The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired former New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert. He will join Craig Berube’s staff as an assistant coach.
Lambert, 59, had a 61-46-20 record as coach of the Islanders. He was promoted to the position starting the 2022-2023 season after the firing of Barry Trotz. Lambert guided the team to the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs where they lost in the first round to the Carolina Hurricanes. He was fired during the middle of the 2023-2024 season to be replaced by Patrick Roy.
Lambert was also an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals. He was a part of the Capitals’ coaching staff when they won the Stanley Cup back in 2018 before joining the Islanders the season after. He also served as the head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL from 2008-2011.
Lambert also played 283 games in the NHL. He recorded 58 goals and 124 points. He played for the Quebec Nordiques, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers.
It’s also been announced by the Maple Leafs that assistant coach Dean Chynoweth will not be returning after three seasons with the team.
Leafs No Longer In on Savard?
When the Leafs hired Berube to be the bench boss, many wondered if Marc Savard would join him.
Those rumors were intensified when it was announced that the Calgary Flames and Savard decided to mutually part ways. Given Savard’s history coaching with Berube in St. Louis, it was a natural fit.
However now it seems like a reunion in Toronto won’t be likely. The Leafs had other candidates in mind and Lambert clearly impressed them. Savard on the other hand, will still be an individual that teams may pursue to fill coaching vacancies, but Toronto seemed to be a no brainer.
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