Toronto Maple Leafs suddenly fire their coach just hours before the NHL draft

His departure closes one of the final open questions around Jim Hiller's new staff.

Van Ryn joined the Leafs in July 2023 as part of Sheldon Keefe's staff, having spent the previous five seasons as an assistant in St. Louis.

He survived the coaching change when Craig Berube replaced Keefe in 2023-24, but he won't survive this one.

Hiller, who signed a three-year deal as Toronto's new head coach, has already rounded out his staff and replaced Van Ryn on the bench.

Van Ryn served as the Leafs' defensive assistant, directly responsible for the blue line.

In his first season, Toronto's defense ranked eighth in the NHL in goals against.

By 2025-26, that same group had dropped to allowing the second-most goals in the league.

The personnel changed very little. The coaching approach did not work.

When Hiller was conducting interviews for the head coaching vacancy, Van Ryn was reportedly in the mix as an internal candidate.

That opportunity has now passed.

GM John Chayka has systematically cleared out the previous regime, and Van Ryn is the latest name to go.

Having his staff locked before the 2026 NHL Draft is a meaningful signal from Hiller. Toronto holds the first overall pick and cannot afford any organizational uncertainty going into next week.

Whoever Hiller installs as his defensive assistant inherits a blue line that needs a complete identity reset.

Morgan Rielly, a veteran who historically thrived under Hiller's power play system during his previous stint in Toronto, stands to benefit most if the new staff can restore that structure.

Hiller was the Leafs' power play coach under Mike Babcock from 2015 to 2019. Two of Rielly's three best power play point seasons came in that window.

A fresh defensive voice gives Hiller the platform to find out whether the same connection still works.

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