The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to have discussions with former San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski regarding their head coaching vacancy as they move into the next stage of their interview process, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his podcast this past Sunday, referencing multiple sources.
<p. Friedman noted in his “32 Thoughts” podcast that Pavelski, who boasts an impressive resume with 1,068 points across 1,332 NHL games, is not "shying away from the possibility" of taking on the role with the Leafs, based on what sources have shared.
Pavelski will celebrate his 42nd birthday next month and stepped back from playing after the 2023-24 season. He spent last year serving as head coach for his son’s team, the 15U AAA Madison Capitols in Wisconsin.
Newly appointed general manager John Chayka has been on the lookout for a new coach since he let Craig Berube go on May 13 after two seasons. The Leafs faced off against the eventual Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers in last year’s playoffs and did not make it to postseason play this spring.
Chayka is exploring many options, stating at the NHL draft combine that he had spoken to or noted 55 individuals about the position. He plans to narrow that down to around 20 names soon. Friedman indicated that Pavelski would likely be included in this second round of interviews.
Pavelski’s potential hiring is compared to Martin St. Louis’s situation when he became interim coach for the Montreal Canadiens in February 2022 despite limited coaching experience. Prior to joining Montreal, St. Louis was an assistant coach for his son’s team, Mid Fairfield Rangers U13 AAA team in Connecticut during the previous season.
Since St. Louis took over as coach, Montreal has recorded a regular-season record of 163-155-47 and made playoff appearances over the past two seasons, reaching last month’s Eastern Conference final before losing to Carolina Hurricanes.
Similar to St. Louis, Pavelski overcame obstacles throughout his successful NHL career.
St. Louis went undrafted but accumulated 1,033 points over a remarkable 16-year career featuring a Stanley Cup win and Hart Memorial Trophy victory in 2004. In contrast, Pavelski was selected by San Jose in the seventh round of the draft back in 2003 and scored 476 goals through his extensive career spanning over 1,332 regular-season games and netting another 71 goals during playoff action across all those years.
Pavelski captained the Sharks from 2015 until leaving San Jose after spending thirteen seasons there and then signed with Dallas Stars as a free agent. He played five more seasons with Dallas before reaching the Cup finals in 2020.
<p Recently Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl credited Pavelski for helping him break out of a long goal-scoring slump during a game against Anaheim Ducks last month while both were teammates at San Jose from 2013 until mid-2019.
“I had like 30 minutes to talk with him, and he actually helped me a lot because we’ve been pretty close and he’s a great goal scorer; been through a lot,” Hertl said. “And I think (after) I was (talking) with him; the next day was Anaheim game and I scored (my) first goal so it was really nice from him. And he’s still texting me.”
After retiring from playing hockey , Pavelski mentioned receiving inquiries from Sharks general manager Mike Grier about possibly rejoining their lineup but nothing came of it; however it seems there’s still an opportunity for him within some capacity related back towards Sharks organization. Additionally, Pavelskipursues golfing frequently , having even won American Century Championship by Lake Tahoe shores backin2025.
“I like (hockey). We talk,” Pavelski stated when asked about potentially returningto Sharksbackin November2024. “Dallas; there’s been few teams calling offering opportunities but these initial years focus will mainly revolve around family time while stepping back slightly.”
It’ll be interestingto see ifanything changesfor Pavelskifor whom respect among NHLplayers has remainedhighthroughouthisentirecareer.
“Joe is/was as close to perfect teammateas youcan get,” former Sharkscaptain Logan Couture remarked following Paveliski’s retirement.”You’dfindit difficultto locate anyonewhocouldsayanythingnegativeabouthim.”
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