Maple Leafs Coaching Search Hits the Final Stretch as Chayka Aims to Name a Coach Before the Draft

The Maple Leafs Coaching Search Reaches Its Final Stretch

The Maple Leafs coaching search has reached the stage that actually matters. After casting one of the widest nets in recent memory, John Chayka has reportedly narrowed the field to roughly five candidates, moved to in-person interviews, and set an internal target of naming a head coach within the week — ideally before the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26. The bench has been empty since Craig Berube was fired on May 13, and Toronto wants its new voice in place before the franchise makes the most important draft pick in its modern history.

This is the most concrete the coaching search has felt since it began. For weeks it was a parade of names and trial balloons. Now there is a short list, a process and a deadline. The Maple Leafs coaching search is no longer about who might get an interview. It is about who actually gets the job, and when.

From 55 Candidates to a Short List of Five

The scope of Chayka's search has been genuinely unusual. By early June, reports indicated the Maple Leafs had spoken with more than 50 candidates — one count put it at 55 — with roughly 20 given lengthy interviews. That is not a team that walked in with a name already chosen. It is a front office pressure-testing every option, from established NHL bench bosses to first-time candidates, before committing to the person who will coach Auston Matthews and William Nylander.

That exhaustive approach has now collapsed into a final group of about five. In-person interviews are the last gate, the stage where a front office stops evaluating resumes and starts evaluating fit, communication and how a candidate would actually run a room. Chayka has made clear he wants a coach who matches his vision for a modernized Maple Leafs — a theme we explored in our look at what Chayka actually wants behind the bench.

Who Is Still in the Mix

The reported finalists span a wide range of profiles. Patrick Roy, the Hall of Fame goaltender turned head coach, brings fire and a track record. Dallas Eakins offers NHL head-coaching experience and a development pedigree. Jay Woodcroft, whom we profiled as a possible front-runner, is a structure-and-systems coach with recent playoff experience in Edmonton. And then there is the most unconventional name on the board.

Joe Pavelski, the recently retired star who never coached a professional game, has reportedly entered the interview process — a genuinely intriguing swing we broke down in our piece on Pavelski as a head-coach candidate. Hiring a coach with no bench experience to lead a market as demanding as Toronto would be a bold bet, but it fits Chayka's pattern of ignoring conventional wisdom. Whether the Leafs are seriously considering Pavelski as a hire or simply doing due diligence on a respected hockey mind is the question that will define how aggressive this search really is.

The Bruce Cassidy Complication

One name hangs over the search without being fully part of it: Bruce Cassidy. The Vegas Golden Knights head coach has signalled he would be open to talking to Toronto, but Vegas has so far declined to grant permission — a block we detailed in our story on why Vegas is standing in Toronto's way. Cassidy is under contract, and a team in the middle of a Stanley Cup Final run is under no obligation to let a division rival poach its bench boss.

There is a belief around the league that Vegas could revisit its stance once its season ends. But the timing works against Toronto. The Leafs want a coach before the June 26 draft, and Vegas's playoff run may not be settled in time to matter. If Chayka is serious about his self-imposed deadline, Cassidy is likely a candidate the Leafs cannot wait for — which is precisely why the in-person interviews are happening with the names who are actually available.

What Kind of Coach Fits This Roster

Strip away the names and the real question is what profile the Maple Leafs actually need. This is a roster built around elite offensive talent in Matthews and Nylander, a goaltending tandem in Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll that played well when healthy, and a glaring need for structure and accountability after a season that came apart. The last regime under Berube leaned hard into a heavy, defensive identity and still missed the playoffs, which suggests the answer is not simply more of the same.

The candidates on the short list represent genuinely different philosophies. Roy is an emotional, demanding presence who pushes star players hard. Woodcroft is a details-and-systems coach who got the most out of a top-heavy Edmonton group. Eakins blends NHL experience with a development background that fits a team about to lean on young players. And Pavelski, if the Leafs are serious, would be a bet on leadership and modern thinking over conventional resume-building. Chayka's choice will tell us as much about how he sees this roster as any trade he makes — whether he believes the Leafs need a disciplinarian, a tactician, or a fresh voice unburdened by how things have always been done in Toronto.

Why the Draft Deadline Matters

The push to hire before June 26 is not arbitrary. The Maple Leafs hold the No. 1 overall pick after winning the draft lottery, and that selection — almost certainly Gavin McKenna — is the centrepiece of the franchise's next era. A head coach in place before the draft can have input on the organization's direction, weigh in on how the roster is being built and start the season's planning without a gap at the top of the staff.

There is also the simple matter of momentum. The Leafs have spent the offseason in transition: a new GM in Chayka, Mats Sundin added to hockey operations, a remade front office, and a coaching vacancy that has dragged on for a month. Filling the bench before the draft would let Toronto walk into the most consequential weekend of its summer with its leadership group complete. You can follow where the roster stands on our players page and the picks in play on the draft page.

What's Next

Expect the next several days to move quickly. In-person interviews tend to be the final step before a decision, and Chayka has signalled he wants this resolved. Whoever gets the job inherits a roster with real talent up top, a glaring hole at second-line centre, and a fan base whose patience ran out somewhere around the All-Star break. It is one of the most scrutinized coaching jobs in sports, and the man who takes it will be judged from his first practice.

It is worth remembering how rare a clean coaching hire is in this market. Toronto has churned through bench bosses chasing a playoff breakthrough that never came, and each search has carried the weight of a fan base that expects a Cup and has not seen a final since 1967. Chayka is the one making this call without the baggage of having hired any of the recent failures, which gives him a freedom his predecessors did not have. He can pick the coach he believes in rather than the safe name that quiets the noise for a season.

For now, the takeaway is that the Maple Leafs coaching search has finally narrowed to a decision. Five names, in-person interviews, and a target of getting it done before the draft. After a month of speculation, Toronto is days away from knowing who will run its bench — and from finding out just how bold John Chayka is willing to be.