Maple Leafs Hire Jim Hiller as New Head Coach

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Maple Leafs Hire Jim Hiller as New Head Coach

Originally posted on Trade Talk Sports | By Jackson Weber | Last updated Jun 17, 2026 10:37 AM ET

At long last, the Toronto Maple Leafs have found their next head coach.

After a search that lasted more than a month following the firing of Craig Berube, the team announced on Wednesday morning that Jim Hiller had been hired as the 41st head coach in franchise history.

Hiller and the organization are very familiar with eachother given that he spent four seasons as an assistant coach in Toronto from 2015-16 through 2018-19.

New Maple Leafs GM John Chayka had this to say about the move:

“Jim is 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 and brings a clear approach behind the bench. We believe he’s the right person to lead our team and help us reach our goals,”

The 57-year-old Hiller spent parts of the last three seasons as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, where he went 93-58-24 across 175 regular-season games, along with a 3-8 postseason record.

Hiller also released a brief statement expressing his excitement to take over behind the bench in Toronto:

“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto and lead the Maple Leafs. This is a special organization with great players, passionate fans and high expectations. I’m looking forward to getting to work with our players and staff and doing everything we can to help this team reach its full potential,”

While Hiller had some success during his stint in Los Angeles, he was known for running a 1-3-1 and 1-2-2 system that some opposing teams disliked and that often reduced his own team’s offensive numbers. It will be interesting to see how he handles things with superstar offensive talents like Auston Matthews and William Nylander now in Toronto.

This article first appeared on Trade Talk Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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