Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka explained why he hired Jim Hiller as the team’s new head coach.

On Wednesday, the Maple Leafs announced that Hiller has been hired as the 41st head coach in Maple Leafs’ history following an extensive search that saw the team interview 55 candidates.

Later on in the day, Chayka spoke to the Toronto media and explained why Hiller was his choice to be the Leafs’ next bench boss.

John Chayka Explains Jim Hiller’s Hiring

Speaking to reporters on a Zoom call, Chayka explained why the Maple Leafs selected Hiller to be the team’s next head coach.

“We took our time, we cast a very wide net. We ended up spending time with over 25 coaches when it was all said and done. Everyone from proven Stanley Cup winners who have been in the league for a long time and been with multiple organizations, to players who recently retired, to European candidates, major junior, college, and everything in between,” Chayka said.

“And I think what was very clarifying through that process was when we got down to it, it was just the layers of Jim’s knowledge, it was just the layers of his experiences. His experience in the market, his knowledge of some of the players and the organization and what makes it tick, and I think when we got through that process, it just created a lot of conviction that he was the right person at the right time with the right group, hopefully.

“Again, we think about it, we want an extension of our front office. We want no space between the coaches and the front office, and we think Jim gives us the best chance to do that. I think Jim’s breadth of experience to leverage the resources we have here to get the most out of the group was another defining feature that really shone through. And again, he was just very precise and specific with his plan and how he saw the team getting us to the next level. So I think the culmination of all those things gave us a lot of conviction on Jim.”

Maple Leafs’ Next Move is Selecting No. 1 Pick

Now that the Maple Leafs have Hiller in charge as the team’s new head coach, the club’s next big move is to make the No. 1 selection in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on June 26.

It has been said that the Maple Leafs have already told top prospect Gavin McKenna that he will be their choice to be taken with the top pick in the draft. However, it has not been made official just yet.

The Maple Leafs have a lot of work to do this summer after the team missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade. We’ll see what they ultimately end up doing as far as making moves, but the first big one has been done as the Maple Leafs now have Hiller as their head coach for now and into the future.