Newly appointed Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller spoke to reporters on Thursday. During the media availability, he made it clear that he wants to see more from team captain Auston Matthews.
“That’s gonna be a real focus,” Hiller told reporters.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had a very disappointing 2025–2026 campaign. They finished in 15th place in the Eastern Conference, just one point ahead of the last-place New York Rangers.
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Maple Leafs re-tool
As a result, the Leafs have made several major changes in an effort to get back on track. They fired general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube, replacing them with the controversial John Chayka and former Los Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller. On top of that, the Maple Leafs won the 2026 NHL Draft lottery, giving them the opportunity to add a generational talent, whoever they ultimately decide to select.
Although Hiller was hired on June 17, he is no stranger to the Maple Leafs organization. From 2015 to 2019, he served as an assistant coach in Toronto. During that first stint with the club, Hiller got to know a young and highly talented Auston Matthews.
Calls out Auston Matthews
Now, Matthews is the team captain and one of the league’s top goal scorers. However, like the rest of the Maple Leafs, he endured a difficult 2025–2026 season. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Hiller explained that he wants to see more from the team’s top players moving forward. In particular, he singled out Matthews by name, pointing to his power-play game as an area that needs to improve.
“One thing is that Auston was always a really dangerous player on the power play. I don’t think they’ve been as dangerous recently. So I think that’s one area. Of course there’s five on five, and there are different things. Him being completely healthy. I hope and I envision that we can get our power play going a little bit more. When the top guys get some momentum on the power play, generally it spreads out on their five on five game. That’s gonna be a real focus,” Hiller told reporters.
You can watch the interview below.
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