Hiller hired as Maple Leafs coach, replaces Berube

TORONTO -- Jim Hiller was hired as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

The 57-year-old replaces Craig Berube, who was fired May 13 after new Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka said a coaching change was necessary because of a need for an "organizational shift."

Toronto (32-36-14) finished last in the Atlantic Division and 15th in the Eastern Conference this season. Mats Sundin was named senior executive adviser of hockey operations, and Chayka GM, on May 3 after Brad Treliving was fired March 30. The Maple Leafs lost their last seven games this season (0-6-1) and have won two Stanley Cup Playoff series since 2004. They have not won the Cup since 1967.

But they are one season removed from winning the Atlantic Division and advancing to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round, which is why Hiller believes Toronto is still capable of having success. It was the first time Toronto missed the postseason since 2015-16.

“The biggest impact a coach can have is guiding the spirit of the team,” Hiller said.  “I think it’s the most important; the foundation of any team is how the spirit strengthens and grows during the season. As that grows the team grows, so that’s where a lot of our emphasis will be -- in recreating, reigniting and strengthening the spirit of the hockey team. When you leave the dressing room with that, that translates directly onto the ice.”

Hiller was fired by the Los Angeles Kings on March 1 after three seasons and replaced by associate D.J. Smith. He was 93-58-24 in 175 games with the Kings, getting promoted from assistant after Todd McLellan was fired Feb. 2, 2024.

He was an assistant with the New York Islanders from 2019-22 and the Maple Leafs from 2015-19, giving him first-hand experience working with Toronto captain Auston Matthews, forward William Nylander and defenseman Morgan Rielly. Hiller coached junior hockey between the Western Hockey League and British Columbia Hockey League for 11 seasons and was named WHL and the Canadian Hockey League’s Coach of the Year in 2011-12 after guiding Tri-City to 50 wins (50-18-2-2) and 104 points. He was also an assistant for Canada when it won the gold medal at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

“We didn’t hire to satisfy a narrative or check a box,” Chayka said. “We hired based on what we believed would be best to support the growth (of the players), both individually and collectively. We hired someone who could create an environment where people are challenged and where accountability and trust can coexist and where players have the opportunity to maximize their abilities.

“Ultimately, our success will be determined by the development (of the players), the cohesion and the (players’) willingness to pursue something greater than (themselves), and we truly believe Jim is the best person to do that.”

Chayka said the coaching search led him to speaking with 25 candidates, but the feedback he received about Hiller -- along with his prior experience here -- led to the hiring.

“The layers of Jim’s knowledge, the layers of his experiences, his experience in the market, his knowledge of some of the players and the organization and what makes it tick, and I think when we got through that process there was a lot of conviction that he was the right person at the right time with the right group, hopefully,” Chayka said. “We want no space between the coaches and the front office, and we think Jim gives us the best chance to do that.

“What separated Jim was that the players who have been around him really valued who he is as a person. They really felt they could trust he had their back, committed to making them the best version of themselves and that he was a coach who was going to be player-centric but also coached to coach. He pushed and wanted the best out of people and created an environment that brought that out.”

The announcement came one day after Toronto began reworking its roster; it traded goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday for goalie Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The Maple Leafs have the No. 1 pick at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS). Penn State forward Gavin McKenna is the consensus No. 1, but Chayka has not shared publicly who they will select.

"Mats and I have been working pretty hard now for the last several weeks coming up with what we think is a pretty comprehensive offseason plan, and this is a move we feel is a part of that," Chayka said after the trade. "There's lots of work to be done with the roster.

"What we liked about this opportunity is that it allowed us to create some flexibility. I think flexibility and optionality are assets to any great organization, and certainly this allows us to be in a better spot as we think about the entire offseason plan."

As for Hiller, the new coach said he has yet to speak with any players directly but intends to do so in the coming days.

“It’s really early, and we have to take a little step back and say there are some really good hockey players in that locker room,” Hiller said. “We mentioned Auston and ‘Willy,’ a couple stars in the League, but you can go up and down and see some tremendous players -- guys who’ve played a lot of years, a lot of blood, sweat and tears. There’s leadership and guys who’ve accomplished a lot in the game as individuals in the game so far.”

The Edmonton Oilers are the only NHL team without a coach after the Vegas Golden Knights hired Ryan Craig on Wednesday to replace John Tortorella.