Ranking Four Reported Maple Leafs Coaching Candidates, From Roy To Van Ryn
The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of three teams without a permanent coach.
Once the Vancouver Canucks promoted coach Manny Malhotra from the AHL to NHL on Monday, the Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers are the only squads still determining the next bench boss.
While there may be a coach the Leafs hire who hasn't appeared on the media's radar, there are multiple reports about potential coaches who have already conducted a job interview with new Leafs GM John Chayka.
Sportsnet reported the Leafs have done 15 interviews in the search to replace former coach Craig Berube, including internal and external candidates. Peter Laviolette and Patrick Roy are two external options, and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said he believes Derek Lalonde and Mike Van Ryn were interviewed as well.
Reports: Maple Leafs' '15 Zoom Interviews' Include Peter Laviolette And Patrick Roy
The latest buzz on the Toronto Maple Leafs' search for a new head coach includes reports that Peter Laviolette and Patrick Roy have been included in the interview process of about "15" candidates through Zoom calls.
2. Peter Laviolette
One of the NHL's most proven veteran coaches, Laviolette has been out of the league since the New York Rangers fired him after the 2024-25 season. Laviolette is seen as a win-now coach, which may prove to be the direction Chayka wants the team to move in.
Laviolette has 1,594 regular-season games and 170 playoff games coached at the NHL level.
But that experience may be working against him with the Toronto position. He won the Stanley Cup in 2005-06, but he's coached four teams since then and hasn't reached the summit again in the playoffs. It may be more enticing for the Leafs to get a relatively fresher face in the NHL.
3. Derek Lalonde
Lalonde spent the 2025-26 season as assistant coach under Berube, so he has as much familiarity with the Leafs' dressing room as just about anyone. Lalonde coached the Detroit Red Wings for two seasons as well, and he won the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant coach.
Lalonde has overseen the Leafs' penalty kill, which finished eighth in the NHL this season with an 81.2 percent success rate. He's reportedly demanding in a positive way as well, which could be the recipe for success for Toronto's players.
While Lalonde is respected in the hockey community for his experience as a coach and an assistant, it wouldn't be surprising if Chayka wants a fresh start with a new group of coaches.
Report: Maple Leafs Interviewed Internal Candidates, Lalonde, Van Ryn, For NHL Head Coaching Position
The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly interviewed Derek Lalonde and Mike Van Ryn for an NHL head coach position, confirming earlier reports from TheHockeyNews.com
4. Mike Van Ryn
Van Ryn has been an assistant coach with Toronto since 2023, and before that, he won a Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues.
We see Van Ryn as being in the same boat as Lalonde – his time behind Toronto's bench will not help his case for leading the squad.
Van Ryn showed he can coach young players, as he coached the OHL's Kitchener Rangers in 2015-16 and AHL's Tucson Roadrunners in 2017-18. He's earned enough respect to get an interview for the Leafs job, but if he were the right person for the job, we should have heard news of his hiring by now.
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The Hockey News
This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 2:21 PM.