The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Marc Savard as an assistant coach to Craig Berube's coaching staff for the 2024-25 NHL season.
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has made significant changes to the Leafs coaching staff this off-season. First came the firing of head coach Sheldon Keefe. Next, Treliving hired Craig Berube to be the new head coach. He followed that up by hiring Lane Lampert as an associate coach and now Savard as assistant coach.
The only holdover from Keefe's staff is Mike Van Ryan.
Fans will have to wait and see if Berube and his staff can bring in a system to help the Leafs play a better all-around game. More importantly, a system that will work better in the playoffs. I think anything short of making it to the Eastern Conference Final will be viewed as a failure in Berube's first season as head coach.
Hopefully, the players will buy into the new system, and we will all see improved change by the end of October or early November. One thing that has hindered this team under Keefe is a lack of holding players accountable. I think Berube and his staff are better suited to do that. Here is a look at the Leafs complete coaching staff for this season.
Toronto Maple Leafs 2024-25 Coaching Staff
Craig Berube - Head Coach
Berube is the Maple Leafs 32nd head coach in franchise history. He previously coached the St. Louis Blues for five and a half seasons and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2019. Before his head coaching job in St. Louis, Berube spent two seasons coaching the Philadelphia Flyers from 2013 to 2015. As a player, Berube played in 40 games for the Leafs during the 1991-1992 season.
Lane Lampert - Associate Coach
Lane Lampert spent six seasons with the New York Islanders. He spent four years as an associate coach under Barry Trotz and two seasons as head coach. Before that, Lampert worked under Trotz for four seasons with the Washington Capitals and three seasons with the Nashville Predators. He was a part of the 2018 Capitals coaching staff that won the Stanley Cup. He is expected to run the penalty kill with the Leafs.
Marc Savard - Assistant Coach
Marc Savard was hired on Sunday to complete Berube's coaching staff. Savard worked under Berube during the 2019-20 season with the St. Louis Blues. He then served as the head coach for the OHL's Windsor Spitfires from 2021 to 2023.
Last season, he ran the Calgary Flames power play as an assistant coach. In 807 career NHL games, Savard registered 207 goals and 499 assists for 706 points. He played for the New York Rangers, Flames, Atlanta Thrashers, and Boston Bruins. Savard will be in charge of running the Leafs power play. (All stats from hockey-reference.com)
Mike Van Ryn - Assistant Coach
Mike Van Ryn joined the Leafs coaching staff last season and worked as the defense coach. He will continue with that role under Berube. Van Ryn worked under Berube with the Blues. He spent five seasons with the Blues as an assistant coach from 2018 to 2023 and helped them win the 2019 Stanley Cup.
Curtis Sanford will remain with the Leafs as the goaltending coach. Jordan Bean will continue as the video coordinator and statistical analyst. Sam Kim will continue as the Leafs video and coaching coordinator. Lastly, Duante Abercrombie will continue as the coaching development associate.