Jim Hiller's surprise hiring as Maple Leafs head coach stunned many around the league but a deeper dive into his history shows exactly why John Chayka brought him in.
On Wednesday, the Maple Leafs made their second straight move of the offseason. A day after trading Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit to Philadelphia, they made the decision to hire former Los Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller to be their new bench boss.
Fan reaction to Hiller's hiring has been mixed to say the very least, and we really have to wait and see what he does with the lineup once it's constructed fully and we get the 2026-27 Maple Leafs. He has some familiarity already with guys like Auston Matthews and William Nylander, so hopefully that transition back is a little easier.
That's part of the reason why John Chayka decided to hire Hiller, as he has familiarity with the stars of the team and actually led their power-play which became one of the best in the entire league.
John Chayka hired Jim Hiller not only for his past history with the Maple Leafs but his extensive analytical background
But there's certainly a method behind the madness as to why Toronto hired Hiller and it's his extensive analytical background.
Hiller's resume goes beyond just professional hockey, as he helped found TruPerformance - a video analytics tool that helped break down a player's game and how they can improve. He also spent time as a video coach with the Maple Leafs as well as Team Canada, so he knows what tools are best for analyzing players.
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Plus, if you take a look at his stats with the Kings at least at 5v5, they were one of the better teams in the league - and even strength is where the Maple Leafs struggle heavily at times:
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Chayka is someone who was at the forefront of analytics when it comes to NHL GMs and it makes perfect sense why he would hire a coach who aligns with his vision for the team. Plus, Hiller isn't a newbie and does have years of experience as an assistant coach and head coach, which is another factor that Chayka pointed to in the search.
Why just analytics won't help Jim Hiller - but he also has the playing background to back it up
Many people would point to Hiller as just the numbers guy, but he actually has NHL experience (albeit a little) but also has extensive experience playing for Team Canada internationally, and spent six years in Europe where he excelled.
That level of experience is crucial when you're telling guys what they need to work on and how to adapt, because you can physically show them and have that knowledge of how to change on the fly.
If Hiller can notice something mid-game that he knows needs adjusting, his players can feel confident that he's not just spouting data at them, but knows in a hockey situation this is going to work.
That is trust that needs to be built for a successful team to be competitive, because no one wants to just hear solutions with no practicality - but no one also wants archaic methods that become a detriment because they ignore modern data.
It's a balancing act for Hiller but given his experience as a player, coach, video analyst, and analytics guru; he's got everything Toronto needs. Whether that translates to the on-ice product is a completely different story, but there's a lot to like about Hiller at least initially.
Do you think Jim Hiller was the right call to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
The Maple Leafs hired a head coach who already helped develop Matthews and Nylander