The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Jim Hiller as their 41st head coach, replacing Craig Berube as the franchise reshapes its staff under new general manager John Chayka. Hiller returns to the organization after a stint as an assistant coach from 2015 to 2019 and mo
The Toronto Maple Leafs moved fast after the season ended, and the change was as sharp as it was public: the team on Wednesday hired Jim Hiller as its 41st head coach in franchise history.
Hiller, 57, was brought in to replace Craig Berube, with the decision tied to a broader offseason overhaul led by new general manager John Chayka. Chayka has already begun reshaping the roster, and now he’s put his stamp on the bench.
Hiller comes back to Toronto with recent NHL experience and a prior connection to the organization. From 2015 to 2019, he worked with the Leafs as an assistant coach. Before that return. he was the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. compiling a 93-58-24 record over parts of three seasons. The Kings dismissed Hiller on March 1 after an 8-1 loss to Edmonton.
For the Maple Leafs, the timing matters. Berube had been let go after two seasons, fired on May 13. That move followed a turnaround that put Toronto in a strong position early in the year: the team finished atop the Atlantic Division in 2024-25 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Then the trajectory flipped. Toronto fell to last in the division and finished 28th in the NHL.
Berube’s dismissal came just 10 days after Chayka was brought on board to replace Brad Treliving. Chayka described the decision as “an opportunity to start fresh,” and said the team would conduct a wide-ranging search.
The changes have not been limited to the coaching staff. Along with some new front-office additions. Chayka traded goaltender Joseph Woll and depth defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday in exchange for blue-liner Emil Andrae. goalie Samuel Ersson. and a third-round pick at next week’s NHL draft.
The Leafs’ draft position adds another layer to the urgency. Toronto owns the No. 1 pick in the draft, a first for the franchise since selecting Auston Matthews atop the 2016 draft.
Hiller’s path to the NHL runs through development leagues. A native of Port Alberni, B.C., he spent 11 seasons coaching junior hockey, including stints with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans and several teams in the B.C. Hockey League before moving to the NHL ranks.
The Maple Leafs’ message has been clear: after a season that delivered both a high finish and a collapse, they’re betting on a reset—starting with who leads the team on the ice next season and continuing through the personnel decisions already underway.
Toronto Maple Leafs Jim Hiller Craig Berube John Chayka Los Angeles Kings Joseph Woll Simon Benoit Emil Andrae Samuel Ersson NHL draft Auston Matthews