Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller is forming his own coaching staff which means Mike Van Ryn is getting the boot, as the team is parting ways with him.
On Friday, arguably the most stacked NHL Draft in recent memory is set to be selected with Gavin McKenna likely going first overall, but it also came with a big transition for the Maple Leafs coaching staff.
Maple Leafs and Van Ryn part ways as Toronto looks to continue their offseason overhaul
It was announced by Nick Alberga via X that the Maple Leafs and Hiller are going to make some changes behind the bench with assistant coach Mike Van Ryn being let go:
The Maple Leafs have made another change behind the bench.
Hearing assistant coach Mike Van Ryn won't be returning after spending the past three seasons with the organization.
-
Van Ryn was with the team since 2023-24 and was mainly responsible for running the defensive side of things, and while that had its moments such as in 2024-25 where the team made a solid playoff run but collapsed against Florida - last season was a miserable time.
Toronto gave up the second-most goals against in 2025-26 and their defence had genuinely the worst exit and transition numbers. They were constantly trapped in their own zone, couldn't find proper positioning and looked lost without Chris Tanev - something the coach needs to adapt to.
There has been no word over who is going to replace Van Ryn behind the bench as of yet.
Where the Maple Leafs go now after moving on from Mike Van Ryn
Now with the team needing to add another coach, there's a few ways the team can go about it. If they wanted to bring in an internal option then they could look to someone in the system like Mike Giordano (who just was part of the Marlies Calder Cup win) or Jake Muzzin (whom Hiller has familiarity with prior).
Giordano is one of the most respected and beloved veterans who was one of the penultimate shutdown players in his time and his defensive intelligence and experience could prove incredibly beneficial for Hiller. He's currently an assistant coach with the Marlies and works in player development with the Maple Leafs.
Muzzin hasn't officially retired but he's certainly not coming back in a playing capacity, but if he were to come in and help stabilize the blueline then it could be great. Much like Giordano, Muzzin was a premier defender in his day and his knowledge, wisdom, and winning experience can benefit Toronto as a whole.
External options could include potentially some names the team passed over in the coaching search. We may see someone like Patrick Roy come in as an assistant potentially, or even a newcomer like Joe Pavelski.
Jay Woodcroft just helped Anaheim take down Edmonton in the first round of the 2026 Playoffs and he's a very attractive option though his focus is certainly more on the offensive side of things.
We still have names like Steve Sullivan who could be factored in, and it's going to take a couple of weeks for Hiller to narrow down everyone he wants. But for now, Van Ryn is out and there's a hole behind the bench Toronto needs to fill out.
Was it the right decision to part ways with Mike Van Ryn?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
The Maple Leafs already have the first pick, and they want the second one too