Marc Savard hiring completes Maple Leafs coaching staff

Article content

Craig Berube’s coaching staff is complete.

Article content

The Maple Leafs announced on Sunday that Marc Savard has been hired as an assistant coach for the 2024-25 season.

The hiring had been rumoured for weeks and now that it’s official, the Leafs said in a release that no further additions to the coaching staff will be made.

Berube’s staff in his first year as Leafs head coach after taking over a month ago from Sheldon Keefe, who was fired in the wake of the Leafs’ first-round loss against the Boston Bruins, includes associate coach Lane Lambert, assistants Mike Van Ryn and Savard, goaltending coach Curtis Sanford and video coaches Jordan Bean and Sam Kim.

Van Ryn, Sanford, Bean and Kim kept their jobs after Keefe was let go. Gone from Keefe’s staff are Manny Malhotra (hired as coach of Abbotsford of the American Hockey League), Dean Chynoweth (hired as an assistant coach of the Winnipeg Jets) and Guy Boucher.

Article content

Savard was an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames last season after spending the previous two years as head coach of the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. Savard and the Flames mutually agreed to part ways in May, leading to speculation he was headed to Toronto.

A native of Ottawa, Savard began his coaching career in 2019-20 when he served on Berube’s staff with the St. Louis Blues a year after the club won the Stanley Cup.

It’s expected Savard will run the Leafs power play after having that role with the Flames and the Blues.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

Savard, 46, played 807 games in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Flames, Atlanta Thrashers and Boston Bruins, amassing 706 points. Concussion issues ended his playing career in 2011.

The Leafs, meanwhile, are expected to announce their pre-season schedule on Monday.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

Share this article in your social network