Maple Leafs announce Jim Hiller as next head coach: 'This is a special organization'
After yet another early playoff exit, the Toronto Maple Leafs have found their next coach. Former Los Angeles Kings coach Jim Hiller will join the Maple Leafs as the 41st head coach in franchise history, the team announced Wednesday.
Hiller, 57, put up a 93-58-24 record in three seasons with the Kings.
In a statement Wednesday, Hiller called the Maple Leafs a "special organization," and said he was "incredibly excited" to return to the franchise. Hiller previously worked for the organization as an assistant under Mike Babcock.
After roughly eight seasons as an assistant with various NHL teams, Hiller finally got a shot as a head coach with the Kings. He was initially hired as an interim head coach after Los Angeles fired Todd McLellan in 2022.
Hiller led the team to a 21-12-1 record in his first 34 games with the franchise. The Kings reached the playoffs that season, though lost in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers.
The following season was Hiller's best with the Kings. He led the team to a 48-25 record, earning them the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Despite that, the Kings lost to the Oilers once again in the first round.
The Kings failed to live up to that performance this season. With the Kings sitting at 24-21-14, the franchise fired Hiller after 59 games. D.J. Smith took over, and led the team to an 11-6-6 record to close out the season. The Kings, once again, lost in the first round of the playoffs.
The Maple Leafs have experienced similar playoff success in recent seasons. Prior to bottoming out and missing the playoffs during the 2025-26 season, the Maple Leafs made nine straight playoff appearances. It never advanced past the second round in those appearances, however.
With the Maple Leafs, Hiller will be tasked with leading the team back to the postseason after a down year. Once there, Hiller will need to prove he can lead the team on a deep playoff run, something Maple Leafs fans haven't seen in over a decade.
