The Toronto Maple Leafs are casting a wide net in their search for a new head coach, and that search has now led them to two of the biggest names available on the market.
According to TSN insider Darren Dreger, the Maple Leafs have received permission to interview Patrick Roy and Peter Laviolette as part of the next stage of their hiring process. The two join a growing list of candidates being considered after Toronto decided to move on from Craig Berube.
Getting permission to speak with Roy was an important step, as he was still under contract with the New York Islanders. Roy spent parts of the last three seasons behind the Islanders' bench and posted a 42-31-5 record this season before being let go with just four games remaining. While his coaching style is not for everyone, there is no denying the passion he brings. He also has a Jack Adams Award on his resume from his time with the Colorado Avalanche.
Laviolette would be a very different hire. The 61-year-old sits seventh on the NHL's all-time wins list with 846 victories and has coached six different NHL franchises. He spent this past season out of the league after parting ways with the New York Rangers, but his track record is hard to ignore. He led the Rangers to a Presidents' Trophy and an Eastern Conference Final appearance in 2024, won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, and has taken three different teams to the Stanley Cup Final.
What's interesting here is the range of candidates Toronto is looking at. Roy and Laviolette are established NHL coaches with long resumes, but they also bring very different personalities and approaches behind the bench. That suggests the Maple Leafs are still exploring all of their options rather than focusing on one specific type of coach.
With the draft and free agency approaching quickly, it feels like this process could start moving fast. The Maple Leafs have a lot of important decisions ahead of them this summer, and finding the right coach remains at the top of the list.
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