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Top 5 Worst Coaches in Toronto Maple Leafs Team History

By Stephen Nixon

WINNIPEG, CANADA - DECEMBER 31: Toronto Maple Leafs' head coach Ron Wilson watches from the bench in a game against the Winnipeg Jets in NHL action at the MTS Centre on December 31, 2011 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Marianne Helm/Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, CANADA - DECEMBER 31: Toronto Maple Leafs' head coach Ron Wilson watches from the bench in a game against the Winnipeg Jets in NHL action at the MTS Centre on December 31, 2011 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Marianne Helm/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 14: Dan Maloney of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 14: Dan Maloney of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /

#4. Dan Maloney

Maloney was a great player, but that unfortunately didn’t transition to coaching.

Don’t worry, Dan, it didn’t work out for Wayne Gretzky either.

From 1970-1982, players around the NHL did not want to mess with Maloney. Arguably one of the greatest fighters in NHL, Maloney could go toe-to-toe with anyone.

If you want to watch some old-school hockey, just search ‘Don Maloney Fight’ into YouTube and you’ll see plenty of beauties. The man could not only throw a huge right, but he could take a punch better than anyone.

After his playing days were over, the Leafs hired Maloney to become an assistant coach, and two years later he was the boss behind the bench.

When he took over as head coach in 1984, the Toronto Maple Leafs had some talent up-front with Rick Vaive, Gary Leeman, Borje Salming and John Anderson but their goaltending was awful.

Their goaltenders had a combined 4.51 GAA in his only two seasons as Leafs head coach, so he had trouble winning games.

His goaltender may not have given him much to work with, but in Leafs history, Maloney has the worst winning percentage for any coach who coached a full season with an overall .328 winning percentage.

With only 45 wins in 160 total games coaches, Maloney has to go down as one of the worst coaches in Leafs history.

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