As the Toronto Maple Leafs continue their search for their next head coach, a prominent candidate may be out of the running.
“I want to make one thing very clear: I’m not interested in going after anyone here,” Friedman said Friday. “A lot of stuff gets thrown around at this time of year, I’m guilty of it as anyone else is. I’ve just heard Toronto has not asked permission to talk to him, and right now, he’s not on their list of people to interview. I don’t know why, I don’t know if there’s anything there. I’ve just heard they haven’t asked for permission to talk to him, and they may not at all. That’s where it stands right now.”
Woodcroft has previous head coaching experience, posting a 79-41-13 cumulative record with the Edmonton Oilers before he was dismissed midway through the 2023-24 campaign. The 49-year-old is considered a bright offensive mind, and would be a departure from Craig Berube’s coaching style.
Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka told reporters that the organization would conduct an extensive search. Toronto has reportedly interviewed internal candidates Derek Lalonde and Mike van Ryn, among others, for the role. University of Denver head coach David Carle is considered a leading candidate as well, but the Maple Leafs would need to convince him to leave the NCAA, where he has won three championships in five years.
It’ll be compelling to see who emerges as the front-runner. Manny Malhotra is widely expected to be a leading candidate for the Vancouver Canucks’ vacancy, and it isn’t clear who has appealed to Chayka, Sundin and Mats Sundin at this juncture. For the time being, one of the prominent names is out of the race.
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