Dec 27, 2023; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert coaches against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesLane Lambert is heading west.
The Seattle Kraken have announced that they have hired the Maple Leafs' associate coach as their new head coach.
Lambert joined the Maple Leafs as an associate coach last summer as part of head coach Craig Berube's staff. He was Toronto's first-ever coach to hold an associate position, usually designated for someone who isn't a head coach but higher than a regular assistant coach. He was specifically responsible for the team's defensive game and penalty kill.
Under his guidance, the Maple Leafs significantly improved their defensive performance, moving from 21st to 8th in goals allowed. Lambert's coaching philosophy emphasizes a tight defensive game, protecting the net front, and an aggressive, coordinated approach to penalty killing, often utilizing players not traditionally known for their penalty-killing abilities.
Last week, reports surfaced that the Kraken were interested in hiring Lambert, it will be his first NHL head coaching position since he was the bench boss of the New York Islanders in 2022-23, taking over after the club moved on from Barry Trotz.
Lambert was an assistant under Trotz during the Washington Capitals' 2018 Stanley Cup run, and he will be reunited in Seattle with many of those players, like Andre Burakovsky and Chandler Stephenson.
The Leafs will now have a vacancy for another assist with Lambert departing.
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