Jim Hiller from Port Alberni named Toronto Maple Leafs head coach
The 57-year-old B.C. coach becomes the 41st head coach in the franchise's history, joining two other Island coaches now leading NHL teams.
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Jim Hiller of Port Alberni has been named the Toronto Maple Leafs' head coach, making him the 41st coach in franchise history.
Hiller, 57, becomes the third Vancouver Island coach to lead an NHL team. He joins Victoria's Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals and Campbell River's Rod Brind'Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes.
With Hiller's hiring and the Vegas Golden Knights' promotion of Abbotsford's Ryan Craig to head coach on the same day, B.C. now has seven active NHL head coaches across the province — nearly one in 10 of the league's bench bosses.
"I'm a B.C. boy, I grew up sitting on the couch with my Dad, with the greatest memories of hockey, watching the Leafs and Canadiens on Hockey Night in Canada," Hiller said in a virtual media availability Wednesday, June 17.
Hiller launched his head coaching career in the BCHL with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs from 2004 to 2006, then moved to the WHL for three years with the Chilliwack Bruins before spending five seasons leading the Tri-City Americans. He won the WHL's Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as coach of the year and the Brian Kilrea Award as top coach across the CHL, both in 2011-12.
He joined the NHL ranks as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings in 2014 and spent a decade as an assistant with Toronto, the New York Islanders, and the Los Angeles Kings before taking the Kings' head coaching role and later moving to the Leafs' bench.
"Jim is an experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today's NHL," Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka said. "He has worked with successful teams throughout his career, connects well with players and brings a clear approach behind the bench."
Hiller replaces Craig Berube, who was let go in May. Toronto finished the 2025-26 season with a 32-36-14 record and will select first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26.