He joined the Maple Leafs with a sterling reputation, stemming from his previous role as a senior vice-president with the NHL, handling disciplinary issues among other items. After 11 years with the club, Shanahan was the longest-tenured executive, and ultimately the ownership group had seen enough following a 6-1 capitulation against the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Over the past 11 seasons, Brendan Shanahan has made countless contributions to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the ice, off the ice and in the community,” MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement released by the Maple Leafs. “Brendan is one of the most respected leaders in the game and he has instilled many of the traits that were the signature of his Hall of Fame career throughout the organization, uniting this storied franchise in the ‘Honour, Pride and Courage’ that it was founded on. Our responsibility and driving motivation, however, is to add a new chapter to the Maple Leafs’ championship history, and it was determined that a new voice was required to take the team to the next level in the years ahead. The franchise will be forever grateful for Brendan’s contributions and wish him and his family every success and happiness in the future

The trajectory of Shanahan’s tenure arguably changed when the Leafs won the rights to select Auston Matthews first overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly formed the nucleus of a young, ascendant Maple Leafs core with the implicit promise that they would eventually win a Stanley Cup. This timeline was accelerated when John Tavares inked a seven-year, $77 million contract on July 1, 2018, an aggressive statement of championship intent.

This iteration of the Maple Leafs was completely designed in Shanahan’s visage. He fired Kyle Dubas after an escalated contract negotiation following the 2023 playoffs in May 23, and brought in Brad Treliving. Shanahan and Treliving fired head coach Sheldon Keefe last summer, and replaced him with Craig Berube. He oversaw roster upgrades, contract negotiations and ultimately, the Maple Leafs’ inability to advance past the second round of the playoffs during Shanahan’s tenure ultimately led to his demise.

Shanahan, Treliving and MLSE CEO Keith Pelley are expected to meet with the media at a date that has yet to be determined. Berube, Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Rielly, Tavares, Matthew Knies, Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz conducted their end-of-year media availabilities on Tuesday.

Shanahan apparently won’t be out of work for long. The executive was been granted permission by the Maple Leafs on Wednesday to meet with the New York Islanders for their vacant president of hockey operations role.