Toronto Maple Leafs hire former L.A. Kings coach Jim Hiller as new head coach

TORONTO — Jim Hiller wasted no time talking about coaching philosophy.

Beating reporters to the punch, the newly hired Maple Leafs coach said the greatest impact a coach could have is in “guiding the spirit of the team” in his opening remarks to the Toronto media horde Wednesday.

Hiller also offered a vote of confidence in the roster he inherited while discussing the importance of culture and player buy-in.

“Everybody who’s been on a winning team, … they feel that, they know it,” he said during his Zoom introduction. “They know that feeling of ‘this was special for some reason and this year maybe wasn’t as special for some reason.’

“It could be a lot of times the same group of players, but it changes year to year. So the job is set it, celebrate it, and help it grow.”

The 57-year-old is the 41st head coach in Maple Leafs history and returns to Toronto after spending four seasons as an assistant coach with the club from 2015-19.

Hiller replaces Craig Berube as part of an off-season overhaul led by new general manager John Chayka.

“His experience in the market, his knowledge of some of the players and the organization and what makes it tick, and I think, just when we go through that process, it just creates a lot of conviction that he was the right person at the right time with the right group, hopefully,” Chayka said.

Most recently, Hiller served as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, compiling a 93-58-24 record over parts of three seasons. The Kings fired Hiller on March 1 following an 8-1 loss to Edmonton.

He served as an assistant coach with the Kings for two seasons before being promoted to head coach. Los Angeles was a strong defensive team under his watch, prompting questions about the style he would bring to Toronto, where he’ll have more offensive talent.

“Job one is to be able to get the team to play and thrive and to be excited about playing whatever style and system there is,” Hiller said.

“We’ll have a style of play that the players will be excited to play, and I think that’s the most important.”

There is common ground between Hiller and Chayka, whose background includes building a data-driven player evaluation company, on the role analytics can play in decision-making.

Hiller said analytics allow you to be better informed and “help you have better discussions and point you in better directions.”

“We want an extension of our front office,” Chayka said. “We want no space between the coaches and the front office, and we think Jim gives us the best chance to do that. I think Jim’s breadth of experiences to leverage the resources we have here to get the most out of the group … is another defining feature that really shone through.”

The Leafs fired Berube on May 13 after a dramatic fall in the standings this past season. After finishing atop the Atlantic Division in 2024-25 and reaching the second round of the playoffs, Toronto finished last in the division and 28th overall in the NHL.

His firing came just 10 days after Chayka replaced Brad Treliving as general manager. Chayka called the move “an opportunity to start fresh” and said the team would conduct a wide-ranging search.

“We ended up spending time with over 25 coaches when it was all said and done,” Chayka said. “Everyone from proven Stanley Cup winners that have been in the league for a long time and been with multiple organizations to players that recently retired, to European candidates, major, junior, college, and everything in between.”

Along with some new front-office additions, Chayka began reshaping the roster Tuesday by trading goaltender Joseph Woll and depth defenceman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers for blueliner Emil Andrae, netminder Samuel Ersson and a third-round pick at next week’s NHL draft.

Toronto owns the No. 1 pick in the draft, a first since taking superstar Auston Matthews atop the 2016 draft.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2026.

The Canadian Press