John Chayka surprised many with his out-of-nowhere hiring of Jim Hiller to be the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Many NHL observers suspected a high-profile name would land the job.
Proponents of the move will point to his connection with key Leafs players like Auston Matthews and William Nylander, and his experience in the hockey-mad market during his previous stint as an assistant coach in Toronto. Detractors label him as a defense-first coach who had little success in his lone head-coaching gig with the Los Angeles Kings.
Former Leafs Lunch host and NHL analyst Jeff Marek gave his opinion on Hiller's hire in a recent breakdown of Toronto's offseason moves.
Why Jeff Marek is High on Jim Hiller as Maple Leafs' Coach
During an appearance on the Toronto Sports Rush podcast with host E.J. Hradek, Marek gave his breakdown of Hiller. "I like the Hiller hire. I really do. And I think he got a raw deal in Los Angeles by way of his public perception."
"I like the Hiller hire. I really do. And I think he got a raw deal in Los Angeles by way of his public perception."Jeff Marek on the Leafs' Jim Hiller
Marek explained that Hiller was wrongly perceived as a defensive coach because of the personnel he had in Los Angeles. He described the new Leafs' coach as having an "offensive slant." He added that Hiller works well with kids and that "he got along great with Auston Matthews" during his stint as assistant with Mike Babcock. Marek concluded by saying he liked both the Leafs' coaching hire of Hiller and the GM hire of Chayka.
Hradek admitted he was surprised by the Hiller hire, since the Maple Leafs likely could have their pick of all the top available candidates. He added he likes coaches in their second opportunity because they can learn from their first try. He noted how they can "hit the ground running." He offered, "If they're smart, they really learn, and they can be good coaches." The Leafs are Hiller's second NHL head coaching job.
A blemish on Hiller's record is surrendering a 2-0 series lead in a 2025 first-round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers. His unsuccessful coaching challenge, with his team leading in Game 3, led to an Oilers power-play goal. Edmonton rode that momentum to win Game 3, followed by three successive wins to close out the series.
Hradek remarked that should something like that happen in Toronto, Hiller would be confronted by a horde of media, noting that a Leafs' coach sees the media multiple times a day. Marek agreed that dealing with the Toronto media is a legitimate concern. He observed that many past Maple Leafs coaches, such as Randy Carlyle, Ron Wilson, and Sheldon Keefe, felt prepared for the media throng. Yet after their tenure, they recognized it was much more difficult than they thought.
Marek concluded his approval of the Hiller hiring by recognizing his symmetry with Chayka and MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley. He acknowledged Pelley's preference for analytics and being able to justify the moves that you make. Marek stated that Hiller forming his own analytics company and shopping it to NHL coaches resulted in him getting a job with Babcock. The alignment and consistency of Pelley, Chayka, and Hiller with respect to analytics is a positive for the Leafs.
As the Maple Leafs navigate a pivotal offseason, Marek's positive endorsement of Hiller gives Toronto fans a reason to be optimistic about the coaching staff's direction. Only time will tell if Hiller can translate the high praise into standard-setting results on the ice.
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