Would Bruce Boudreau Join the Toronto Maple Leafs Coaching Staff?

The Toronto Maple Leafs broke news via Twitter yesterday that assistant coach Paul McFarland won’t be returning next season.

Toronto Maple Leafs  assistant coach Paul McFarland will not be returning behind the bench next season as he’ll be taking a head coaching role in the OHL.

There is now an opening spot on the Toronto Maple Leafs bench for next season.

Question is, with an opening spot available does that mean could a potential NHL coach who was fired this season take the new job opportunity in Toronto?

Paul McFarland Goes Back to the OHL

Paul McFarland will not be returning next season behind the bench for the Toronto Maple Leafs as he’ll be the head coach for the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL.

He coached there back in the 2015-16 season and led them to the franchise’s best regular season record, so safe to say their fans will love to have him back in town coaching again.

This was McFarland’s first and only year in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization as he was the assistant coach helping out with the power play. He also coached the power play in Florida before as well, so he’s familiar with coaching talented players and doing a good job at it.

Bruce Boudreau Perfect Person?

With an opening spot behind the bench and a handful of NHL coaches fired this season, there is the possibility that one of them could come to the Toronto Maple Leafs and be named assistant coach of the team and help out with the power play.

The first person that came to my mind when I heard the news about Paul McFarland was Bruce Boudreau, and everyone should know who this man is by now as he is one of the greatest NHL coaches of all-time.

Coaching in 984 games and putting up a record of 567-302-115, as well as qualifying for the playoffs 10 out of his 13 years as head coach in the NHL. (Stats from Hockey-Reference.com)

There is more than one reason to why I think Bruce Boudreau should come to Toronto to help coach.

For starters, he would come coach here because he was born in Toronto, so as a Toronto native imagine coaching your childhood team. Second of all, he was a Toronto Maple Leafs fan growing up and he still is a fan to this day despite him coaching different NHL teams.

Lastly he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs for during his NHL career so thats even a bigger bonus.

Whether people want to admit it or not, Toronto is a very good team, on the verge of winning the Cup. If Bruce came to coach here he’d  be coaching very talented players with a very good shot at a Stanley Cup.

It is unlikely that Boudreau would want to be an assistant coach, but it would a great day in Toronto if he decided to.