Toronto continued to usher in a new era on Wednesday, May 13, firing coach Craig Berube after two seasons.
It’s nearly the completion of a changing of the guard for the Maple Leafs, with Keith Pelley remaining as president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MPSE). Pelley, who is known to be close to Berube, left the decision to retain or move on from the coach to new GM John Chayka, who will now undergo a coaching search while awaiting the NHL entry draft and either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg on June 26.
REQUIRED READING: Maple Leafs fire coach Craig Berube after two seasons
Berube – who went 84-62-18 with the Leafs in his two seasons and missed the playoffs this year after a second-round exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers in this first season – becomes the latest coach to exit a beleaguered franchise. As Mitch Marner continues to find success with the Golden Knights and Auston Matthews’ future in Toronto remains clouded, Toronto is looking for a spark. It hasn’t made a conference finals since 2002 and, of course, hasn’t hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup since 1967.
Toronto, however, found luck in this year’s lottery when it drew the No. 1 overall pick, jumping four spots to do so. Now, with Chayka at the helm, who will be the coach to reap the benefits of that good fortune? Here are four candidates who could be next in line in Toronto, which promises to be one of the most intriguing coaching searches this offseason.
The NHL is announcing the finalists for the Hart Trophy and the other major awards. Here’s who is in the running (listed alphabetically):
Jack Adams Award (coach) finalist: Tampa Bay Lightning’s Jon Cooper
Jack Adams finalist: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Dan Muse
Jack Adams finalist: Buffalo Sabres’ Lindy Ruff
Vezina Trophy (goaltender) New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin
Vezina finalist: Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman
Vezina finalist: Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy
Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship) finalist: Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield
Lady Byng finalist: Los Angeles Kings’ Anze Kopitar.
Lady Byng finalist: Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson
Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player) finalist: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini
Ted Lindsay finalist: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov
Ted Lindsay finalist: Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid
Masterton Trophy (perseverance) nominee: Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ville Husso
Masterton nominee: Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy
Masterton nominee: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin
Masterton nominee: Calgary Flames goaltender Devin Cooley
Masterton nominee: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Taylor Hall
Masterton nominee: Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight
Masterton nominee: Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog
Masterton nominee: Columbus Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner
Masterton nominee: Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn
Masterton nominee: Detroit Red Wings right wing Dominik Shine
Masterton nominee: Edmonton Oilers goalie Connor Ingram
Masterton nominee: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand
Masterton nominee: Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar
Masterton nominee: Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt
Masterton nominee: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson
Masterton nominee: Nashville Predators right wing Ozzy Wiesblatt
Masterton nominee: New Jersey Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon
Masterton nominee: New York Islanders center Kyle Palmieri
Masterton nominee: New York Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson
Masterton nominee: Ottawa Senators goalie Linus Ullmark
Masterton nominee: Philadelphia Flyers left wing Garrett Wilson
Masterton nominee: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Anthony Mantha
Masterton nominee: St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington
Masterton nominee: San Jose Sharks goalie Laurent Brossoit
Masterton nominee: Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle
Masterton nominee: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh
Masterton nominee: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Masterton nominee: Utah Mammoth right wing Clayton Keller
Masterton nominee: Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen
Masterton nominee: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid
Masterton nominee: Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin
Masterton nominee: Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews1 / 45
NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
The NHL is announcing the finalists for the Hart Trophy and the other major awards. Here’s who is in the running (listed alphabetically):
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
The NHL is announcing the finalists for the Hart Trophy and the other major awards. Here’s who is in the running (listed alphabetically):
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Jack Adams Award (coach) finalist: Tampa Bay Lightning’s Jon Cooper
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Jack Adams finalist: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Dan Muse
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Jack Adams finalist: Buffalo Sabres’ Lindy Ruff
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Vezina Trophy (goaltender) New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Vezina finalist: Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Vezina finalist: Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship) finalist: Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Lady Byng finalist: Los Angeles Kings’ Anze Kopitar.
