5 Top Candidates to be the Next Head Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Zack Cook
Host · Writer
5) Guy Boucher
Guy Boucher feels the least likely out of the five candidates listed here. It's not as though Boucher isn't deserving of another shot behind an NHL bench, more so that he struggled to get the Maple Leafs powerplay going in a time it was desperate to do so. Boucher was brought into Toronto as an assistant coach for the 2023-24 campaign. The Leafs are looking for a fresh voice, and although Boucher has an edge to him, it feels likely they'll head in another direction.Â
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1) Craig Berube
If there's one candidate that immediately jumps off the page, it's Craig Berube. There's been plenty of smoke about Berube in NHL circles, with multiple teams looking to hire him as their next head coach. With Sheldon Keefe being fired on Thursday morning, there's even more speculation that the Maple Leafs will immediately hop into the Berube sweepstakes.
It's hard to say that Berube doesn't check off every box that the Maple Leafs management group will be looking for in their next head coach. He's won a Stanley Cup coaching the St. Louis Blues and brings that edgy attitude that the team has been missing lately. Berube won't accept mediocrity from Toronto's top-heavy team in the playoffs, and thus, he's the clear leader in the clubhouse for now.Â
2) Todd McLellan
Todd McLellan has the experience the Maple Leafs want to run an NHL bench. Whoever is hired as the next coach of the Maple Leafs won't be light on experience, that's for sure. McLellan spent the last 4.5 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings before being let go this year. McLellan has a history of coaching strong defensive teams, and we know it wouldn't be bad for the Maple Leafs to learn how to buckle down in the playoffs and play some hard-nosed hockey.Â
3) Gerard Gallant
There's certainly some merit to the Maple Leafs having a real interest in Gerard Gallant being their next head coach. Gallant has bounced around in the NHL of late, spending three years with Florida and Vegas, before a short stint with the Rangers for two. The Maple Leafs are in a clear win-now mode, and although changes to their roster are almost assuredly coming this offseason, Gallant has a ton of respect in the NHL coaching community and would be an upgrade from what they've been dealing with of late.Â
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4) Jay Woodcroft
After his time with the Edmonton Oilers, Jay Woodcroft has experience working with star players. Although he wasn't able to get them over the hump, Woodcroft still posted a 79-41-13 record as Oilers bench boss. The first three names we listed are in a clear tier of their own as the team begins their search. Still, Woodcroft is already receiving interest in other markets to get another crack behind an NHL bench, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Maple Leafs at least entertain the idea.Â
5) Guy Boucher
Guy Boucher feels the least likely out of the five candidates listed here. It's not as though Boucher isn't deserving of another shot behind an NHL bench, more so that he struggled to get the Maple Leafs powerplay going in a time it was desperate to do so. Boucher was brought into Toronto as an assistant coach for the 2023-24 campaign. The Leafs are looking for a fresh voice, and although Boucher has an edge to him, it feels likely they'll head in another direction.Â
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1) Craig Berube
If there's one candidate that immediately jumps off the page, it's Craig Berube. There's been plenty of smoke about Berube in NHL circles, with multiple teams looking to hire him as their next head coach. With Sheldon Keefe being fired on Thursday morning, there's even more speculation that the Maple Leafs will immediately hop into the Berube sweepstakes.
It's hard to say that Berube doesn't check off every box that the Maple Leafs management group will be looking for in their next head coach. He's won a Stanley Cup coaching the St. Louis Blues and brings that edgy attitude that the team has been missing lately. Berube won't accept mediocrity from Toronto's top-heavy team in the playoffs, and thus, he's the clear leader in the clubhouse for now.Â
