Toronto Maple Leafs hire new coach amid Craig Berube rumors
Photo credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs fired Marc Savard on Monday, and just a few days later, the team announced the hiring of a new coach who is familiar with the organization.
On Monday, Marc Savard was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in a move that many felt was long overdue, given his lack of success with the power play.
At the time, it was stated that the Leafs were in no rush to hire a replacement, even with former head coaches like Bruce Boudreau showing a bit of interest in the position.
Well, on Friday, the Leafs made a surprising announcement as they revealed that the team has promoted Steve Sullivan from his assistant job with the Toronto Marlies.
As of today, Sullivan will be an assistant on Craig Berube's staff. This move comes one day before the Leafs' game against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
From 1996 to 2000, Steve Sullivan actually played with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The right-handed center had over 1000 NHL games, including 747 points.
Having said that, he is mostly known for his time with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators, who were still relatively new at the time he joined.
Steve Sullivan and the Maple Leafs
Sullivan has been part of the Leafs organization for a couple of seasons now as the assistant coach of the Marlies. Simply put, he knows the team's prospects quite well.
He also brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from his days as a player, which is always going to be useful for a team like the Leafs.
Only time will tell whether or not Sullivan's hiring is going to matter in the grand scheme of things. The Leafs need wins, and one coach can't make all the difference.
Having said that, it is clear that the Leafs were very much interested in replacing Savard, they just wanted to do it internally first.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 26 | 436 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs hire new coach amid Craig Berube rumors Do you like this hire from the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 295 | 67.7 % |
| NO | 141 | 32.3 % |
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