Leafs talked to over 50 coaching candidates; no timeline in place for hiring

The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t going to rush to name a head coach this summer, as new general manager John Chayka continues to find his footing in the organization, alongside new senior executive advisor of hockey operations, Mats Sundin. 

Yet, it became evident on Friday morning, as he addressed reporters in Toronto, that the coaching search is extensive and all-encompassing, given the importance of maximizing the impact and development of the first overall pick, which they also don’t intend to trade. 

While Chayka didn’t mention any candidates by name, he revealed that the team had spoken with 55 people during the preliminary stage, seemingly casting a wide net in search of the next bench boss for the hockey club. 

“We’re not as focused on some artificial timeline. We’re really focused on conviction,” he told reporters. “I think it’s been a long time since there’s been a full search for this organization. This is the next leader of the Toronto Maple Leafs. We’ve gone through a very thorough process.”

According to reports, both Peter Laviolette, most recently of the New York Rangers and Patrick Roy, recently of the New York Islanders, are in the mix for the role, while some, including the University of Denver’s David Carle, have been ruled out.

The next coach of the Maple Leafs will be the 33rd in the hockey club’s storied history and will be tasked with pushing the team back into the mix for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, likely with either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg leading the way alongside Auston Matthews, William Nylander and other veterans.

Whoever it is should have more buffer room to figure things out in the regular season as well, given that the NHL will adopt a new 84-game regular-season schedule for 2026-27, which will dampen the impact of a single result on the standings and the race to the postseason.