Maple Leafs cast wide net amid Toronto’s coaching hunt

The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially started their search for a new head coach after firing Craig Berube earlier this week, following a disappointing NHL season. Their general manager, John Chayka, has made it clear that the organization plans to explore every possible option.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday morning, Chayka confirmed there is no set timeline for hiring Berube’s replacement despite several major offseason milestones approaching.

“No, no timeline,” Chayka said. “I mean, certainly there’s key milestones that are coming up, and so certainly, running an efficient process matters, but like I said, we’re gonna take our time and do a very wide search and talk to a lot of people, and ultimately, you know, how that goes and the quality of the candidates that we come at at the time we do will dictate a lot of that.”

The Maple Leafs dismissed Berube after a disastrous 2025-26 season that saw the club collapse from a 108-point Atlantic Division champion to a 32-36-14 team that missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Toronto’s 30-point decline marked the largest year-over-year drop in franchise history.

MORE: Maple Leafs GM John Chayka reveals reason Behind firing coach Craig Berube

Chayka repeatedly emphasized that the coaching change was part of a broader organizational reset rather than a direct criticism of Berube himself.

“We didn’t make this decision in a vacuum,” Chayka explained. “It’s a bigger picture decision.”

The new Leafs management group, which now includes franchise icon Mats Sundin as senior adviser, appears focused on rebuilding the team’s identity after a season defined by defensive breakdowns, poor structure, and a disconnect between Berube’s heavy system and Toronto’s skilled roster.

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Maple Leafs would favour experience against fresh candidates

One of the biggest questions surrounding Toronto’s search is whether the organization prefers an experienced NHL coach or a first-time candidate with a modern approach.

Chayka declined to limit the search.

“I think we’re gonna start very wide and talk to as many people as we can with varying backgrounds,” Chayka said. “As a general point, yeah, I think experience, certainly experience in the NHL, in larger markets could be an asset and will be weighed, but I wouldn’t discount anything at this time.”

That answer matters. Toronto’s next hire will inherit one of hockey’s most demanding markets alongside enormous expectations tied to Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and the incoming No. 1 overall draft pick expected to be Gavin McKenna.

Several names have already surfaced around the league. Bruce Cassidy remains a popular option after winning the Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023, while Jay Woodcroft and Gerard Gallant both bring experience handling pressure-heavy markets.

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The bigger challenge, however, goes beyond systems or bench tactics. Toronto needs a coach capable of reconnecting structure with skill while rebuilding confidence inside a locker room shaken by failure.

The Maple Leafs are not simply replacing a coach. They are trying to redefine the direction of the franchise.