Photo: Barry McCluskey
Toronto Maple Leafs added John Gruden As an assistant coach to the new head coach Jim Shearer.
Gruden, 56, joins the Maple Leafs after serving as head coach of the Toronto Marlies for the past three seasons, leading the club to a Calder Cup championship in 2025-26. The Marlies finished fourth in the North Division with a record of 36-26-5-5 and 82 points during the regular season before going 16-8 in the playoffs and winning a five-game series en route to a five-game victory over the Chicago Wolves in the Calder Cup finals.
In his three seasons, Gruden led the Marlies to a 107-75-19-15 record (.574).
Gruden previously served in the NHL as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders (2018-22) and Boston Bruins (2022-23). He also served as the head coach of the Ontario Hockey League in Flint (2015-16) and Hamilton (2016-18), winning the league championship in 2017-18.
A native of Virginia, Minnesota, Gruden played 10 seasons as a pro linebacker after a four-year career at Ferris State University. He skated 175 games in the AHL with the Providence Bruins and Grand Rapids Griffins and was named an AHL All-Star in 2002.
