What to know
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired former Los Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller as part of a broader organizational rebuild led by new GM John Chayka.
- Hiller brings previous Leafs experience and a strong coaching record with the Kings, but his recent firing after a disappointing season-ending loss has left many fans skeptical about the hire.
- The coaching change follows a turbulent offseason that has included front-office changes, player trades, and the Leafs securing the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft after missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
- Many Torontonians described the hiring as a “safe” and uninspiring choice, arguing the franchise needs more innovative changes to end its decades-long Stanley Cup drought, which dates back to 1967.
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced a new head coach in charge on Wednesday, but with his recent firing from the Los Angeles Kings, Torontonians aren’t confident the latest shakeup will push the team in the right direction.
In a press release, the National Hockey League (NHL) informed fans of the new hire, with general manager John Chayka saying the change is part of the team’s overall “organizational shift.”
“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 was an assistant coach for the Leafs from 2015 to 2019, continuing to bounce around as assistant coach for multiple teams before becoming assistant coach for the Kings, and later being promoted to head coach from 2024 to 2026.
Hiller earned a combined total of 93-58-24 with the Kings, with a .600 win percentage in 175 games. Notably, while Hiller was assistant coach for four seasons with the Leafs, the team qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for three of those seasons, according to a release on the official Toronto Maple Leafs website.
Despite his success, The Canadian Press reported that Hiller was fired from his position as head coach for the Kings in March, following three seasons with the team. This came after the Kings saw a 8-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
The Leafs rebuild
The rebuild comes after the Leafs finished last in the Atlantic Division and 15th in the Eastern Conference this season, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015-16, according to the NHL.
Chayka himself was just appointed the Leafs’ new GM in May as part of a team rebuild, along with the new senior executive adviser of hockey operations Mats Sundin.
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The Leafs executives started reworking the team on Tuesday, when they traded goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers. In return, the team received goalie Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Leafs also clinched the number 1 pick in the 2026 draft at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26. Chayka has yet to confirm who he has his eye on, but the NHL predicts Penn State forward Gavin McKenna is the consensus.
Hiller replaced Craig Berube, who was fired from the position in May.
Torontonian reactions
Despite some success from Hiller, Torontonians weren’t convinced of a successful upcoming season for the Leafs.
Leafs fan Jacob G. told Now Toronto he already wasn’t confident with the previous trades.
“I would have liked a bit more ambition with the hire…” Jacob said. “I wasn’t a big fan of the general manager hire they went with, and then yesterday they made a trade, which I was pretty happy with. So, I thought, ‘okay, things are going in the right direction,’ but the coaching hire kind of feels a little bit like safe, kind of devoid of ideas.”
He added that the safe approach is one he feels the Leafs have been stuck doing for a while.
With the major team transition, Jacob said he wasn’t sure what the future season of the team will look like.
“It’s tough to kind of say at this point what to expect from that, but I don’t think this hire makes me more optimistic. I wouldn’t say I’m more pessimistic, I’m not exactly more optimistic about where things are going now,” he explained.
Howard R., who said he’s 74-years-old, reminisced on the team’s last Stanley Cup win when he was 15-years-old in 1967. With the new change, Howard said the direction the team has been heading for decades has led them into a poor position.
“I think the Leafs are mired in such a disgusting position, and for the last, I don’t know, 50 odd years, they haven’t been able to turn anything around,” Howard explained. “Coach after coach, manager after manager, somebody there is no good. Everybody’s no good.”
He explained that the vibe of the team was different in the 60s, and how he’s seen an exciting era of hockey turn into a disappointing one.
“It’s pathetic what’s happened since, and so many overpaid executives showing up, and they’re all incompetent one after the next,” Howard said. “…They have to think outside the box, and so far they haven’t. They just keep recycling this grey suit guy.”
Toronto resident Lukas C., who doesn’t support the Leafs, said the team looks like they’re in a bit of trouble.
“I think they’re in a bit of contract trouble, if I’m being honest,” he explained. “I’m not a big Leafs [fan], I’m actually kind of a bit of a Leafs hater. Sorry, but I think that they’ve dug themselves a little bit of a hole that they’re not going to get out of with a new head coach that didn’t really succeed on another team.”
Lukas added that the behaviour of Leafs fans makes him not want to be a fan of the team.
“I grew up in the city, and it’s such a toxic hockey culture,” he said. “If [the Leafs] win a game, then they’re superheroes, and if they lose a game, then you are getting run out of town with pitchforks. I just don’t think a city with fans that volatile is conducive for success.”
Lukas said he thinks the team will have to see major change if they want to get closer to winning the cup, or even making it to the playoffs.
“I don’t really know much about Hillier. Maybe he’s a great locker room guy, and he’ll inspire confidence, but I think it’s gonna take a pretty big rebuild to get that franchise going in the right direction.”
