The Toronto Maple Leafs look like they’re getting close to naming their next head coach.
The Leafs have been without a coach since May, after the team let go of Craig Berube. This comes after a disappointing season that saw the Leafs collapse to the bottom of the Atlantic Division (32-36-14) and miss the playoffs entirely.
They also fired GM Brad Treliving and hired John Chayka in his place. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently caught up with Chayka over Zoom to talk about the coaching search.
Elliotte Friedman caught up with Chayka recently over Zoom to talk about the coaching search. The new GM said that the search is in the final stage:
“We’re in the final phases,” Chayka said via Sportsnet. “We’ve had some in-person meetings recently and we’re getting down to decision time. Should be in the next several days.”
A few names have already been linked to the job, including David Cale from the University of Colorado. But Friedman also brought up another interesting candidate who’s been popping up lately.
Pat Ferschweiler has emerged as a new name linked to the Leafs. A lot of fans, even in Toronto or around the NHL, probably haven’t heard of him yet. The 56-year-old spent five seasons coaching Western Michigan in the NCAA and helped them win the National Championship in 2025.
Before that, he put in one season with the Detroit Red Wings’ AHL team, the Grand Rapids Griffins. While Chayka didn’t mention any specific candidate by name, Pat Ferschweiler is definitely one name worth keeping an eye on in the coming days.
John Chayka completes first trade as Maple Leafs GM
On Tuesday, John Chayka made his first trade as the new general manager of the Maple Leafs. Toronto acquired goaltender Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a third-round pick in the 2026 draft.
In return, the Leafs sent goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers. Woll had been with the Leafs for five seasons while Benoit played for three seasons with the club.
The Maple Leafs look like they’re heading into a very busy offseason, and it’s already underway with the recent moves. Once the new coach is hired, which is widely expected to be announced before the draft later this month, fans should brace for even more changes.
Also Read: Bruce Cassidy ready to take on Leafs HC role subject to Golden Knights clearance
Edited by Abhishek Dilta