Maple Leafs Hire Former Islanders Head Coach Lane Lambert As Associate Coach

Lane Lambert struggled in his first head coaching stint in the NHL with the New York Islanders, but his strong work as an associate coach has landed him that gig with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that they have hired former New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert as an associate coach. 

The report comes five months after Lambert was relieved of his duties as Islanders head coach, with Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello hired Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender and former Colorado Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy to fill the hole.

Lambert, who served as an assistant coach under Barry Trotz from 2018-2021 before being named head coach ahead of the 2022-23 season, led New York to a 61-46-20 record behind the bench, including a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023. 

However, after a 19-15-11 start in 2023-24, with numerous blown leads late in games and an 0-3-1 road trip at the end of January, that was all she wrote for Lambert on the island. 

Lambert will likely manage the forwards, who are headlined by a core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and former Islander John Tavares. 

With the Islanders, he oversaw the likes of Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, and Brock Nelson, who all had career years under his watch. 

Starting as an assistant coach under Troz in 2011 in Nashville, he was named an associate coach when they both came to Long Island in 2018, fresh of a Stanley Cup with Washington. He served under that role until being elevated to head coach ahead of the 2022-23 season. 

This will be his second time being an associate coach at the NHL level.