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Jim Hiller: The Toronto Maple Leafs officially named Jim Hiller their new head coach on Wednesday.
The 57-year-old becomes the 41st head coach in franchise history since the team's founding in 1917.
The appointment marks a homecoming for Hiller. He previously served as an assistant coach with the Maple Leafs from 2015–16 through 2018–19.
During that tenure, he worked under former head coach Mike Babcock, primarily overseeing the team's power play and building strong ties with key players including Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
Most recently, Hiller spent parts of three seasons as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings.
He posted a 93-58-24 record with Los Angeles, reaching the first round of the playoffs twice.
His time with the Kings came to an end on March 1 when he was dismissed following a turbulent stretch that included an 8-1 blowout loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
General Manager John Chayka expressed full confidence in the hire. "Jim is an experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today's NHL," Chayka said.
"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." Hiller said he is eager to get to work.
"I'm incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto and lead the Maple Leafs," he said.
"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."
Between his two stints in Toronto, Hiller broadened his coaching résumé across the league.
He served as an assistant with the New York Islanders from 2019–20 through 2021–22 before joining the Kings organization in 2022.
He stepped into the Los Angeles head coaching role on an interim basis in February 2024 when Todd McLellan was fired, and was then given the full-time position ahead of the 2024–25 season.
The hire comes at a pivotal moment for the franchise. Toronto holds the No. 1 overall pick in next week's NHL Entry Draft, and Chayka had made it a priority to have the coaching position settled beforehand.
The Leafs have undergone significant organizational changes in recent months.
Those moves came after a disappointing 2025–26 season, in which Toronto finished seventh in the Atlantic Division with 78 points and missed the playoffs for the first time since selecting Auston Matthews with the top pick in 2016.
The front office overhaul included parting ways with former general manager Brad Treliving, bringing in John Chayka and Mats Sundin — the latter as a senior advisor — and winning the NHL Draft Lottery.
Head coach Craig Berube was fired by Chayka in May after two seasons behind the bench.
Chayka conducted an extensive, multi-phase search before landing on Hiller as his choice to stabilize the bench and restore the Leafs to playoff contention.
Hiller will be formally introduced at a news conference on June 25.
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