Jim Hiller has been named the 41st head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Hiller spent parts of the last three seasons as coach of the Los Angeles Kings before he was fired in March. He had a 93-58-24 record while in charge of the Kings, falling in the first round of the playoffs in two runs with the club.
The 57-year-old returns to Toronto after spending four seasons behind the bench as an assistant coach under Mike Babcock rom 2015-2019.
“Jim is an experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today’s NHL,” general manager John Chayka said in a team release. “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 Maple Leafs will introduce Hiller at 2pm ET/11am PT on Wednesday. Watch it LIVE on TSN.ca.
This marks Hiller’s second opportunity as an NHL head coach. He has also spent time as assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders and the Kings prior to being promoted there.
Hiller appeared in 63 NHL games as a player with the Kings, Red Wings and New York Rangers after being drafted by Los Angeles in the 10th round of the 1989 draft.
“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto and lead the Maple Leafs,” said Hiller. “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.”
The announcement comes one day after Chayka said the Maple Leafs were in the final phase of their search. A short list of candidates advanced to the second round of the search to in-person interviews including former players Joe Pavelski and Patrick Roy.
“I think it’s been a wide and deep search and that’s been purposeful,” Chayka said at the NHL Draft Combine earlier this month. “I think it’s been a while since the organization’s had this approach, and I think it’s the right one at this stage.
“Certainly with the group we’ve got, we’ve got an interesting mix of star players – some folks in their prime, some good young players coming in, some good depth players, and obviously the first-overall pick on the horizon. So, as you think about all of that, I think you need a coach that has some versatility, has some experience, can deal with a market like Toronto. And those are all some of the things that are important to us.
“But ultimately, I think we’re still early. We’re still working through it. And it’s been a good process to date. We’re kind of ready for the next phase. But the first phase will produce a lot of great candidates.”
The Maple Leafs fired head coach Craig Berube shortly after Chayka took over atop the team’s front office in May.
It’s been a busy 24 hours for the Maple Leafs, with the team making their first major move of the off-season on Tuesday, sending goaltender Joseph Woll and defenceman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers for goaltender Samuel Ersson, defenceman Emil Andrae and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
More details to follow.
