This will be the second time Lambert has been an associate coach in the NHL, a role with more responsibility than an assistant.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have added a new name to their coaching staff.
The team announced on Wednesday that they've hired Lane Lambert as an associate coach, serving under head coach Craig Berube.
Lambert served as head coach of the New York Islanders for parts of two seasons from 2022 to 2024. He was relieved of his duties in January and was replaced by Patrick Roy.
Before being the bench boss in New York, he was an associate coach with the Islanders for four seasons, working under Barry Trotz. Being an associate coach is much like being an assistant, however, it's seen as a small step above.
An associate coach will have some head coaching duties while also being the second in command.
The 59-year-old also served as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals from 2014 to 2018, winning the Stanley Cup with the club in 2018. Lambert was an assistant with the Nashville Predators from 2011 to 2014.
With a new associate coach coming in, Maple Leafs assistant coach Dean Chynoweth departs. He joined Toronto from the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021 and has been responsible for the team's penalty kill since Mike Van Ryn joined the organization last summer and took over the defense.
The Maple Leafs' current coaching staff features Berube, Lambert, Van Ryn, and Guy Boucher. Questions remain about whether Boucher will keep his post as head of both the forward group and the power play with Lambert entering the fold.
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