The Maple Leafs may be one step closer to hiring Jay Woodcroft

The Toronto Maple Leafs are still working through their coaching search, and one name that keeps popping up now is Jay Woodcroft.

According to Nick Alberga of Leafs Morning Take, Toronto has been given permission to speak with the Anaheim Ducks assistant, which feels like a small step but usually means there’s at least some real interest there.

Maple Leafs get permission to speak to Woodcroft

He’s not the only candidate, obviously. The Maple Leafs have been fairly wide open with this process, talking to a bunch of different coaches and trying to figure out what actually fits. Still feels a bit early in that sense, like they’re collecting ideas more than narrowing things down. If it's not Woodcroft, it could be someone very similar to what he brings. He is known as an offensively minded coach, who fit well during his time with

Woodcroft is interesting though. There’s the obvious NHL head coaching experience with the Edmonton Oilers, where he went 79-41-13 and got them to a Western Conference Final. That part stands out right away, even if it ended abruptly in the following season.

Since then he’s resurfaced in Anaheim, working under Joel Quenneville this year and being part of a group that helped a younger Ducks team take a step forward. Not perfect, but you could see some structure changes there.

What probably makes him fit the Maple Leafs conversation is the style more than anything. He leans into a more modern, detail-driven approach, and he’s had success running offensive systems that actually get production out of skilled groups.

As for the timeline, interviews are still happening this week. There is the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo next week, which could be a deadline to start trimming the list. After that, the goal would likely be to hire their new coach by the 2026 NHL Draft by the end of June.

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