Brendan Shanahan Lands NHL Job After Maple Leafs Exit

Reported by TSN's Darren Dreger, Brendan Shanahan, the former President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is expected to take on a role with the NHL in the Hockey operations department, a move that could set him up for a potential job in the future.

The details of what Shanahan will do in this specific role wasn't made clear, but will likely be similar to a role undertaken by a President of Hockey Operations, with Shanahan likely being involved in the league's operations, and work on issues throughout the league and development.

Shanahan was the Leafs President From 2014 to 2025, with Toronto's owners, MLSE, choosing not to extend Shanahan's contract after ending their season with a playoff series loss to the Florida Panthers in the second round of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Linked to a potential job with the New York Islanders as team president, a position that ultimately went to Tampa Bay Lightning GM Mathieu Darche.

A former NHLer and Hockey Hall of Famer, Shanahan began his career as an executive within the National Hockey League, having been involved in business development before moving up as the NHL's senior vice president.

Brendan Shanahan's new job seems to indicate that a new job down the road could potentially be a second opportunity for Shanahan with an NHL team.

After nearly a decade with the Leafs, Shanahan is someone who still has interest around the league, as was the case with him being a frontrunner with the Islanders.

Shanahan could also be an integral part of the league's growth, with the league's revenue boost in the past few years that have allowed the NHL to gain financially thanks to increased marketing and new TV deals.

With Shanahan, someone who has been involved with the league's financial side, he could be part of the team looking at ways to continue the NHL's popularity and open up new areas to market the game.

Shanahan's past work in player safety could also be part of the experience he brings, having the expertise to help clean up the game and continue what has been wanted from the league with a resurgence in aggressiveness.

The reported hiring of Shanahan could be a stepping stone to another chance within the league, but could also represent him as a future integral part of the NHL's business operations for a growing focus on the game of hockey.