It appears the Toronto Maple Leafs’ search for a new head coach is finally taking shape. After a preliminary enquiry for University of Denver head coach David Carle reached a dead end, Toronto’s brass has turned its attention elsewhere.
One name doing the rounds this week is Hall of Famer Patrick Roy, who was dismissed from his role as the head coach of the New York Islanders earlier this year.
Details Emerge of Patrick Roy’s Interview With Toronto Maple Leafs
Early on Wednesday, June 3, NHL insider Darren Dreger reported that the Leafs had included Patrick Roy and Peter Laviolette in this week’s round of coaching interviews. As debates raged on over those two candidates on social media, another insider dropped an update on Roy’s interview with Toronto.
“Word on the street is Roy’s interview was really good. So I think he’s legit,” Elliotte Friedman reported on The FAN Hockey Show on Wednesday. Friedman added that the Leafs brass also interviewed former Washington Capitals captain Jeff Halpern, though he has already been notified that his candidacy won’t advance to the next round.
Reaction to Roy being interviewed has been split, to say the least, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire. For what it’s worth, Roy has the vote of Ottawa Citizen insider Bruce Garrioch, who wrote, “Patrick Roy deserves another shot. The Isles moved on because they wanted Peter DeBoer. Roy has paid his dues and knows what it takes to win.”
Patrick Roy deserves another shot. The Isles moved on because they wanted Peter DeBoer. Roy has paid his dues and knows what it takes to win. #LeafsForever https://t.co/bXhvmCUU5v
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) June 3, 2026
Marc-Oliver Beaudoin also lent his support to Roy’s candidature for the job in Toronto, writing, “Patrick Roy behind the Leafs’ bench for the Montréal/Toronto rivalry would be dynamite!”
When all was said and done, Roy went 97-78-22 in three seasons with the Islanders after taking over for Lane Lambert. “This is by no means all on Patrick. Sometimes it’s just the circumstance, and you need a change and a different voice. That was the time right now,” Islanders GM Mathieu Darche said while relieving Roy of his duties back in April.
Earlier this week, Frank Seravalli reported that former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft had also interviewed for the job. “Jay Woodcroft is still a candidate and a possibility in Toronto. Unequivocally, 100% had his Zoom interview with the Toronto Maple Leafs last week. Be careful where you get your information, but that is a fact,” were Seravalli’s exact words.
With Carle and Manny Malhotra (now with the Vancouver Canucks) out of the running, it appears the Leafs’ options are few and far between when it comes to coaches with NHL experience. Per multiple reports, the Leafs still haven’t asked permission from the Vegas Golden Knights to interview Bruce Cassidy, who is itching to get back to work after being dismissed in Sin City on March 29.
Vegas is currently blocking both Edmonton and the Los Angeles Kings from interviewing Cassidy, though with the Leafs all the way out in the Atlantic, the Golden Knights might very well loosen their grip on the 2023 Stanley Cup winner if Toronto comes calling.
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Woodcroft has also been getting plaudits after gaining some experience on Anaheim Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville’s coaching team.
Woodcroft was fired by the Oilers in 2023, but Edmonton enjoyed some pretty high highs when it comes to how dazzling the offense was in that era. Woodcroft would likely return with more seasoned experience under his belt, should Toronto look to go down that road, given the dearth of candidates with prior coaching experience.
