Maple Leafs narrow head coach search to five finalists

The Toronto Maple Leafs have narrowed their search for a new head coach to five finalists, with recently retired star Joe Pavelski emerging as a surprising and serious candidate alongside more experienced options like Patrick Roy. The search is being led by new general manager John Chayka, who stated last week that he is seeking a versatile coach with experience handling a diverse roster.

Pavelski, 41, retired after the 2023-24 season following an 18-year career in which he played 1,332 regular-season games, scoring 476 goals and recording 1,068 points. He has no professional head-coaching experience but has remained involved in hockey, coaching his son’s youth team in Wisconsin this past season. His candidacy is drawing comparisons to the Montreal Canadiens’ successful hiring of Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis in 2022, another recently retired player who led his team to the Eastern Conference Final this year.

The other known finalists include Patrick Roy, a Hall of Fame goaltender with six seasons of NHL coaching experience in Colorado and with the New York Islanders. Chayka has conducted an extensive process, initially speaking with approximately 55 people before narrowing the...