It didn't take long for former Los Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller to find a new landing spot.
It was announced on Wednesday (June 17) that the Toronto Maple Leafs officially hired the former Kings head coach Hiller early this offseason to replace now-former Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube.
Hiller will be the 41st head coach in the Maple Leafs' franchise history. This news comes just a few months after the Kings fired Hiller during this past regular season in early March.
"I'm incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto and lead the Maple Leafs. This is a special organization with great players, passionate fans and high expectations. I'm looking forward to getting to work with our players and staff and doing everything we can to help this team reach its full potential."Jim Hiller on the Toronto Maple Leafs
Former Los Angeles Kings coach Jim Hiller quickly found a new opportunity behind the bench in Toronto
This won't be the first time that the Maple Leafs have hired Hiller to the coaching staff in Toronto. He was an assistant coach for the Maple Leafs under former Toronto head coach Mike Babcock in the mid-to-late 2010s decade.
What made this such a surprising hire for the Maple Leafs was that there really wasn't any reporting indicating much interest for Toronto in hiring Hiller early this offseason.
There wasn't much time between the Kings and Maple Leafs hiring new head coaches. This past week, the Kings officially hired former New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette to be their next full-time head coach to replace Hiller and now-former interim head coach DJ Smith.
Interestingly enough, there were some connections between both coaching searches early this offseason. Not only did the Maple Leafs hire the former Kings' head coach Hiller in the middle of this week this offseason, but there was also reported interest from Los Angeles and general manager Ken Holland in at least kicking the tires on the possibility of interviewing former Toronto head coach Berube.
The Kings fired Hiller on March 1. He spent three seasons with the Kings as the head coach (from 2023-2026), posting a record of 93-58-24, after being promoted from Todd McLellan's staff in the 2022-23 season.
Hiller led the Kings to two playoff appearances in this past three years in his tenure as LA's head coach. the Kings also reached the postseason this spring under the interim head coach Smith.
The Kings' offense really struggled in the 2025-26 season, finishing 29th in the NHL in goals scored. Yet, Hiller's defensive structure and discipline consistently produced strong results on that end of the ice and helped keep the Kings among the better defensive teams in the Pacific Division.
While Hiller's tenure as the Kings' head coach ultimately ended, his quick return highlights the experience and respect he still commands around the league. Landing one of the NHL's highest-profile and most storied head coaching jobs early this offseason, so soon after being fired by the Kings, shows that the Maple Leafs believe he can help right the ship going into the future.
