Maple Leafs Criticized For Hiring Jim Hiller As Head Coach
The Toronto Maple Leafs' lengthy head coaching search came to an end on June 17, and the final result was a bit of a surprise.
Toronto announced the team has hired former Los Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller to be its next head coach. Hiller's name never came up throughout the interview process, so it was a shock to see him hired.
Following the Maple Leafs' announcement, TSN's Bryan Hayes felt like the hire was not an inspiring one for the fanbase after such a bleak season.
"It's not an inspiring hire, it's not a stop-the-presses hire," Hayes said on OverDrive on June 17. "It's not David Carle, it's not Bruce Cassidy, it's not Patrick Roy, those are show business, stop the presses, I can't believe those guys got hired moves. Jim Hiller has been his assistant coach his entire career, short of an interim basis in LA when Todd McLellan got pushed out and head coach for a couple of years after."
Hiller served as the Maple Leafs' assistant coach from 2015 until 2019, under Mike Babcock. Although he was a head coach for parts of three seasons, he's mostly been an assistant in his career, so former Maple Leafs star and now analyst Jeff O'Neill wasn't a fan of the decision.
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"It's an underwhelming hire," O'Neill added. ... "He might have analytics, defensive zone, but he's never won, isn't that the most important thing. He might check this box and that, but there's no winning. I don't know how you could say he's the best guy for the job. It's either they are outside the box, or they aren't blowing money."
The last point from O'Neill is a common sentiment as MLSE - who owns the Maple Leafs - have been trying to cut costs, and both Toronto's hires as general manager and coach weren't the biggest names, which could be a cost-related move.
Maple Leafs GM Defends Hire
As Toronto announced the decision to hire, Chayka called Hiller 'the right person to lead our team' in the press release.
Although many analysts were critical of the hire, on a Zoom call, he once again defended Hiller, saying he was the best candidate available.
"I would say I don't want to comment on every candidate, but certainly, we were exhaustive in pursuing everybody," Chayka said on June 17. "Through that process, it became very clear that Jim, through his preparation, his planning, and through his knowledge of the market was the best candidate amongst all of them."
Chayka also believes Hiller's past in Toronto helped him stand out as he knows some players and the market well.
"What separated Jim, it was clear that the players who had been around him really valued who he is as a person," Chayka added. "They really felt like they could trust that he had their back. They felt like he was committed to making them the best versions of themselves and that he was a coach who would be player-centric but also a coach who coaches. He pushed. He wanted the best out of people, and he created an environment that brought that out."
Whether or not the hire will work out is to be seen, but it's another bold move from the Maple Leafs in an offseason already full of them.
Related: Maple Leafs Make Surprise Hire With Jim Hiller
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 3:36 PM.