The Toronto Maple Leafs have appointed Steve Sullivan as an assistant coach, the team disclosed on Friday. Sullivan transitions to the NHL franchise from his prior role as an assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate. This move follows the dismissal of assistant coach Marc Savard earlier in the week.
Savard’s responsibilities included overseeing the team’s power play, an area where Toronto has struggled, ranking at the league’s bottom with a conversion rate of only 13.0 percent. This has been one of several challenges for Toronto this season, resulting in the team currently occupying the last position in the Atlantic Division, trailing the Buffalo Sabres by three points. Notably, the Leafs claimed the division title just last year.
The newly appointed assistant coach, Steve Sullivan, aged 51, brings a wealth of experience from his 15-season NHL career, amassing 747 points (290 goals, 457 assists) across 1,011 games played. Sullivan has played for various NHL teams, including the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Phoenix Coyotes.