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Lady Byng finalist: Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player) finalist: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Ted Lindsay finalist: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Ted Lindsay finalist: Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton Trophy (perseverance) nominee: Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ville Husso
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Calgary Flames goaltender Devin Cooley
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Taylor Hall
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Columbus Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Detroit Red Wings right wing Dominik Shine
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Edmonton Oilers goalie Connor Ingram
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Nashville Predators right wing Ozzy Wiesblatt
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: New Jersey Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: New York Islanders center Kyle Palmieri
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: New York Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Ottawa Senators goalie Linus Ullmark
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Philadelphia Flyers left wing Garrett Wilson
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Anthony Mantha
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: San Jose Sharks goalie Laurent Brossoit
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Utah Mammoth right wing Clayton Keller
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin
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NHL awards finalists: Who's up for 2025-26 regular season awards?
Masterton nominee: Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews
Toronto Maple Leafs coaching candidates
Bruce Cassidy (470-254-9-96 career record, one Stanley Cup)
The first option on this list seems like the most obvious pick in the world. Bruce Cassidy to the Maple Leafs to at least hit the ground running in the McKenna/Stenberg era makes a lot of sense. He won a Stanley Cup in his first season in Vegas, but was relieved of his duties in favor of John Tortorella this year (Cassidy interestingly played winger Marner at center this season, and Vegas is playing some of its best hockey under Tortorella).
Cassidy has an abrasive coaching style, and his middling playoff record may be a turnoff for a fanbase that is sick of not only early exits, but heartbreaking ones at that. But if the Leafs can land Cassidy, they’ll have an established coach with a high floor. The biggest red tape might be the Golden Knights themselves. Vegas reportedly blocked Cassidy from interviewing with the Oilers. If it continues to do so, Toronto may have its hand forced in looking elsewhere.
Bruce Boudreau (617-342-128, no Stanley Cups)
This is a longshot and a stopgap solution, before anyone gets mad.
The Maple Leafs seem to desperately need a culture shift within the organization, and that’s what Bruce Boudreau does. He won’t win you a Cup, but he’ll build a cohesive team with a strong locker room. The Leafs last season had no fight in them, and it has shown time and time again. The team is going into a rebuild it didn’t ask for with the No. 1 overall pick, and whether it’s McKenna or Stenberg, the rebuild has to start somewhere.
Boudreau is 71 years old and hasn’t coached since 2023, so there are hurdles here as well. But for a franchise seeking an identity, the Toronto native could be a Band-Aid. If Chayka and the Toronto faithful are willing to wait.
David Carle (no NHL experience)
The Denver Pioneers’ bench leader has become a bit of a white whale for NHL teams. A two-time NCAA national champion, Carle was heavily sought after by the Chicago Blackhawks last year but withdrew his name from consideration. Perhaps the prestige of Toronto could draw him in, but with an even more unstable front office, it’s a hard sell.
To humor the possibility, however, Carle’s relentlessly positive coaching attitude would be refreshing in a league that lacks creativity in its hires. He recently compared McKenna to the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, incredibly high praise. Is it realistic? Probably not. Is it worth a phone call? Every single time.
John Gruden (no NHL experience)
No, not that Gruden.
The Maple Leafs promoted former blue-liner John Gruden to coach the Toronto Marlies in 2023, and the organization has seemingly been enamored with him and the job he’s done. The former OHL champion won the J. Ross Robertson Cup in neighboring Hamilton, and is in the midst of the Calder Cup Playoffs with a semifinal series against the Cleveland Monsters.
Whether the Leafs think Gruden is ready to make the jump is up for debate, but he is undoubtedly part of their long-term plans. Like Carle, it would introduce someone fresh to the NHL coaching mix. As the Montreal Canadiens thrive with Martin St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning remain perennial contenders with Jon Cooper, that may be more enticing than going with the old guard options.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maple Leafs next coach? Bruce Cassidy, John Gruden among candidates
