Peter Laviolette will be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Kings Edmonton and Toronto were also interested
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Maple Leafs coaching candidate Peter Laviolette hired by Kings
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Jun 8, 2026, 15:10 EDTUpdated: Jun 8, 2026, 15:09 EDT
One of the candidates in consideration to be the next head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs is off the board as Peter Laviolette has been hired by the Los Angeles Kings, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that it is a three-year deal for L.A.’s new coach, while multiple insiders noted that the Leafs and Edmonton Oilers were among the other teams that expressed interest in Laviolette’s services.
Laviolette first emerged as a potential candidate when he made an appearance on Leafs Morning Take on May 14, where he publicly expressed interest in taking over the vacancy left behind by Craig Berube. Despite hailing from Franklin, Massachusetts, Laviolette compared being the coach of the Leafs to being the coach of the Dallas Cowboys or New York Yankees. That, combined with his enthusiasm for the core’s ability to bounce back next season, is why he was intrigued to be considered for the position, along with others looking for work.
On June 3, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Laviolette and Patrick Roy were set to conduct an interview with the Leafs. It’s unclear what the Leafs thought of his interview, but he was nonetheless given serious consideration to have been publicly confirmed to have spoken with management.
Laviolette boasts one of the most decorated resumes in hockey, with a Stanley Cup victory and 846 career wins. He’s widely respected across the league, and his hyper-competitive nature could have galvanized a Maple Leafs team that habitually underperforms relative to their talent.
Meanwhile, GM John Chayka told reporters at the draft combine that the team has spoken with as many as 55 people during the first round of interviews, while adding there is no timeline on when they will make the hire. Friedman stated that the Maple Leafs held 15-16 Zoom meetings, with Joe Pavelski among those scheduled to meet with the Leafs during the next phase of their search for the new head coach.
While we are no closer to knowing who exactly the next Leafs coach will be, we now know that Laviolette is out of the running and is instead off to Southern California.
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