Toronto Maple Leafs Hire Former Jack Adams Winner Paul Maclean

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Friday that the club has hired former Jack Adams recipient Paul Maclean as an Assistant to Sheldon Keefe.

Maclean served as a player in the NHL from 1980-91 recording 673 points (324 g – 349 a) in 719 games as members of the Winnipeg Jets, St.Louis Blues, and Detroit Red Wings. The 61-year-old has coached at the NHL level as both Assistants and Head Coaches.

He won a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in the ’08-09 season as an Assistant and then went on to win the Jack Adams Award in the 2012-13 season serving as Head Coach to the Ottawa Senators. Maclean most recently served as an assistant to John Tortorella and the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2019-20 season. As a Head Coach in the NHL, Maclean has a record of 114-90-35.

He manned the Columbus powerplay last season and it’s a good chance that he will work with the Leafs special teams this year in some fashion. The Leafs powerplay ranked 6th in the NHL last year with 23.1% but then struggled in the postseason going only two for thirteen against the Blue Jackets. With Maclean assisting in shutting down the Leafs in the play in, it’s a sure thing that he knows their soft spots and probably has some ideas on how to improve them.

Maclean, Keefe, Dubas, and the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maclean family is no stranger to members Leafs organization, as Paul’s son A.J. Maclean served as an Assistant to the Kyle Dubas/Sheldon Keefe Soo Greyhounds of the OHL in 2013-14 and then moved to serve as Assistant to Keefe with the Marlies in 2015. A.J. has worked with the Marlies since and won an AHL Championship with the club in 2018.

The addition of Paul to the Toronto Maple Leaf coaching is the second one in recent time as they hired Manny Malhotra as an Assistant just last Thursday. The Leafs were forced to make coaching changes for this season after the department of Paul Mcfarland to the Kingston Frontenacs as well as Andrew Brewer on August 14, 2020. For the start of the 2020-21 season the Leafs coaching staff looks like this, HC: Sheldon Keefe, AC: Dave Hakstol, Manny Malhotra, and Paul Maclean.

Despite being held back with injuries all across the board, a coaching change, and unfaithful backups, under Keefe last season the Toronto Maple Leafs were on pace for 103 points in a full 82 game season.

The Assistants added to the club in addition to the right players this offseason could see the Leafs become what they aspire to be. Whatever happens with Maclean, there’s one thing that’s for sure, we’ll all love that moustache.