As the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to navigate a search for their next head coach, one name in the mix is unlike the rest.
Recently retired Joe Pavelski was reported to be on the Maple Leafs radar as they shifted into the next phase of interviews, and the future Hall of Famer has confirmed as much.
“There’s truth to that stuff,” the 41-year-old said on Thursday, per Bay Area News Group’s Chris Pashelka. “I’m excited to go through the process and kind of see where it leads.”
Pavelski, who retired at the end of the 2023-24 season, has coached his son, Nate, at the youth level in Madison, Wisc, as far as experience goes. That’s similar to St. Louis’ path to Montreal. It’s an interesting twist, as Toronto backed away from some other candidates due to a lack of experience.
The 18-year NHL vet put up 1,068 points over 1,332 career games split between the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars, making runs to the Stanley Cup Final with both teams in 2016 and 2020, respectively.
As for the Maple Leafs, their search for a new head coach began in May after dismissing Craig Berube following two seasons at the helm. The move was spearheaded by new GM John Chayka and senior executive advisor of hockey operations Mats Sundin, who took over their roles just a couple of weeks prior to letting go of Berube.
Toronto is entering a pivotal off-season, holding the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft on June 26, and on the heels of a disappointing season that saw the Maple Leafs finish last in the Atlantic Division and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.