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Jim Hiller Media Availability | June 17, 2026

Toronto Maple Leafs

June 17, 2026

Jim Hiller speaks to the media as the Leafs 41st head coach.

Jim Hiller Introductory Press Conference | June 25, 2026

Toronto Maple Leafs

Started streaming 5 minutes ago

Watch as the Toronto Maple Leafs formally introduce Jim Hiller as the 41st Head Coach in Franchise History in a live press conference today in Toronto.

TORONTO -- Auston Matthews and newly named Toronto Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller have a relationship dating 10 years.

When the Maple Leafs captain, who was selected No. 1 by Toronto at the 2016 NHL Draft, entered the League in the 2016-17 season, Hiller was entering his second season as an assistant coach with the team, a role in which he would stay until the end of the 2018-19 season.

After a recent discussion, Hiller, who spent the past four seasons with the Kings, said he could sense Matthews' excitement about what the future holds with the Maple Leafs.

"Yeah, he sure is (excited)," Hiller said Thursday at his introductory press conference. "There's been times since I've been away that anytime I've been in Scottsdale, Auston and I have connected and grabbed a lunch or something like that, so we've stayed in touch over the years even though I wasn't with the team. We had a great conversation the other day and I can tell you he is extremely excited."

Matthews' season ended March 12 when he sustained a grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion to his left leg in a knee-on-knee collision with Radko Gudas of the Anaheim Ducks and subsequently had surgery. The 28-year-old center had 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists) in 60 games this season and has two seasons remaining on a four-year contract that has an average annual value of $13.25 million per season.

Matthews has 428 goals since entering the NHL, most among all players, and is Toronto's all-time leader in the category.

"All the updates have been really positive in terms of physically," Toronto general manager John Chayka said. "Any time you go through something like that, it's unfortunate but there's also some upside when you go through a rehab process and you get a little more finely in tune with your body and maybe there is an opportunity to come out of it even stronger, that would be my hope."

"But Auston is an engaged captain, making sure he's in touch with us and asking questions, staying involved as we would expect. I think he's having a good offseason and ready to come to camp."

One of the primary reasons for Matthews' excitement is the fact that Toronto will select No. 1 at the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft in the first round on Friday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS) and could pick Penn State forward Gavin McKenna, though Chayka was not ready to eliminate the suspense.

Hiller: 'What happened last year, nobody feels good about'

TSN

June 25, 2026

Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan are joined by Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Jim Hiller to discuss how he plans on building up the spirit of the team, the changes needed to improve on last year, the approach to coaching the players he had on the team during his previous stint in Toronto, the importance of the coach and GM relationship and more.

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moment 4 life

Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller’s job isn’t seen as being in jeopardy “anytime soon,” per reporterchris

“I don’t see how they could fire him. They just hired him. When’s the last time a coach got 25 or 30 games, let alone the 21 or whatever they’ve played?”

“I can’t imagine the front office making that kind of move, as much as I understand it’s a discussion out there in the hockey Twitterverse and elsewhere. But I just don’t see it happening anytime soon.”