Confirmed with Link: Leafs Hire Jim Hiller as Head Coach

[rumman]

No idea how this will work out, but I’m guessing he comes cheap and won’t get Rogers upset shen he’s let go if it comes to ghat. I always knew it would be a TEMU hire.

 

[ITM]

Look at the Pacific division during his tenure, damn near 20 wins guaranteed between the Sharks, Kraken, Canucks, Flames and Ducks.

Has Toronto ever been a guarantee to beat lesser teams?

We’ve pretty well monopolized the market on teams we should beat, but don’t.

Without evidence to the contrary, all we have is a .600 winning coach, who hasnt won a Cup (Many cite this as a requirement noting odds against previous Cup winning coaches winning again) who was an assistant during arguably our most promising time and whom the players liked and respected.

Is it ok to be open-minded given the above until proven otherwise?

 

[rumman]

Yup. I sure would have preferred Cassidy, but who knows.

Obviously not you.

 

[A1LeafNation]

If they are being this tight lipped about the 5th one, are we guessing its the mystery box...

I called this in the other thread.

 

[SprDaVE]

After it came out yesterday that Torts wouldn't be back for Vegas, he's the guy I wanted

Fun fact, when he coached Vancouver, he didn't even live in Canada/Vancouver. He lived across the border and travelled to the rink for practices/games.

No way he was under consideration. People couldn't even live with Shanahan splitting his time between Toronto and New York.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

he wouldn't have been in my top 5 list of choices

Nor Chayka’s top 5

 

[TheDoldrums]

Mirtle liked it more than I expected.

 

[Nineteen67]

The insiders didn’t know Hillier was being considered and now they’re telling us about the process and who was consulted.

 

[leafs in five]

I agree with the goat Martin Skoula, a meh coaching hire is fine or anyway very much preferable to giving a big name 5 years so the board won't let you fire them even when you're regularly putting up 2 shots a period for weeks on end

 

[Divine]

This guy had good results with what was a bad Kings team.

He had the Kings playing .640 hockey last season - which was his one full season coaching the team. The Kings fired him and got worse.

 

[Morgs]

https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/maple-leafs-name-jim-hiller-as-coach/article_49a820b0-aacf-4358-94a9-023149a6059b.html

.600 winning percentage last two years…Good?

People are just angry for the sake of being angry. In his years at LA he inherited a team that played 1-3-1 hockey and it worked so he continued it. It's boring as all hell, but even looking at their personnel its not overly surprising they were forced into that type of game. This is a team that was forced into making Kuzmenko a top-line F because they had no "great" offensive players outside of Kempe and Fiala.

My two main hesitations from what I've seen of the ~45 Kings games ive tracked over the last 3 years:
- He doesn't give kids that deserve it enough trust (Byfield, Clarke) and has shown to prefer grindy defensive players (Moore, Laferriere, Danault) to take large minutes.
- 1-3-1 hockey while effective with the right group, is so, so boring.

 

[HEAVY DUTY]

We finally found out what head coach will be the lowest paid Head Coach in the league next year. Rogers making sure they save a buck. I will say this now. The Leafs will be at least 10 million under the cap too. Rogers will run this thing like Ballard did in the late 70's early 80's. Dirt cheap.

Honestly, this would not surprise me. Rogers made a tons of cuts to their offices and will be doing it with the Leafs. Already made cuts to the Sports Science staff on the team last year or maybe before that.

Heard Ed Rogers only cares about the Blue Jays.

 

[shortfuze]

Fan way of thinking

Players don’t think like that

of course they do. they know the history and how guys like Wendel and Dougie get treated and they didnt even win anything in toronto.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Mirtle liked it more than I expected.

MLSE warned him after the Chayka incident.

 

[The Masters]

 

[Sypher04]

You think that’s the key to success? I wouldn’t look at Edmonton at how to do things. You’re missing the point. It’s Toronto Maple Leafs first not Auston and Willy first. If that was the deciding factor we’re cooked.

Your best players liking their coach generally is important yeah. Edmonton is just one example, this no doubt happens all over the league. Star players being consulted on things is not at all unusual.

I’m not sure anyone said it was the deciding factor, just an important data point.

 

[TheScandal89]

This coming out of left field makes me unconfident we take McKenna and just pick someone completely random 1st overall

 

[francis246]

Fun fact, when he coached Vancouver, he didn't even live in Canada/Vancouver. He lived across the border and travelled to the rink for practices/games.

No way he was under consideration. People couldn't even live with Shanahan splitting his time between Toronto and New York.

Torts lived in the US when he coached in Vancouver?! Where was he living?

 

[Statsman1]

The insiders didn’t know Hillier was being considered and now they’re telling us about the process and who was consulted.

There are no insiders. There are only guessers and fortune tellers who occasionally get things right and never mention when they were wrong.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

LMFAO is this for real?

It was a nice spring/summer while it lasted.

 

[Cams]

I expect the insiders will bash this signing simply because nobody told them he was a candidate. Egotistical turds.

I never once heard his name the last 2 weeks, not one bloody time. Won't stop people from jumping to conclusions why he was hired in their negative way.

Maybe, just maybe... he sold himself the best?

Are you talking about the insiders or the good chunk of posters on here?

 

[6ix]

This is a high floor, low ceiling type of hire imo. They don’t have their 1st rounders the next 2 years, so they want to be in the hunt for a playoff spot. Hiller can get a team there… not sure there’s more upside after that.

I’d take him over Eakins or Roy.

Pavelski would have been too risky, I would of went with Woodcroft.

 

[SprDaVE]

People are just angry for the sake of being angry. In his years at LA he inherited a team that played 1-3-1 hockey and it worked so he continued it. It's boring as all hell, but even looking at their personnel its not overly surprising they were forced into that type of game. This is a team that was forced into making Kuzmenko a top-line F because they had no "great" offensive players outside of Kempe and Fiala.

My two main hesitations from what I've seen of the ~45 Kings games ive tracked over the last 3 years:
- He doesn't give kids that deserve it enough trust (Byfield, Clarke) and has shown to prefer grindy defensive players (Moore, Laferriere, Danault) to take large minutes.
- 1-3-1 hockey while effective with the right group, is so, so boring.

Yeah with this team probably injecting a little more youth from the Marlies + #1 draft pick, I hope he's a lot more willing to give them responsibility.

 

[bobbyb2009]

Torts lived in the US when he coached in Vancouver?! Where was he living?

Point Roberts

 

[SprDaVE]

Torts lived in the US when he coached in Vancouver?! Where was he living?

Right across the border, not sure where exactly. You can probably find that out.