The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced Jim Hiller as their 41st head coach in franchise history and the successor to former bench boss Craig Berube.
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Wednesday that they have hired Jim Hiller as the franchise's next head coach.
Hiller is coming off a stint with the Los Angeles Kings, which lasted for parts of three years and one full season in that tenure.
In a total of 175 games as an NHL head coach with the Kings, he holds a record of 93-58-24.
"Jim is an experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today's NHL," Leafs GM John Chayka said. "He has worked with successful teams throughout his career, connects well with players and brings a clear approach behind the bench. We believe he's the right person to lead our team and help us reach our goals."
He was fired by Kings GM Ken Holland on March 1 after a 24-21-14 record across the first 59 games of the season. Los Angeles struggled last season under Hiller and nearly missed the Stanley Cup playoffs.
When he was let go, former Leafs assistant coach D.J. Smith was named his successor and got Los Angeles into the post-season.
Nonetheless, Hiller has a strong history with the Maple Leafs. He was an assistant coach in Toronto, a part of Mike Babcock's staff from 2015-16 to 2018-19.
"I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto and lead the Maple Leafs," Hiller said. "This is a special organization with great players, passionate fans and high expectations. I'm looking forward to getting to work with our players and staff and doing everything we can to help this team reach its full potential."
Hiller is scheduled to speak to the media via Zoom around 2 p.m. ET.
During his time with the Leafs, Hiller ran the team's power play. Across the four years he was behind Toronto's bench as an assistant, the Maple Leafs' power play executed at 21.3 percent, which is the fifth-best rate in the NHL in that span.
Between his time with the Maple Leafs and the Kings, Hiller was also an assistant coach with the New York Islanders from 2019-20 to 2021-22. He also controlled the power play for the Isles and had them perform at a 19.6 percent rate, which was 19th-best in the league over those years.
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