New Leafs coach comes with superstar connection - BERITAJA

TORONTO – Jim Hiller says he kept the lines of connection unfastened pinch Maple Leafs prima centre Auston Matthews complete the past 7 years aft leaving Toronto arsenic an adjunct coach.

Now backmost arsenic the Maple Leafs’ 41st caput coach, that familiarity pinch the team’s Arizona-raised skipper whitethorn beryllium to beryllium a concealed limb successful a clip erstwhile American NHL stars based successful Canada are progressively uncovering ways to return southbound of the border.

“Even aft I left, location were times erstwhile Auston and I would get together successful Arizona, person a lunch, B.S. conscionable to support successful touch,” Hiller told reporters Thursday. “So it hasn’t been 7 years since we’ve communicated.”

Hiller past worked successful Toronto from 2015-19 nether caput coach Mike Babcock, wherever he was charged pinch moving the powerfulness play. He says he has worked to support relationships pinch respective players since joining the New York Islanders arsenic an adjunct earlier the 2019-20 season.

“I’m really fond of those guys,” Hiller said. “They’re awesome players, and truthful conscionable looking guardant to get connected the chair and coach them again.”

Matthews captained the United States to a golden badge astatine the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, pinch the tally capped by a 2-1 overtime triumph complete Canada successful the title game.

Several of his Olympic teammates person moved from Canadian to American clubs aft demanding trades aliases threatening not to motion statement extensions. Matthew Tkachuk was dealt from Calgary to Florida successful 2022. Younger relative Matthew joined him successful Sunrise past week successful a waste and acquisition from Ottawa, wherever he spent 8 seasons and was the squad captain. Defenceman Quinn Hughes, besides a skipper of a Canadian squad successful Vancouver, orchestrated a move from the Canucks and was dealt to Minnesota 26 games into past season.

There person been rumblings since that Matthews and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who was stellar for the United States successful the gold-medal game, whitethorn travel suit.

Amid the existent aerial of uncertainty and pinch a flurry of activity already this off-season, Hiller said his connection style helps successful a “people business.”

“You person to communicate, but I deliberation beyond that you person to connect,” Hiller said. “Once group consciousness comfortable, they could talk to you, person bully conversations pinch you, and past you could steer the conversations and effort to get connected the aforesaid page hockey-wise.

“Before that, it’s conscionable about relationship connected a individual level.”

Toronto is the 2nd extremity for Hiller arsenic a caput coach. He about precocious served arsenic caput coach of the Los Angeles Kings, compiling a 93-58-24 grounds complete parts of 3 seasons. The Kings fired Hiller connected March 1 pursuing an 8-1 nonaccomplishment to Edmonton. He replaced Craig Berube, who was first aft 2 seasons successful Toronto, aft the Leafs vanished good retired of the playoff image past season.

One area Hiller is keen to amended this play is the powerfulness play.

“Auston was ever a really vulnerable subordinate connected the powerfulness play, and I don’t deliberation they’ve been arsenic vulnerable recently,” Hiller said.

“The apical guys, erstwhile they get immoderate momentum connected the powerfulness play, (it) mostly spreads retired their five-on-five game,” he added.

The Maple Leafs person 1 of the NHL’s about dedicated instrumentality bases, mixed pinch 1 of the league’s sorriest post-season records. The Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967 and person conscionable 2 playoff bid wins complete the past 21 seasons.

If that operation makes coaching successful Toronto intimidating, Hiller isn’t showing it.

“What a city, what a instrumentality base, what energy,” he said enthusiastically erstwhile asked really he would grip the pressure. “It’s conscionable big-time. It conscionable is.

“And pinch that comes immoderate added pressures and immoderate other questions and each that benignant of stuff, but we’re successful the crippled because we’re competitory people. So if you’re a competitory person, what a awesome spot to beryllium competitory in.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published June 25, 2026.