Maple Leafs Hire Jim Hiller As Head Coach

Trotz left the Islanders after the 2021-22 season, and Hiller took the same path, joining the Los Angeles Kings as an assistant coach for the 2022-23 campaign. It turned out to be a prudent move for Hiller, who was named the Kings’ interim head coach partway through the 2023-24 campaign after Los Angeles dismissed Todd McLellan.

The Kings performed well under Hiller’s tryout, finishing the season on a 21-12-1 record and firmly establishing themselves in the playoff conversation. Unfortunately, the winning ways did not continue, as the Edmonton Oilers quickly eliminated Los Angeles in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Because of the strong play down the stretch, the Kings removed the interim tag from Hiller the following offseason. Hiller reaffirmed that decision during the 2024-25 season, coaching Los Angeles to a 48-25-9 record, good for second place in the Pacific Division. The Kings lined up against the Edmonton Oilers for the fourth consecutive time in the opening round of the postseason, losing again, this time in six games.

The 2025-26 season spelled the end of Hiller’s brief tenure as the head coach of the Kings. The team completely stalled out, managing a 24-21-14 record before dismissing Hiller on March 1st, and handing the reins to D.J. Smith. Overall, Hiller ended his tenure in Los Angeles with a 93-58-24 record in 175 games, with a 3-8 record in the postseason.

Returning to the Maple Leafs, it’ll be interesting to see how Hiller’s system meshes with Toronto’s roster. Hiller typically deploys a defense-first, low-event style of hockey, usually enforcing a 1-3-1 neutral zone trap. Inevitably, scoring totals, particularly from Toronto’s biggest stars like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies, will decrease. Still, they should provide more physicality and improved defensive metrics if they utilize the system effectively.

This may be looking too much into it, but it could be an indication that the Maple Leafs are planning on building around Knies for the future. He is an authentic power forward with the ability to average a point-per-game scoring line, and he finished third on the team in hits last season. Although Matthews is largely underappreciated on the defensive side of the puck, his shoot-first mentality may not play well under Hiller.