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John Shannon likes Mike Gillis’ track record as potential GM fit for Maple Leafs
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Photo credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images Uploaded:
Michael Coyle
Apr 2, 2026, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 2, 2026, 02:35 EDT
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Currently in the midst of a disappointing season, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ offseason to-do list only grew this week with the firing of former general manager Brad Treliving. MLSE President and CEO Keith Pelley held a press conference Tuesday to discuss the summer outlook for the Maple Leafs. Pelley stated that the impending decision to hire a new GM or president of hockey operations will be the most important one he makes during his tenure.
On Wednesday morning, John Shannon of 100% Hockey joined Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill to discuss what he thought of Pelley’s press conference, potential candidates who could fill the vacant general manager role and what he believes Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube’s future is within the organization.
“I think what Keith was trying to say is, we need one, maybe two strong leaders. I’m trying to get out of the hockey department. I think Keith understands what’s best for the franchise, and that’s hiring a President and a general manager, and that could be either one or two guys,” Shannon said. “Then he gets to go back to being the CEO of a company that has 800 employees and is worth $15 billion.” 
Many names have already been thrown around as potential fits in Toronto for the vacant general manager position. A prominent candidate that was reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and stood out to Shannon was former Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis. The former general manager’s name captivated Shannon for a variety of reasons. 
“I like Mike Gillis. If you look at track records and what he did in Vancouver, he rebuilt an organization, got to a Stanley Cup Final and was within one win of taking home the Stanley Cup,” Shannon said. “Mike thinks outside the box, believes in the science of sports, and I think when you look at potential names, you would be remiss to not consider a guy like Mike Gillis.”
Many Maple Leafs fans thought that Berube was going to be the first domino to fall for what has transpired throughout the 2025-26 season. With Treliving gone and Berube still in the picture, Pelley discussed that the decision on Berube’s future with the club would be left up to whoever is brought in. Shannon touched on if he thought Berube had a chance to return next season as bench boss of the Maple Leafs. 
“I don’t think he’ll return. I think it speaks a lot to what Pelley talked about yesterday, being driven by data. At MLSE, they have an analytics department of 12 people, but where is this data and information going or being used? I don’t see that information being used as much as it should by the coaches,” Shannon said. “There are certain tendencies that you can use with numbers to help prepare your coaching philosophies. I think the next coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs has to be a modern-day coach.”

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