Leafs hire first-time NHL coach to replace Marc Savard on coaching staff

On the day after Christmas, the Toronto Maple Leafs have hired their replacement for the recently fired assistant coach Marc Savard and it's someone that was already in the organization.

Announced by the team on Friday morning, the Maple Leafs have hired Steve Sullivan to fill the hole that Savard left on the bench. There has been no clarification if he will handle the power play like Savard did, or other assistant coach Derek LaLonde will remain in that role for the man advantage.

Since Sullivan retired from playing after the 2013-14 season, he immediately jumped into a player development role for the Arizona Coyotes organization and quickly launched up the ladder to becoming the team's Director of Player Development in 2016 and then assistant general manager of the Coyotes and general manager of the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners in 2017.

The former NHL journeyman with 1,011 games under his belt remained in that role until the 2021-22 season and even was briefly the Coyotes' general manager when he took over after John Chayka was fired in 2020 and before the team hired Bill Armstrong to the full-time position.

Shortly after Armstrong was brought in, the team fired Sullivan from his hockey operations role in February 2021 and he kept on coaching minor hockey in the Pheonix area until the Leafs came calling.

Before the 2024-25 season, Sullivan was hired as the Toronto Marlies' assistant coach and was in that role until he earned enough accreditation to now be brought up to the Leafs' bench.

The Coyotes had a tumultuous time with Sullivan in the front office but that doesn't seem to largely be his fault with the wild ownership troubles that team was facing and the instability with Chayka previously in charge.

There should be further clarification as to what Sullivan's exact role and responsibilities will be as he appears on an NHL bench for the first time when the Leafs return to action Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators.