Maple Leafs head coach: Chayka weighs 7 candidates

Maple Leafs – Toronto’s GM John Chayka starts a wide search after Craig Berube’s firing, weighing seven potential next head coach options.

A major turning point has started in Toronto: John Chayka has fired Craig Berube, and now the Maple Leafs’ search for their 33rd head coach is officially wide open.

Speaking Wednesday. Chayka said he will “dig deep” as he tries to find the right fit. promising a thorough process that moves slowly enough to get it right. while still casting a wide net across different backgrounds.. He emphasized that experience—particularly in the NHL and in larger markets—will be weighed. but he also warned against discounting any candidate too early. even if they do not match the most conventional profile.

The reason for that caution is clear.. After Berube’s brief tenure ended. Chayka and chief advisor Mats Sundin are expected to focus less on the most familiar or most readily available option. and more on whether a coach’s style and values match what the organization wants to become.. In their view. the process should start with defining how Toronto wants to play. then aligning the roster and the head coach to that hockey identity.

Among the names generating the most buzz is Bruce Cassidy. described as the most coveted and expensive option on the open market.. Cassidy arrives with major résumé markers: a recent Stanley Cup ring. a 4 Nations Face-Off championship. and an Olympic silver medal.. With his success in both Boston and Vegas. the Ottawa native’s fit in a Canadian-market spotlight would be a central question if Toronto pursues him.

Cassidy has already acknowledged the personal and practical factors that come with a potential move. saying the first considerations involve whether the team has a chance. how a role affects his family. and whether ownership is stable.. He also pointed to the appeal of winning a Stanley Cup in a Canadian city. describing it as something “cool” given how long it has been since that happened.

Still, Toronto would be facing competition, with the Oilers and Kings also reportedly interested in exploring Cassidy’s availability.. Even if that interest exists. the situation is not fully in Cassidy’s hands: the Golden Knights would need to grant permission. since he is still tied to the organization. a detail that could shape whether Toronto can secure him quickly.

That complication leads to one expectation being floated: Edmonton may be Cassidy’s most likely destination. For Toronto, the practical takeaway is that even the biggest-name options can come with timing barriers.

Another standout on the list is Daniel Malhotra, the head coach of the AHL Canucks in Abbotsford.. The report frames Malhotra as a coach who has “paid his dues. ” developed his trade. and is now knocking at the door of an NHL opportunity.. At 45. he is also positioned as closer in age to the modern game than many more established candidates. and he has shown an ability to elevate young players.

Malhotra’s recent AHL track record is highlighted by Abbotsford’s 44-win season and winning the 2025 Calder Cup. achievements that would naturally strengthen his case for a promotion.. Yet the same coverage notes that Vancouver—managed by the AHL GM Ryan Johnson who oversees that Abbotsford structure—will weigh promoting Malhotra versus staying with Adam Foote. meaning Toronto’s interest would not be the only factor in his next career step.

The Leafs’ potential connection to Malhotra runs deeper than coincidence.. The report points to familiarity within the Toronto orbit: Malhotra served as an assistant in Toronto from 2020 to 2024. and it also notes personal ties to the Leafs’ wider circle through relationships involving Steve Nash.. However. there is also a caution flagged by observers—Abbotsford fell off this past season and missed the playoffs—prompting questions about whether Malhotra is ready to handle the demands of the NHL.

If Toronto wanted to understand Malhotra’s coaching approach. his earlier comments emphasize communication and knowing players individually before diving into X’s and O’s.. The report recalls that he described coaching as starting with understanding each person’s makeup and learning style. then building the information flow that helps players stay aligned.

The list also includes Capuano, a name with deep playoff experience in the NHL.. Joe Capuano ran the Islanders bench for nearly seven seasons beginning in 2010-11. reaching the playoffs three times and overseeing John Tavares’s deepest run on Long Island.. The report adds that Capuano has remained employed and respected across NHL stops. serving as an associate coach for the Panthers and Senators. and more recently for the Wild. where Toronto’s timing intersects with a Wednesday elimination.

Capuano’s role as a longstanding assistant also feeds the argument that he could bring structure without being out of the league atmosphere.. The coverage describes him as well-liked by players and consistently in demand. which could matter to an organization trying to stabilize both culture and performance standards.

Beyond the NHL, the report points to a possible outsider with momentum: Spencer Carbery.. The case is built around Carbery’s recent NCAA success with the Denver Pioneers. capturing his third NCAA championship in five years. and pairing that with gold medals from the 2024 and 2025 world juniors.. The implication is that his winning track record and youth-oriented energy could translate into the pro game.

But Carbery’s leap would also come with steep challenges.. The report notes he would become the youngest coach among the 32 NHL bench bosses and would be tasked with motivating and managing an older dressing room.. It also points to his stated preference for big money and a voice in roster construction. and references that he turned down a lucrative offer from Chicago’s Kyle Davidson during the Blackhawks coaching search in 2025.

Another candidate under consideration is Craig’s replacement foil in terms of coaching circles: Peter Yeo.. The report says Yeo has been an assistant in Philadelphia. Vancouver. and Ottawa over the seven seasons since he was fired from his second head job with St.. Louis.. It also underscores the irony that Berube replaced Yeo in the Blues organization in 2018-19.

What strengthens Yeo’s case is experience. with the coverage describing his pro bench presence every season since his playing career ended in 2000.. It also links his coaching value to defense: it claims that the Maple Leafs’ biggest weakness—team defense—can be contrasted with the Senators’ defensive strength during two seasons in which Yeo assisted Travis Green.. That relationship with defensive performance could carry weight in Toronto’s decision-making.

The report also names Jon Gruden, currently head coach of the Toronto Marlies.. It describes Gruden’s focus on pushing the Leafs’ farm club to the North Division final. while downplaying personal ambition even as the possibility of an NHL call grows.. The coverage includes his own framing to reporters on Wednesday. emphasizing that he coaches because he loves it and is currently happy with his group and staff.

Even with that restraint, the case for Gruden is tied to familiarity.. The report notes he knows several current Leafs and that his proximity to the market could be an advantage if Toronto wants continuity.. It also stresses that as long as the Marlies continue deep runs, the temptation for an NHL promotion could rise.

From there. the list turns to Joe Sacco. whose coaching history includes a head coaching run in Colorado from 2009 through 2013. plus broader assistant experience in Buffalo. Boston. and New York since.. The report says Sacco, 57, was previously considered for the Bruins’ job last season before it went to Marco Sturm.

Sacco’s reputation is supported through player feedback included in the coverage. Morgan Geekie, a Bruins star, is quoted describing Sacco as awesome, noting the difficulty of the situation he inherited when Colorado’s circumstances were challenging, and praising him as both a coach and a man.

Alongside those featured names, the report closes with additional candidates to consider: Pascal Vincent, Peter Laviolette, Gerard Gallant, Steve Sullivan, and Dean Evason.

For Chayka. the picture that emerges is not just a list of names. but competing theories of what Toronto should become next.. The GM has signaled he will weigh experience and success. but the heavier emphasis appears to be on fit—how each candidate’s methods would align with the organization’s intended style. the demands of the Maple Leafs market. and the need for stability after Berube’s dismissal.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach John Chayka Craig Berube fired Bruce Cassidy Daniel Malhotra Peter Yeo Spencer Carbery